Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Arab foreign ministers in Morocco to discuss Israel's offer to limit the expansion of Jewish settlements. Clinton says Israel should reciprocate positive Palestinian moves to improve security.
Secretary Clinton says Palestinian President Mahmud Abass has shown "leadership and determination" to improve security, and Israel "should reciprocate."
Her comments in Jerusalem Saturday praising Israel's offer to limit the expansion of Jewish settlements were widely criticized in the Arab world.
Palestinian officials say the Obama administration is encouraging Israel to sidestep a 2003 agreement calling for a complete halt to those settlements.
Jordan and Egypt issued statements critical of the apparent shift in U.S. policy. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa is "deeply disappointed" and says "failure is in the atmosphere" regarding Obama administration efforts to resolve the conflict.
After meeting with Arab foreign ministers in Morocco, Clinton sought to deflect that criticism, saying none of her counterparts characterized what she said in Jerusalem as representing a change in U.S. position. "They engaged with me at length about what it is that Israel is offering, why I believe it is unprecedented. We discussed how the position of the Obama administration has not changed. We do not believe that settlements are legitimate. We have said that repeatedly. And we have made that clear to the Israelis, the Arabs, the Palestinians, and the world," she said.
She says that a number of her counterparts were not aware that the Israeli offer included an end to all new settlement activity in the West Bank, an end to the expropriation of Palestinian land, and an end to any new construction permits. While Clinton says that offer is not enough, she believes it is unprecedented. "When we praise what the Palestinians do on security, it is meant to send a signal that progress is underway, and it is progress toward a two-state solution. When I say that the Israeli government is making an unprecedented offer - even though it is not what many would hope for and even though our position remains the same that settlement activity is not legitimate - nevertheless it holds out the promise of moving a step closer to a two-state solution," she said.
Clinton spoke to reporters in Marrakech during a joint news conference with Moroccan Foreign Minister Taieb Fassi Fihri. He says the Moroccan government appreciates the Obama administration's role in trying to find a solution to the conflict. "We believe since a long time that peace is possible and the vision of two states is the best thing. And the negotiations will have to reach this important and strategic goal," he said.
Secretary Clinton is in Morocco for a meeting of foreign ministers from the Middle East, North Africa, and the Group of Eight leading industrialized nations to discuss human rights, democracy, and economic development in the region.
She will meet with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Wednesday.
President Barack Obama and leaders from both major political parties are keeping a close watch on a handful of elections next Tuesday that could serve as a preview of next year's mid-term congressional elections.
Voters will elect governors in Virginia and New Jersey and will choose two members of Congress in special elections in New York and California.
President Obama has been doing some campaigning for Democratic candidates including Creigh Deeds, the Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia.
"I hope that you are going to be voting based on his track record and the fact that he stood with families like yours for years," said President Obama. "That is the kind of governor Creigh Deeds is going to be!"
Last year, Mr. Obama became the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Virginia since 1964. But even the president may not be able to help candidate Deeds, who trails Republican Bob McDonnell by a wide margin in public-opinion polls.
Democrats are more hopeful about the governor's race in New Jersey, where incumbent John Corzine is locked in a tight race with a Republican and an independent candidate.
Most political experts doubt Tuesday's election results will have a major national impact. Governor's races tend to be decided on the basis of local issues and candidate personalities.
But analyst Norman Ornstein says Republican victories in both New Jersey and Virginia would be a warning signal to the president and his fellow Democrats.
"If there is a Republican sweep, then the task of getting a health-care bill through becomes tougher because you do have a lot of people who are nervous," said Norman Ornstein. "It is a natural phenomenon that occurs as we approach midterm elections. The president's party almost invariably in that first midterm loses seats in the House and often in the Senate."
The elections come at a time when polls show continuing popularity for President Obama personally, but less so on his specific policies.
Karlyn Bowman monitors public opinion at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.
"Looking at the early to mid-October polls, however, it appears that the president's ratings have stabilized," said Karlyn Bowman. "They have even risen a bit in some polls in that they have settled into the low to mid-50's range."
Bowman says economic concerns continue to generate a pessimistic outlook in public-opinion polls, a view that worries Democrats concerned about holding onto their congressional majorities in next year's midterm elections.
"And while Americans say that the national economy may be stabilizing, they are much more pessimistic about their local communities," she said. "And therein lie the trouble spots for the president. His handling of the economy, the deficit and taxes, in each of those areas his ratings have taken a dip since January."
The White House and congressional Democrats were encouraged by new figures released Thursday that show the U.S. economy began growing again during the past three months, after more than a year of decline.
Republicans are looking for a boost from Tuesday's governor's races as they continue to battle the president's push for health-care reform in Washington.
Republicans are also keeping a close eye on a special congressional election in upstate New York where a close three-way race has developed between a Democrat, a Republican and a conservative challenger.
Some prominent Republicans, including former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, have thrown their support behind the Conservative Party candidate in the race, raising the possibility of further splits between traditional Republicans and activists trying to push the party in a more conservative direction.
Political commentator and strategist James Carville says a recent survey by his Democracy Corps organization found conservative voters in a combative mood, eager for Republicans to stand up to the president and Democrats in Congress.
"If anything, these Republican focus groups said that what they are doing is not enough," he said. "they want more opposition."
In the New Jersey governor's race, Republicans also worry a centrist independent candidate will draw votes away from the Republican challenger and could help re-elect Democratic Governor Corzine.
These various splits could have an impact next year when Republicans hope to gain seats in the House and Senate in congressional mid-term elections, says political analyst Norman Ornstein.
"Having these third-party candidates, or independent candidates, and having candidates especially who are dissatisfied with the Republican nominees is complicating matters enormously for the Republican Party," he said.
Both parties are already busy raising money and recruiting candidates for next year's midterm congressional elections.
The U.S. Supreme Court opened its annual term with much of the attention focused on the high court's newest member, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who was confirmed by the Senate in August, is the first Hispanic justice on the court and only the third woman to serve as a Supreme Court justice.
Sotomayor's first term on the high court promises to be busy.
The court is scheduled to hear cases involving gun rights, free speech and whether juvenile offenders should be sentenced to life in prison without parole in criminal cases that do not involve murder.
Justice Sotomayor was nominated by President Barack Obama to replace retired Justice David Souter. Souter often sided with the court's liberal faction, and Sotomayor is expected to largely follow in his footsteps. But the ideological balance on the court that favors the five-member conservative majority is not expected to change.
Sotomayor talked about what kind of justice she hopes to be at her confirmation hearings in August.
"In the end I hope it [history] will say that I am a fair judge, that I was a caring person and that I lived my life serving my country," she said.
Sotomayor spent years as a federal judge before her Supreme Court appointment, and legal analysts expect her to be an active advocate in the court's oral and written debates.
Attorney Carter Phillips has argued numerous cases before the Supreme Court. He spoke at a legal forum at William and Mary Law School in Virginia.
"She will, I am sure, be a relatively active participant in the court and will, almost certainly, express her views fairly forcefully," said Phillips.
The opening day of a Supreme Court term often draws a variety of protesters to the high court steps, and Monday was no different, though perhaps a bit more subdued than usual.
Lois Fischbeck of Maryland came to urge the court to ban capital punishment, even though the justices are not scheduled to take on a particular case this term that would deal with the issue directly.
"Because this is where the law can be changed by one decision of the nine judges and make us in unison with the majority of countries of the world who have already decided that killing is not right by the government," Fischbeck said.
A few steps away, a woman named Sandy from Oklahoma held aloft a sign protesting abortion.
The court is not expected to consider any direct challenge to abortion laws this term, but Sandy wants some of the Supreme Court justices who support abortion rights to retire.
"And then we need to replace them with people who honor the Constitution. All men are created equal and that includes babies," she said.
One of the most closely watched cases this term will be heard early next year when the high court considers a challenge to gun control laws in the city of Chicago.
Last year the court ruled in a five-to-four decision that the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the rights of individuals to own handguns in the District of Columbia, the nation's capital.
The high court is also expected to rule soon on whether long-standing restrictions on corporations and labor unions contributing to political candidates are constitutional.
The Federal Register—the 73-year-old official chronicle of White House and Executive agency activities and the public’s window on proposed changes to federal regulations—emerges today in a new 21st Century format that for the first time will allow readers to sift through, reorganize, and electronically customize its daily contents.
The transformation, undertaken by the Government Printing Office and the National Archives and Records Administration in collaboration with the White House open government initiative, gives the public unprecedented access to the federal decision-making process, a major goal set out by President Obama in his Open Government initiative. Federal Register 2.0, which can be accessed at GPO.gov or data.gov, will open the curtains on the inner workings of government and vastly increase the Federal Register’s usefulness to the American public.
"Today's launch simplifies access to the Federal Register and furthers the President's call to engage all Americans in the workings of government. We envision countless market innovations to ensure each voice is heard on the issues Americans care about the most," said Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer.
The change supplements the official publishing formats with "XML "—a machine readable form of text that can be manipulated in virtually limitless ways with digital applications, or "apps"— which make it easier for people to access and analyze its contents in novel ways.
"Today we are transforming the Federal Register from a one-size-fits-all tool essentially designed for lawyers into one that can be customized and personalized in countless ways, so that users, instead of the government, can decide how they wish to use it," said Ray Mosley, Director of the Federal Register.
The change is the latest element of an Administration-wide commitment to Open Government that already has resulted in the launch of such transparency tools as Open for Questions, which gave Americans across the nation a direct line to the Administration to ask exactly what they wanted to know about the Administration’s efforts to get the economy back on track and the IT Dashboard, which allows anyone with a web browser to track federal IT initiatives and hold the government accountable for progress and results.
Today’s announcement acknowledges the fact that although the Federal Register was created to make the workings of government more open, it has grown in size and complexity to the point where few Americans are able to take full advantage of its rich lode of content. Last year’s editions of the daily publication contained nearly 32,000 separate documents on nearly 80,000 pages.
Moreover, the change opens the door for innovative entrepreneurs to develop new apps that will allow the public to parse the Federal Register in new ways. For example, Princeton's Center for Information Technology is launching Fedthread.org, a version of the Federal Register that allows users to annotate and comment in the margins to spark online discussions about pending governmental actions, and Public.Resource.org has created a new tool to simplify searching the Federal Register.
"Federal Register 2.0 is just the beginning of a new chapter in Executive branch transparency," said Public Printer Bob Tapella. "We look forward to seeing how America’s innovators build on this highly accessible platform by developing tools that will further expand Americans' opportunities to engage with their government."
Mistrust among Asian nations and trade disagreements would be large obstacles to the formation of an Asian Union that operates like the European Union, but experts believe it is an achievable goal.
An Asia Union could "speak with one voice" and have standard rules of trade and exchange "on an above board level where we know the rules of the game," said Jim Arkedis with the Progressive Policy Institute, a Washington political research organization.
Renewed Talk of a Union
The idea of an East Asian community of nations - akin to the economically powerful European Union - has been raised for years. On Monday, however, Japan's new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama brought up the subject again at a meeting in New York with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Hu stopped short of agreeing to the proposal, but Japanese government officials say Hu was interested in dealing with some of the issues that have prevented progress toward such a goal.
Roadblocks To An Asia Union
There are are two multi-nation organizations that are active in the region: ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nations) and APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). But ASEAN represents only part of Asia, while APEC membership includes some American states. Neither of them represents the economic interests of the entire region.
Long-standing political suspicions still prevail between some Asia neighbors, and those strains would need to be overcome or ignored before a regional group like the European Union could be formed.
Political experts say such an alliance is unlikely any time soon. The Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, free-trade agreements and a unified currency are among numerous difficulties to be addressed before such a community can be realized.
Ways to Build Unity
International trade could be used as a catalyst to build cooperation and trust, said Arkedis. Initial steps "to move down that road" include the continued lowering of trade barriers and increasing contacts at the political level.
Edward Gresser, a financial expert with the "Democratic Leadership Council" in Washington agrees that an economic relationship may forge the way to an Asian Union. "The businesses in Asia are ahead of the governments in merging their strengths," he says. An economic open trade and investment zone in Asia is "probably feasible in the next decade", he adds.
If there were an open and integrated Asian market, it would probably mean a more prosperous and stable Asia, said Arkedis. And having a stable Asia and single organization represent the region, he said, would be a "significant improvement" for the West, and good for the World.
Israel has deployed thousands of police around Jerusalem's Old City, following several recent clashes between Jews and Palestinian Muslims at the compound that houses sites holy to both groups. Israeli police deployed thousands of additional officers at entrances to the Old City leading to the compound containing the Al Aqsa mosque - sacred to Muslims and the Western Wall - Judaism's holiest site.
Clashes have erupted during the past week between Muslims and Jewish worshippers, fueled largely by rumors that Jews were planning to storm the compound.
Israel national police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says Monday was especially sensitive as 30,000 Jewish worshippers approached the compound - known to Jews as the Temple Mount - at the start of the week-long Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
"The Temple Mount was open to Muslims that wanted to come and pray only from the age of 50 upwards, and women of all ages," Rosenfeld explained. "This was necessary to prevent any disturbances from taking place on the Temple Mount."
Among those prevented from approaching the area was 36-year-old Dmitri Diliani, a member of the Revolutionary Council of the ruling Palestinian Fatah faction of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
"This is pure provocation of the Palestinian people since this is one of the holiest Muslim sites," Diliani said.
Diliani, a Christian, serves as the Fatah spokesman for Jerusalem. He said that Fatah is encouraging Palestinian Muslims to resist what he views as Jewish efforts to take over the compound.
"Fatah stands at a point where it will continue to organize the process of defending the holy sites through popular effort and grass-roots mobilization," he said.
Monday saw mobilization by Palestinians against their own leadership, as anger mounts over a decision by the government of President Abbas to suspend efforts to bring war crimes charges against Israeli officials involved in the assault on militants in the Gaza Strip 10 months ago.
Hundreds of Palestinians protested peacefully in the West Bank town of Ramallah near Jerusalem. The protesters included Mustafa Barghouthi, a prominent commentator, who said the Palestinian leaders' decision showed little regard for the people they represent.
"They lack the ability to have collective decision," Barghouthi said. "There was no consultation and I think they made a grave mistake against the interests of their own people."
Israel says it will maintain heightened security in Jerusalem until the tension around the holy sites subsides.
In 2000, confrontations at the site of the al-Aqsa mosque and the Western Wall sparked a bloody, Palestinian uprising known as the Second Intifada, which lasted for several years.
by Jake Bernstein, ProPublica - October 1, 2009 2:58 pm EDT
As a man who cherishes his privacy, the attention Jeffry Picower received on Thursday must have made him wince. On the same day that Forbes revealed he had earned a coveted spot in the magazine’s list of the 400 wealthiest Americans, a new court filing added $2.1 billion to the $5.1 billion he is alleged to have earned from his participation in Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.
Forbes, which listed Picower at No. 371, placed his net worth at $1 billion, although the magazine acknowledged that the former lawyer and accountant is "likely worth billions more." Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee charged with recovering cash from Madoff’s scheme, wants to claw back Picower’s Ponzi profits. Picard contends that Picower is one of a select group that benefited from the Ponzi scheme and knew or should have known that they were participating in a fraud.
The trustee’s latest filing states categorically what ProPublica first reported in June ―Picower made more money than anyone else from the Madoff Ponzi. Picower was "the biggest beneficiary of Madoff’s scheme, having withdrawn either directly or through the entities he controlled more than $7.2 billion of other investors’ money," the filing said.
If Forbes had included all of Picower’s alleged Ponzi profits in this year’s total, it would have had to bump him up to the 32nd richest American. Instead, the media-shy investor is making his first appearance on the Forbes list. One reason for this may be that calculating Picower’s net worth has proven extremely difficult. In 2002, Forbes itself put Picower’s wealth at a little more than $300 million. That same year, according to court filings, Picower’s quarterly withdrawals from Madoff alone totaled $895 million.
The trustee’s latest judicial move is a response to a July 31 filing by Picower which urged the court to dismiss the Trustee’s complaint. (See, our "Picower: Charges of Complicity with Madoff 'Baseless."") In that filing, Picower argued that he himself was a victim of Madoff’s crime. He asserted that it would have been illogical for Madoff to have "compensated" Picower with such exorbitant sums because that would have undermined the scheme. Picower also noted that he still had half a billion dollars invested with Madoff when the now-convicted fraudster first confessed.
Although the trustee’s brief is heavy on legal citations, it nonetheless marshals plenty of outrage at Picower’s arguments. "Given that Picower withdrew more of other investors’ money than any other customer" of Madoff, "Picower’s repeated references to himself as a 'victim' ring hollow," the brief states. "Picower’s premise that making billions of dollars from a Ponzi scheme is a badge of innocence is dubious at best."
The trustee notes that Picower’s largest withdrawals were quarterly, allowing Madoff to plan ahead for them. The trustee also adds a new detail to the story. As early as 2003, Madoff was having trouble paying Picower the full amount the investor was demanding every quarter. Madoff’s "failure to pay Picower sums that purportedly were in his accounts or otherwise available to him is further evidence that Picower knew or should have known of Madoff’s fraud," states the brief. "This evidence becomes more compelling given Picower’s apparent lack of complaint about his inability to access billions of dollars reported" on Madoff's account statements.
Picard summarizes his objection to the motion to dismiss with a flourish: "Picower’s motion is a concoction of irrelevant counter-facts, arguments that ignore both the allegations in the Complaint and the relevant legal standards, and factual challenges that are not properly before the Court on a motion to dismiss."
Not surprisingly, a statement from Picower's lawyer William Zabel takes issue with Picard’s latest brief: "Trustee continues to make false and outrageous claims about Mr. Picower based on a misreading of the purported 'facts.' When the true facts are known, the Court will see that Mr. Picower was deceived by Bernard L. Madoff like the SEC and thousands of other investors, as many as half of whom took out more money than they put in."
In the statement, Zabel also leaves open the possibility that a settlement can be reached.
"The Picowers in good faith have initiated discussions with the Trustee to reach a settlement in order to avoid years of extensive litigation," Zabel said.
A hearing on the motion to dismiss before Judge Burton R. Lifland of U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York has been scheduled for Oct. 27.
Image via Wikipedia, Mug shot (circa 1910) of Charles Ponzi, taken during his arrest for forgery under the name of Charles Bianchi
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that former political fundraiser Norman Hsu was sentenced today to 24 years in prison for operating an $80 million Ponzi scheme and violating federal campaign finance laws. Hsu pleaded guilty on May 7, 2009, in Manhattan federal court to counts one through 10 of the superseding indictment. Hsu was then convicted of four counts of campaign finance fraud on May 19, 2009, following a six-day jury trial. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero imposed the sentence today in Manhattan federal court.
As established by the evidence at trial and statements made during today's sentencing proceeding:
Hsu, 58, of New York, was the managing director of two companies, Components Ltd. and Next Components Ltd. Hsu solicited investments in the companies by promising guaranteed short-term, high returns. Hsu claimed that companies would generate funds to pay these high returns by providing short-term financing to other businesses. After receiving money from victim investors, Hsu, for a time, paid interest and returned principal as promised. Believing Hsu to be trustworthy and the companies he controlled to be legitimate and based on Hsu's public relationships with prominent political figures, victims often agreed to roll over their invested funds into new investments with Hsu; to invest more money with Hsu; and to recruit friends to invest with Hsu. In reality, money Hsu returned to earlier investors was paid with money Hsu received from subsequent investors. From 2000 through August 2007, Hsu convinced victims to invest at least $100 million in his fraudulent scheme. In the end, after making some payments intended to perpetuate the scheme, Hsu swindled his victims out of at least $80 million.
In addition to the wire and mail fraud charges, Hsu was found guilty by a Manhattan federal jury of four counts of violating the Federal Election Campaign Act by making contributions to various political campaigns in the names of others. The evidence at trial established that in 2005, 2006, and 2007, Hsu asked other individuals to make contributions, totaling more than $25,000 for each calendar year, to designated federal candidates. Hsu then directly reimbursed the individuals for the political contributions they had made on his behalf.
Hsu was sentenced to 240 months in prison for the wire and mail fraud charges and 52 months in prison, to run consecutively to the 240-month term, for the campaign finance fraud charges.
In imposing Hsu's sentence, Judge Marrero stated: "Hsu's dishonest use of political campaigns to perpetuate his fraud strikes at the very core of our democracy." Judge Marrero also sentenced Hsu to three years of supervised release and extended the time for ruling on an order of restitution for 90 days from the date of sentencing.
"Norman Hsu betrayed the trust of his victims by stealing their money with false promises of fake returns in order to finance a luxurious lifestyle," said U.S. Attorney Bharara. "He broke federal campaign finance laws to pump up his public profile and bolster his victims' belief in his phony investment program. Today's sentence underscores our commitment to stop swindlers like Hsu in their tracks and bring them to the bar of justice."
If you believe you are a victim of the Components Ltd. and Next Components Ltd. investment fraud, including a victim entitled to restitution, and you wish to provide information to law enforcement and/or receive notice of future developments in the case or additional information, please contact Wendy Olsen-Clancy, the Victim Witness Coordinator at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, at (866) 874-8900, or Wendy.Olsen@usdoj.gov . For additional information, go to: http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nys/victimwitness.html . Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Survey Finds Support for New Proposals for Fees and Taxes on Insurance Companies to Help Pay for Overhaul
MENLO PARK, Calif., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Public support for health reform ended its summer slide, reversed course and moved modestly upwards in September, according to the latest Kaiser Health Tracking Poll.
Fifty-seven percent of Americans now believe that tackling health care reform is more important than ever - up from 53 percent in August. The proportion of Americans who think their families would be better off if health reform passes is up six percentage points (42% versus 36% in August), and the percentage who think that the country would be better off is up eight points (to 53% from 45% in August).
Despite the uptick, a substantial share of the public (47%) favors taking longer to work out a bipartisan approach to health reform, compared to 42 percent who would prefer to see Democrats move faster on their own. Meanwhile, the public continues to view the action in Washington with mixed feelings: The largest share (68%) said they were "hopeful" about reform, but 50% are "anxious" and 31% "angry."
"Opinion in the coming months is hard to predict, but as the focus shifted from the town halls and hot button issues to the President, the Congress and the core issues in the legislation that affect people the most, the summer downturn in support was largely erased," said Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman.
Upswing in Support Driven by Changes Among Republicans and Independents
Republicans and political independents became markedly more pessimistic about health reform in August, but those viewpoints softened in September. While 49 percent of Republicans say their family would be worse off if health reform passes, this is down from 61 percent in August. The percentage of independents saying they would be worse off fell from 36 percent in August to 26 percent this month.
Democrats remain overwhelmingly in favor of tackling health care now (77%), while most Republicans say we cannot afford to do so (63%) and independents are more evenly divided (51% in favor and 44% opposed).
Fifty-seven percent of the public - including 56% of independents - say the GOP is opposing reform plans more for political reasons than because they think reform will be bad for the country.
Majority Backing Seen for Taxing Expensive Health Plans and Imposing Fees on Insurers to Pay for Reform
Substantial majorities of Americans continue to say they back individual reform components designed to expand coverage, including an individual mandate (68%), an employer mandate (67%) and an expansion of state programs such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (82%).
The component that draws among the strongest support across the political spectrum is requiring that health insurance companies cover anyone who applies, even if they are sick or have a pre-existing condition. Overall, 8 in 10 people support that idea, including 67 percent of Republicans, 80 percent of independents and 88 percent of Democrats.
When it comes to paying for reform, two ideas now under discussion among policymakers garner initial majority support. Fifty-seven percent of the public say they would support "having health insurance companies pay a fee based on how much business they have" and 59 percent would support "having health insurance companies pay a tax for offering very expensive policies." In both cases, Republicans are evenly divided while Democrats and political independents tilt in favor. The poll did not test arguments for and against the policies.
Messages Matter
People say they would be more likely to support a new reform proposal if they heard it would:
-- Improve health care for our children and grandchildren (77%);
-- Provide financial help to buy health insurance to those who need it (74%);
-- Help ensure the long-term financial health of Medicare (69%);
-- Fulfill a moral obligation by ensuring that people don't have to go without needed health care just because they can't afford it (68%); and
-- Mean that people with a history of illness would not be denied coverage and could get it at the same price as healthier people (65%).
Conversely, people say they would be less likely to support a new reform proposal if they heard that it would:
-- Limit choice of doctors (65%);
-- Reduce the quality of care provided to seniors under Medicare (63%);
-- Result in payment cuts that might make doctors less willing to take
Medicare patients (62%);
-- Get the government too involved in your personal health care decisions (59%); and
-- Increase people's insurance premiums or other out-of-pocket costs (57%). Seniors Are Still Less Convinced Reform Will Benefit Them
Seniors are still less convinced than others that health reform will benefit them, but they too have become less pessimistic since August. The share of seniors who think their family would be better off if reform passes climbed 8 percentage points from August, from 23 percent to 31 percent. Twenty-eight percent thought they would be worse off, and 33 percent said it wouldn't make a difference. Fifty-five percent of seniors said they were "confused."
Some commentators believe that proposals to obtain savings in the Medicare program are driving opposition among seniors. The survey finds that a plurality of seniors (49%) opposed the idea of limiting future increases in Medicare provider payments as a way to help pay for health care reform. But a solid majority (59%) would back the same limits if they were framed as helping to "keep Medicare financially sound in the future."
"Some Medicare changes being discussed in the health reform debate can be seen as strengthening Medicare for the long-term or as harming it. Which of these messages breaks through could ultimately shape seniors' reactions," said Mollyann Brodie, vice president for Public Opinion and Survey Research at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Many Say News Coverage Has Focused on Politics and Controversy
Health reform is the top story out of Washington, with news organizations ramping up coverage in recent months. In assessing the job of the media, 50 percent of the public says news coverage of health reform "has been mostly about politics and controversies," while eight percent say it has been mostly about "how policy reforms might affect your own family." Thirty-seven percent view the coverage as a balance of the two.
Fifty-four percent of the public report that they had seen an ad in the last seven days that had to do with proposed changes in the health care system, up from 45 percent in August and 21 percent in June. The public says that these ads have come fairly evenly from proponents and opponents of reform.
Americans Continue to Struggle with Unaffordable Health Care
While policymakers debate solutions, the problem of high health care costs remains. One third of Americans (33%) say they or someone in their household has had problems paying medical bills over the past year. That is up nine percentage points from August and represents the highest level this measure has reached in nearly a year.
A majority of Americans (56%) also say they have put off care over the last 12 months because of cost reasons, with many saying that they had relied on home remedies or over the counter drugs instead of seeing a doctor (44%), skipped dental care or other checkups (35%), or skipped a recommended medical test or treatment (28%).
Methodology
The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and was conducted September 11 through September 18, 2009, among a nationally representative random sample of 1,203 adults ages 18 and older. Telephone interviews conducted by landline (801) and cell phone (402, including 147 who had no landline telephone) were carried out in English and Spanish. The margin of sampling error for the total sample is plus or minus 3 percentage points. For results based on subgroups, the margin of sampling error is higher.
The full question wording, results, charts and a brief on the poll can be viewed online at http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/posr092909pkg.cfm.
The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible information, research and analysis on health issues. Source: Henry J. Kaiser Foundation
Family Health Premiums Up 5 Percent as Inflation Fell Nearly 1 Percent
Over 10 Years, Premiums Jumped 131 Percent, More Than Three Times Worker Wages And Four Times General Inflation
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance rose to $13,375 annually for family coverage this year - with employees on average paying $3,515 and employers paying $9,860, according to the benchmark 2009 Employer Health Benefits Survey released today by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET).
Family premiums rose about 5 percent this year, which is much more than general inflation (which fell 0.7 percent during the same period, mostly due to falling energy prices). Workers wages went up 3.1 percent during the same period. Since 1999, premiums have gone up a total of 131 percent, far more rapidly than workers' wages (up 38 percent since 1999) or inflation (up 28 percent since 1999). For the past few years, the annual rise in premiums has been more moderate than the double-digit growth experienced earlier this decade.
As Congress considers health reforms building on the existing employment-based system, the annual Kaiser/HRET survey provides a detailed picture of private health insurance coverage and costs. The full report and summary of findings from the annual survey of small and large employers will be available today at www.kff.org/insurance/7936/index.cfm. Selected findings will also be published today as a Web Exclusive in the journal Health Affairs at www.healthaffairs.org .
The survey found that 60 percent of firms offer health benefits to any of their workers this year. As in the past, the smaller the firm, the less likely it is to offer health benefits -- with fewer than half (46 percent) of the smallest employers (three to nine workers) offering health benefits.
Among those firms offering benefits, 21 percent report they reduced the scope of health benefits or increased cost sharing due to the economic downturn, and 15 percent report they increased the worker's share of the premium.
"When health care costs continue to rise so much faster than overall inflation in a bad recession, workers and employers really feel the pain. That's why we are having a health reform debate," Kaiser President and CEO Drew Altman, Ph.D., said.
"Today's survey results demonstrate the need for comprehensive, meaningful reform," said Maulik S. Joshi, DrPH., president of HRET and senior vice president for research at the American Hospital Association. "Our nation faces a unique opportunity to achieve reform and build a better health care system that improves care for patients and provides coverage for all at an affordable cost."
The survey reveals that a growing number of workers who are covered by their employer are facing high deductibles in their plans in addition to contributing to the premiums for their coverage. In 2009, 22 percent of covered workers must pay at least $1,000 out of pocket annually for single coverage before their plan generally will start to pay a share of their health care bills, up from 18 percent last year and 10 percent in 2006.
The increase in covered workers with high deductibles stems from changes at large employers (200 or more workers), though workers at smaller firms remain significantly more likely to face high deductibles. Among covered workers at large firms, 13 percent now face deductibles at or above $1,000; at small firms (three to 199 workers), 40 percent face deductibles at or above $1,000 -- including 16 percent with deductibles at or greater than $2,000.
Preferred Provider Organizations continue to dominate the employer market, enrolling six in 10 covered workers. Health Maintenance Organizations cover 20 percent of workers, with an additional 10 percent in Point-of-Service plans, and 8 percent in consumer-directed plans, which are high-deductible plans that also include a tax-preferred savings options such as a Health Savings Account (HSA) or Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA).
When asked about their plans for next year, 21 percent of offering firms say they are "very likely" to raise workers' premium contribution next year, and 16 percent say they are "very likely" to raise deductibles. Just 4 percent say they are "very likely" to restrict eligibility for coverage, and 2 percent say they are "very likely" to drop health coverage altogether.
"As in the past, we're seeing many businesses struggling with ways to curb their health care costs, including offering high-deductible plans for workers, though relatively few expect to drop health benefits altogether," said Kaiser Vice President Gary Claxton, lead author of the study and director of the Foundation's marketplace research.
Other findings from the survey include:
-- Drug benefits. The vast majority of covered workers face a three- or four-tier system to determine their cost-sharing for drugs. For workers in such plans, the average copayments this year are $10 for first-tier drugs, $27 for second-tier drugs, and $46 for third-tier drugs. Copayments for fourth-tier drugs, which may include costly biological agents and lifestyle drugs, averaged $85.
-- Office visits. Among covered workers with a copayment for in-network physician office visits, the average copayment is $20 for primary care and $28 for specialty physicians - up slightly from the 2008 averages.
-- Wellness benefits. More than half (58 percent) of employers offering health benefits offer at least one of the following wellness programs: weight loss program, gym membership discounts or on-site exercise facilities, smoking cessation program, personal health coaching, classes in nutrition or healthy living, web-based resources for healthy living, or a wellness newsletter.
-- Health risk assessments. Among firms offering coverage, 16 percent give their employees the option of completing a health risk assessment to help employees identify potential health risks. Within this group, 11 percent offer financial incentives such as lowering the worker's share of premiums or offering merchandise, gift cards, travel, or cash to their workers. Large firms are more likely than small firms both to offer assessments and to offer financial incentives.
-- Onsite health clinics. Among very large firms (at least 1,000 workers), 20 percent report that they have an on-site health clinic for employees at one or more locations. Of those firms with an on-site health clinic, 79 percent reported that employees can receive treatment for non-work related illness at the clinic.
-- Retiree benefits. This year, 29 percent of large firms (200 or more workers) that offer health coverage also offer retiree health benefits, similar to the 31 percent who did so last year but less than half the 66 percent who did so in 1988.
Now in its 11th year, the survey is a joint project of the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research & Educational Trust. The survey was conducted between January and May of 2009 and included 3,188 randomly selected, non-federal public and private firms with three or more employees (2,054 of which responded to the full survey and 1,134 of which responded to a single question about offering coverage). A research team at Kaiser and HRET conducted and analyzed the survey, led by Gary Claxton, vice president and director of the Health Care Marketplace Project at Kaiser, and including researchers at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago (working on the project under contract to HRET). For more information on the survey methodology, please visit the Survey Design and Methods Section at www.kff.org/insurance/7936/index.cfm .
The Health Affairs article based on the survey is also available online to subscribers at www.healthaffairs.org or via the free link at the Kaiser Web site above.
The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible analysis and information on health issues.
Founded in 1944, the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) is a private, not-for-profit organization involved in research, education, and demonstration programs addressing health management and policy issues. An affiliate of the American Hospital Association (AHA), HRET collaborates with health care, government, academic, business, and community organizations across the United States to conduct research and disseminate findings that shape the future of health care. For more information about HRET, visit http://www.hret.org/ .
Health Affairs, published by Project HOPE, is the leading journal of health policy. The peer-reviewed journal appears bimonthly in print, with additional online-only papers published weekly as Health Affairs Web Exclusives at http://www.healthaffairs.org/
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
The World Health Organization says the H1N1swine flu virus should be part of next year's seasonal flu vaccine. The WHO says the H1N1 pandemic could affect up to one third of the world's nearly seven billion people. There will only be enough vaccine this year for one sixth.
As swine flu spreads, hospitals are putting plans in place to cope with a crush of patients, many of them children.
Some U.S. hospitals are setting up screening centers in outdoor tents.
Dr. Pat Crocker evaluates sick children at a Texas hospital.
"In some cases, it will be possible for the patient to be seen, registered, see the physician, discharged, right from the tent and never even have to come into the hospital," he said.
The practice also helps protect other patients and hospital staff from exposure to H1N1 swine flu.
"Of the patients who come in with flu symptoms, almost 70 percent are testing positive for influenza A," Dr. Crocker says, "And right now, that means H1N1."
The symptoms for the swine flu are the same for seasonal flu: cough, sore throat and fever.
Tiasha Brown suspects her daughter has the virus. "My child has been having 101 [Fahrenheit] plus fever, runny nose, flu like symptoms because she has come in contact with someone who does have the swine flu," Brown said.
Seasonal flu viruses change slowly so many people develop some resistance.
Dan Rutz, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, says this is where H1N1 and the seasonal flu viruses differ. "In the case of a pandemic strain, the population has no protection at all because the immune system has never been exposed to that insult before," he explains.
However, health officials have noted that older people might have some immunity
because they were exposed to a similar virus in the 1950s.
Most cases of H1N1 are mild. But the virus can be deadly for some patients.
Those with chronic disease and pregnant women are most vulnerable.
"I'm pregnant, too. And if my child has the swine flu, I would really like to know," Brown said.
A vaccine is the best way to prevent the flu, but there will be only enough H1N1 vaccine to inoculate one sixth of the world's population.
Health officials are counting on the public to keep the pandemic under control.
They have been stressing sanitation.
And keeping fingers away from your nose, eyes or mouth.
Coughing into your elbow and frequent hand washing.
The World Health Organization recommends that next year's seasonal flu vaccine also protect against the swine flu.
A float with a brass band in Accra's Independence Square on it’s way to the centenary celebrations of Kwame Nkrumah's birth
This week, Ghanaians are marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of their first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who championed independence from British rule and promoted the liberation and unification of the entire African continent.
Musicians with horns and drums helped usher in this week's ceremony at Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and mausoleum in Accra. People from all parts of Ghanaian society attended the event, commemorating the national holiday.
President John Atta Mills spoke of the independence leader's example for all Ghanaians.
"Kwame Nkrumah stood for so many things: unity, hard work, perseverance," said John Atta Mills. "And we should always be guided by these values, which I believe are the only values that can help us in building a better Ghana."
Nkrumah Memorial Park sits on what was once British colonial polo-grounds where Mr. Nkrumah declared Ghana's independence in March of 1957.
"Today from now on, there is a new African in the world," said Kwame Nkrumah. "That new African is ready to fight his own battles and show that after all, the black man is capable of managing his own affairs."
"March 6, 1957, we were young men," said Victor Nortey, who was there to hear Mr. Nkrumah's historic speech.
"It was so exciting," he said. "The euphoria for national independence then took off and whatever it was that had to be done for national independence we were all for it. And we were running up and down - up-country and down-country, everywhere that Kwame Nkrumah went, we needed to go there. And it was like you have ignited a fire, which everybody was basking in."
President Nkrumah worked to industrialize Ghana by building dams, schools, roads and factories. He was a leader of pan-Africanism, organizing meetings of African states and writing a number of books on the subject.
Later, he imprisoned his opponents, abolished rival political parties and declared himself president for life. Mr. Nkrumah was overthrown in a CIA-backed coup in 1966 and lived in Guinea for several years before his death in 1972.
Today, he is widely remembered as a hero for his contributions to Ghanaian independence and contemporary political thought. This week, many people marked the national holiday of his hundredth birthday by visiting Nkrumah memorial park.
"When we come around this place it gives us that spirit of togetherness," said one visitor. "It brings the people of Ghana together and everyone who comes here is full of joy. You know he is our hero, and we really adore him. We wish he is here now."
"Kwame Nkrumah means a lot," said another. "The man who helped Ghana to gain our independence and it is a very great achievement. I remember when I was in school I learned he was man of passion. He have this kind of human sensitive and all that. So Kwame Nkrumah means a lot to me, a lot."
"I was not there, I was not born, from what I have heard ... he is a great leader," said another person. "He has done a lot for us and he make Africa proud."
"His legacies are relevant," said a visitor to the Nkrumah memorial park. "His ideologies are relevant today as it was then. Talk about unity. Talk about economic empowerment. Talk about freeing yourself from neo-colonialism, colonialism and imperialism."
"I see Kwame Nkrumah as a god-given son, to Ghana, to Africa and to the world," was the opinion of still another visitor.
Ghana was Africa's first European colony to declare independence. On that night 43 years ago, Mr. Nkrumah said the future would demand a lot of hard work.
"I am depending on the millions of the country, the chiefs and people, to help me to reshape the destiny of this country," said Nkrumah. "We are prepared to build it up and make it a nation that will be respected by every other nation in the world."
This year's commemorations have seen the creation of a new political party - the Nkrumah Never Dies Party. Elsewhere, other organizations are marking the anniversary by launching new social programs, including a scholarship fund and anti-malaria campaign.
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