Showing posts with label tort reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tort reform. Show all posts
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Giving Us The Business
Luther Olsen (R-Ripon) opines, in the Journal Sentinel, about Scott Walker and his initiatives to improve the "business climate" in Wisconsin. "Wisconsin is finally open for business again."
Olsen rolls out the usual litany of Republican-supported, business-friendly goals: curtailing frivolous lawsuits, increasing business incentives, and bolstering public-private partnerships. The lawsuits they are so worried about are a minuscule cost. The incentives they support rarely show a good return on the investment. And, public-private partnerships usually involve public money being used for private profits with little benefit spilling over into the host community.
He then continues on, attacking government jobs. Those aren't real jobs. The work they do and the services they provide are meaningless. Who needs police, fire fighters, clean air, clean water, roads, airports, sewers, street signs and traffic lights, or sidewalks?
One of the most disingenuous lines is, "Fairly or unfairly, Wisconsin has been perceived by many to be unfriendly to commerce with a high tax burden and cumbersome regulation." The only reason Wisconsin is perceived as such is because the right-wing has been pushing the Wisconsin Tax Hell nonsense story for years, in an attempt to cut taxes for their corporate cronies.
Next, Olsen declares that we must make sure our students are graduating from high school and ready for college or a career. This from a member of the party that continually badmouths teachers and repeatedly cuts funding for our schools and for student aid.
A real knee-slapper is the assertion that "we have to learn to do more with less" because of the economy. But the economy has improved. Corporate profits are back to pre-bubble levels. Productivity continues to increase. The only problem is none of it is trickling down to workers. As has been par for the course for the past few decades, economic gains have been usurped by a select few. Mostly the private sector, corporate CEOs that Scott Walker and Luther Olsen are so interested in helping even more.
He closes with the absurd, and often parroted, right-wing talking-point that government is increasing spending, growing in size, and adding onerous regulations on individuals and business. As usual, the Republican version of reality is at odds with the evidence. But, if they stuck with the facts, they wouldn't have much of a story, nor a plausible ideology to cling to.
For Further Reading:
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Tort Deformity
Scott Walker and the Republicans are rolling out "tort reform" (basically capping corporate liabilities) again as a key to balancing budgets and growing the economy.
This is a completely bogus issue. The litigation in question accounts for roughly 1 percent of costs. Republicans are, again, merely looking out for the bottom line of their corporate paymasters.
For Further Reading:
Monday, September 14, 2009
Medical Cost Trojan Horse
Many right-wingers are calling for tort reform as a means of achieving medical cost savings.
Not that tort reform will actually save money, but it will protect the corporate titans from lawsuits based on their own sloppiness and neglect.
Litigation costs and malpractice insurance are 1 to 1.5 percent of total medical costs.
For Further Reading:
The Medical Malpractice Myth
The Medical Malpractice Myth
Tort Reform Unlikely To Cut Costs
Not that tort reform will actually save money, but it will protect the corporate titans from lawsuits based on their own sloppiness and neglect.
Litigation costs and malpractice insurance are 1 to 1.5 percent of total medical costs.
For Further Reading:
The Medical Malpractice Myth
The Medical Malpractice Myth
Tort Reform Unlikely To Cut Costs
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Mythical Excessive Litigation Claims
Todd Finkelmeyer of the Capital Times elaborates on a recent report discrediting the false claims (primarily by right-wingers) of excessive litigation.
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