“Green” Merchandising

  

                       

The Federal Trade Commission has looked into charges that many products are not truly “green.”

                       

A whole profession of “green” experts has grown, having been trained by colleges, which are now marketing environmental courses and specialties. All based on the premise that our planet is being savaged by polluters and greedy merchandisers.

                       

The FTC has slowly come to the conclusion that many who are promoting these progressive “solutions” to the perceived environmental problems are, themselves, deceiving the public. Their “green” products and services may have little to do with improving the planet. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

General Health and Medical Care

 

                       

An Institute of Medicine study concluded that about 40% of premature deaths in the U.S. are due to bad behavior. Only about 10% are because of poor medical care.

                       

Social and physical environment contribute about 20% to the premature death figure and genetics 30%. So why take a wrecking ball such as ObamaCare to remedy what can be done easily?

Give people without insurance who cannot afford it free insurance vouchers, and see that everyone gets insurance, even if not currently insurable.

                       

And finally, and most importantly, put a cap on insurance payoffs by having malpractice tort reform. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

ObamaCare Alternatives

  

The administration contends that only government can offer lower-cost insurance for the non-insurable.

                       

Private insurance for all is possible, if the pool is large enough. To do so, states and the federal government must break down the barriers they place on insurance companies. Permit the sale of health insurance across state lines. Despite thousands of pages of federal legislation, this isn’t possible.

Make private health insurance groups large enough to spread risk.

                       

And immediately legislate tort reform, including mandatory arbitration by special courts to process patient claims. This would eliminate huge legal fees,  and a reduction in needless tests. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Media-Enabled Panics

                       

America has always had its share of catastrophic financial panics and urgent business problems. Many were brought on by special concerns and, occasionally, special interests. Follow the money or political trail and you get to see the inception of each.

                       

Some examples: DDT poisoning, generically modified foods, global warming, killer bees, mad cow disease, over-population concerns, ozone holes, toxic tampons, the y2k disaster, and so on.

                       

All of these were or are still problematic or ill-conceived but are media-swept and promoted to produce a frenzy among their proponents, (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Tort Reform is Overlooked by ObamaCare

                       

Malpractice lawsuits induces defensive medicine. That costs a fortune for insurance companies, doctors and other providers. Ultimately, the public pays.

This is a fact ObamaCare conveniently overlooks.

                       

A Massachusetts Medical Society study found that five out of six doctors order procedures and referrals that amount to about 25% of total medical costs, for the sole purpose of doctor legal protection. According to the Pacific Research Institute, defensive medicine wastes more than $200 billion a year.

                       

Therefore, the entire medical-malpractice system has to be changed. There could be a no-fault system, a pool to reimburse those injured from medical errors or accidents. Judges can be chosen from medical experts, not inexpert juries, who are swayed by sharp trial lawyers, seeking one third of the proceeds. The no-fault pool could be funded by a small tax on health-insurance premiums.

                       

Note: over 90% of tort lawyer political contributions go to the Democrat party. This accounts for the fact tort reform is never considered one of necessary reforms. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

                   

Business Scripts at the Movies

  

What Hollywood and other fiction contributors have to say about business and finance unfortunately extend beyond entertainment, They have become ingrained education. A substitute for our formal schooling system which has become an expensive taxpayer and family budget farce.

The media’s subtle hype adds to imposed fictional education over the years.

                       

What comes out of Hollywood and its fiction is therefore anti-business. It features pro-plaintive lawyers, fighting criminal big business executives, on behalf of “little guys.” The templates may vary slightly but the plots are much the same.

                       

Politicians see their opportunity from all this and orate and demagogue and legislate accordingly. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

ObamaCare and Swiss Health Care

                   

The Swiss health care system is worth noting. The American public can use its example to repair parts of our newly imposed ObamaCare coverage. It’s more efficient and will eventually cost less than what we now have.

Under the Swiss plan, everyone is covered by private insurance. There is no government-managed or employer-provided coverage. The poor are assisted in buying the insurance they cannot afford.

                                           

Employees under a U.S. plan could receive in cash, tax free, what their employers currently spend on premiums, provided they used the money for insurance on health care. The poor, including past Medicaid recipients, would get government vouchers to buy insurance. There would be no discrimination against anyone on account of existing or past illness.

The plan would not socialize medicine as does ObamaCare. True interstate competition among insurance companies, hospitals, and doctors, would bring costs down over time.

                       

Patients could really choose the best and lowest cost providers on the basis of published outcomes. Insurance companies and providers would bid for clients and customers, as to needs and cost.

                       

The government's role would merely be to oversee transparency, The government would create an information system, with regard to insurance companies and providers. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Why Gasoline Prices Change

  

                   

Gasoline prices are set within OPEC supply controls which adjust to demand. They also are affected by the value of the U.S. dollar, because they’re priced in dollars.

                   

Gas stations actually have little to do with pricing. Stations earn an average between 10 and 15 cents on a gallon. When prices climb, gas stations see their profit margins shrink. In order to remain competitive; they then must earn less per gallon.Their credit card fees are about 2 1⁄2% of all purchases, a significant factor affecting their margins.

                   

Furthermore, gasoline prices go up faster than they go down. That is the way supply and demand normally influence wholesale and retail gas pricing. Yet gas station operators usually are unfortunately blamed when high gas prices occur. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Political Climate Change

                                                   

The Left would prefer that there be restrictions on industry under the premise of climate change and its control, despite apparent scientific doubts and the uncovering of a scientific hoax. There has been little, if any, real climate change in over fifteen years.

                   

How much has the left’s position to do with actual climate and how much with the in-gathering of taxes, with which to implement big-government purposes?

The main goal of the Left is always to control government, to accomplish whatever the Left wants to achieve.

                   

But other so-called international polluters won’t agree to do what the U.S. is asking its citizens to undertake. They say we ought to tighten our pollution belts because of our past industrialization. China and India, are only starting at the industrialization game. They want us to give them some slack.

But China/India are going to pollute hereafter with a vengeance because their populations and industry are growing much faster.

                   

Apparently our politicians will eventually concede to such Chinese and Indian thinking. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Extensive Inflation is Inevitable

                       

Fundamentals for massive inflation are in place. Enormous budget deficits and heavy government borrowing to meet unprecedented, massive budget deficits, have done that.

                       

The present economic doldrums, despite what the Washington cheerleaders say, will hold the huge inflationary consequences back only for a while. That is, until the economy recovers a bit more.

                       

Despite occasional reassurances from government officials, there will be no way to unwind the debt build=up in an acceptable manner. Therefore, real inflation is inevitable

                       

Unless we make huge budgetary cuts, soon. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Hoping to Buy a Franchise?

              

                       

Note how so many in the media offer advice on how to buy franchises. This is  done for two reasons.

                       

The primary one is to fill space. It’s a winner for getting attention. Lots of folks are interested in entering business for themselves. Give them ideas and make it sound easy, while reducing disadvantages to a minimum, and you have attracted an audience.

                       

But the second reason is ignorance. The ideas are suggested by those with poor knowledge of practical franchise experience from a franchisee’s viewpoint.

                       

How many tell you how poorly the average franchisee does? How the average franchisee eventually wants out of his or her contract?

                       

Many cost too much at the outset and each year. And fail to provide the promised management assistance. Moreover, in vast instances, franchises offer little name recognition. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

The Health Care Alternative

                       

The U.S. health care system ought to remain entirely private. No public plan of any sort can be as effective. Changes should still be made with regard to extensive tort reform and arbitration of malpractice claims.

And most importantly, an arrangement, where citizens get to pay for coverage with direct tax-deductible dollars.

                       

If you want some sort of state arrangement of health care for those with no coverage at all, have each state administer its own system. Damages can then be localized. You can have a central data bank for important medical information, but each state should enforce what it wants for its own citizens. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

The Actual Health Care Cost

The administration has been intent on making the U. S. like the rest of the world when it comes to health care.

                       

Germany leads in universal care. As of a study a few years back, 52% of its employee costs went to government for social services and health care. France was right behind at 49% and Italy at 47%. No significant change has been made to date.

                       

The reason why foreign governments are able to operate within strict health budgets is rationing. Such rationing of services keeps costs within the government-construct levels. And the number of doctors supplied for that usage. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)

Investment Opinions Amidst Lawyers

                       

Lawyers have to earn a living, but many want to become billionaires the easy way. A pathway they can all use, is to sue any financial adviser who makes an honest mistake when it comes to advice. That is not allowed in the financial industry according to plaintiff lawyers.

                       

Example: About a year back, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled to uphold a lower court’s dismissal of a case against credit agencies who had given securities opinions.

                       

That will set back, at least for a while, the ability of such lawyers who have or want to become quick billionaires the easy way. (See the Earl J. Weinreb NewsHole® comments and @BusinessNewshole at Twitter.)