Patting the wrists, rolling the eyes.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by taxwonk
I think this means we're friends now.

I would not go that far.

[Hank Chinaski]

several of the libs here work for corporations. they spend about half their works days posting, so in effect they are being paid money they do not earn. in fact they are stealing from the public. yet when it comes to inheritance tax they are all over not letting people get money they haven't earned.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
several of the libs here work for corporations. they spend about half their works days posting, so in effect they are being paid money they do not earn. in fact they are stealing from the public. yet when it comes to inheritance tax they are all over not letting people get money they haven't earned.

*ahem*

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
several of the libs here work for corporations. they spend about half their works days posting, so in effect they are being paid money they do not earn. in fact they are stealing from the public. yet when it comes to inheritance tax they are all over not letting people get money they haven't earned.

It's a market economy. At-will employment.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
several of the libs here work for corporations. they spend about half their works days posting, so in effect they are being paid money they do not earn. in fact they are stealing from the public. yet when it comes to inheritance tax they are all over not letting people get money they haven't earned.

Why don't you go play on the In-house Board. All the people there seem to share your views on this subject.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by taxwonk
It's Friday. Abortion's already at the plate. Let's put another fun topic on deck.

The Administration is all atwitter about so-called tort reform, particulary in med mal, arguing it's driving up health care costs and driving docs out of town. Bush insists that if we don't put a cap on pain and suffering and punitive damages, we'll all be forced to become home surgeons and midwives.

Suppose we put a cap on pain and suffering damages at, say, $250,000. And suppose we cap punitives at the lesser of $100,000 per year of the plaintiff's life expectancy or $2.5 million. That would, according to the insurance industry and their paid shills -- er, duly elected government officials -- dramatically reduce insurance costs, thus keeping doctors around and lowering health care costs for everyone.

Okay, I'll bite. But here's the catch. The legislation enacting "tort reform" also has to spread the benefit of these cost savings. Medical liability insurers, health care insurers, health care providers, and pharmaceutical companies all have to reduce their rates and charges, across the board, by some percentage, say 15%.

Anybody still interested in tort reform if the benefit doesn't stay in their shareholders' pockets?

I understand the connection between the cap and insurance premiums, but what is the connection between the cap and the others?

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
several of the libs here work for corporations. they spend about half their works days posting, so in effect they are being paid money they do not earn. in fact they are stealing from the public. yet when it comes to inheritance tax they are all over not letting people get money they haven't earned.

Thanks for your thoughts on this matter. Later this afternoon, I'll be messengering over some documents I need you to look at. I don't thinks it should take you too much time, but it may take a little research. Oh, and I need your comments in time for my nine o'clock Monday morning. I'm out of town this weekend, so you won't be able to call me, but I'm sure this is no big deal. Thanks!

P.S. If you aren't using your basketball tickets Saturday afternoon, I have some friends in town that would sure like to go!

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
several of the libs here work for corporations. they spend about half their works days posting, so in effect they are being paid money they do not earn. in fact they are stealing from the public. yet when it comes to inheritance tax they are all over not letting people get money they haven't earned.

I wish that was my situation. Every minute (or 0.25 of an hour) I spend on here has a direct effect on my bottom line. I'm an idiot.

And before anyone gets crazy, I know I handed you the last three words of the previous paragraph.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by taxwonk
It's Friday. Abortion's already at the plate. Let's put another fun topic on deck.

The Administration is all atwitter about so-called tort reform, particulary in med mal, arguing it's driving up health care costs and driving docs out of town. Bush insists that if we don't put a cap on pain and suffering and punitive damages, we'll all be forced to become home surgeons and midwives.

Suppose we put a cap on pain and suffering damages at, say, $250,000. And suppose we cap punitives at the lesser of $100,000 per year of the plaintiff's life expectancy or $2.5 million. That would, according to the insurance industry and their paid shills -- er, duly elected government officials -- dramatically reduce insurance costs, thus keeping doctors around and lowering health care costs for everyone.

Okay, I'll bite. But here's the catch. The legislation enacting "tort reform" also has to spread the benefit of these cost savings. Medical liability insurers, health care insurers, health care providers, and pharmaceutical companies all have to reduce their rates and charges, across the board, by some percentage, say 15%.

Anybody still interested in tort reform if the benefit doesn't stay in their shareholders' pockets?

I think about tort reform a lot, and I'm pretty much completely against our current medical malpractice system. That said, the Washington Post started a series last weekend that covered the unwillingness or inability of the medical profession to police its own junkies and drunks. Seriously disturbing stuff, and a few people I work with were quite disturbed to realize that a few of the doctors who were discussed had been involved in their medical care.

Generally speaking, I'd feel more confident and comfortable in my position if doctors were more-often subject to discipline. Instead, the article describes hospitals and doctors gaming the disclipline system. For example, as soon as notification was required for suspensions of 30 days or more, everybody started getting only 29 day suspensions etc....

I'll find it hard to believe if the series itself does not lead to an outcry in the DC area.

Hello

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by chad87655
The IRS and all of you tax dupes can go straight to hell. My first responsibility is to God and the Ten Commandments. After that, if time permits and I feel so inclined I may file my taxes, which will show me owing nothing, but the only documentation I keep is the reservation of my second amendment rights.

Hey! You're the lady with the fat kid who is tormenting St8's brother!

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
several of the libs here work for corporations.

Name one.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
I think about tort reform a lot, and I'm pretty much completely against our current medical malpractice system. That said, the Washington Post started a series last weekend that covered the unwillingness or inability of the medical profession to police its own junkies and drunks. Seriously disturbing stuff, and a few people I work with were quite disturbed to realize that a few of the doctors who were discussed had been involved in their medical care.

Generally speaking, I'd feel more confident and comfortable in my position if doctors were more-often subject to discipline. Instead, the article describes hospitals and doctors gaming the disclipline system. For example, as soon as notification was required for suspensions of 30 days or more, everybody started getting only 29 day suspensions etc....

I'll find it hard to believe if the series itself does not lead to an outcry in the DC area.

Hello

A similar story in the Dallas Morning News a few years ago got the legislature to beef up the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners. I saw statistics from the TSBME last week on their activity in the last few years, and they're getting a lot more complaints and opening a lot more investigations in the last few years. I don't know if that is because of tort reform or because of the increased funding/support from the state. The guy from TSBME seemed to think the latter; I tend to think the former.

I will note that lately the TSBME tries a hell of a lot harder now to get itself on the front page, and most recently, they yanked a license and fined an orthopod about $750,000 here in Houston. After 20 YEARS of malpractice cases, patient deaths, and general bad reputation, they finally went after the guy. The sick part was that he was one of the top Worker's comp guys in the state, and he kept on gettnig state funding to butcher people. I think the paper said he made about $3.5 million a year through his practice.

On the peer review front, I've seen legitimate grievances come up out of quality review in hospitals, and I've seen petty, ridiculous hearings develop out of economic interests from competing physicians or the hospital. Sometimes the peer review process is great, and sometimes it's flawed. I used to represent physicians in front of peer review panels, and for the most part, everyone takes the process extremely seriously. There are good ways and bad ways (see the Polliner case) to do it.

I think that there's a difference between fucking up and being a generally bad doctor. I think that there are different redresses to address different harms as well. If I were a physician, I think I'd rather be sued than censured by the licensure board. It's a hell of a lot easier to explain the lawsuit to the credentialling committee at whatever hospital I'd be seeking privileges. I think that lawsuits play as an important role in policing the profession as peers and licensure boards, though I've seen ridiculous lawsuits come through against many of my clients.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Name one.

Hi! And I know of at least one more without even thinking about it.

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
several of the libs here work for corporations. they spend about half their works days posting, so in effect they are being paid money they do not earn. in fact they are stealing from the public. yet when it comes to inheritance tax they are all over not letting people get money they haven't earned.

Hank, perhaps some of my comments about your last billing statement should not have been directed to the managing partner, and I apologize. But you have to agree with me that $23,000 for copying charges is a bit steep. I hope this won't corrode our working relationship any further - I'd hate to have to find new outside counsel.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Hi! And I know of at least one more without even thinking about it.

Since when did you start working in a corporation? If I had known that, I'd have been a lot nicer to you.