| FM'S REPLY TO DABATE ON GENERAL BUDGET IN LOK SABHA
"Mr. Speaker Sir, I am grateful to the Honourable Members belonging to different political parties who have participated in the debate on the Budget for 2007-08. I have listened to most of the interventions and I have also studied the notes made on the other interventions. It seems to me that most Members have mixed views: while they are genuinely happy about the impressive growth of the economy, they are legitimately concerned about some aspects of the growth which affect sections of the people. In fact, I share these sentiments and I have given expression to them in the Budget speech. There is no doubt that we have recorded an unprecedented rate of growth, but the question is, is the growth inclusive? There is no doubt that there is an investment boom in the country, but the question is, is the investment across all sectors, especially agriculture? There is no doubt that more jobs have been created, but the question is, are there jobs available for all? In the course of my reply, I shall make an attempt to answer these questions.
Two Minnesotans are at the White House Today, Representing ...
EAGAN, Minn., April 2 /PRNewswire/ -- A car accident left Heidi Searle with 36 stitches in her head, cracked ribs, and a dislocated shoulder. Because she couldn't afford health insurance and as an 18-year old was no longer eligible for her mother's plan, it also left her with around $10,000 in medical bills. As an uninsured patient, she was forced to give up college plans and instead work the graveyard shift at a bar in Las Vegas to pay collection agencies. Searle, now insured through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross), is at the White House today to share her story with President Bush. She is an example of the 4.5 million Americans and 129,000 Blue Cross members who now have HSA-compatible health plans. The announcement by President Bush is part of the release of a new study on HSAs released today by the America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).
The strange death of France's 'deuxième gauche'
The once influential "second left" in France has been eclipsed in the last generation by an older left still wedded to statist solutions. Henri Astier dissects this French exception, and what it means for the presidential election and beyond. From openDemocracy.net. .
Budget story draws fire from all quarters
NEW DELHI: The budget story is not getting better for finance minister P Chidambaram. The suave politician will need his skills as an adroit lawyer to fend off a fierce onslaught, led by both allies and foes, pillorying him for failing to spur growth while also falling short on the "aam admi" front.
As discussion on the budget got under way in Lok Sabha on Monday, it came undera piercing scrutiny by Shiv Sena's Suresh Prabhu, a former power minister and a chartered accountant by training, who said that Chidambaram's offering was a "timid budget". The budget, said Prabhu, was short on ideas on tackling big issues like power, inflation and agriculture.
While paying Chidambaram what must have struck the FM as a left-handed compliment - describing the Sivaganga MP as the "best" lawyer in the country - Prabhu said not only had contribution of agriculture in GDP declined, so had the public investment.
Online today: Coroner's failure to comply with public records law ...
Kudos to Public Opinion for being a good watchdog and pointing out a public official who is clearly in violation of the law. The individuals who criticize your reporting of this situation don't understand one of the responsibilities of the media, which is to hold public officials accountable. With all the scandals and abuses going on in the state of Pennsylvania alone, the secret pay raises, the PHEAA, etc., I am thankful that we have organizations like Public Opinion and the Harrisburg Patriot to help keep some of this in check. ... In this instance certainly, the paper is in the right. ... If you don't agree with the law, work to get it changed, but don't excuse a public official from following the mandates of the Legislature because you think his judgment supersedes that of the ruling body of the state.
Need to compete costs company jobs
FREE TRADE, reducing tariffs and the global economy are nice sounding words that bring smiles - and profits - to big businesses, especially multinational corporations. And to paraphrase Charles Wilson, a member of Eisenhower's cabinet: What's good for business is good for America. While in general we support free trade and reducing tariffs, economic policies - no matter how advantageous in the long run - often have unintended consequences. And these consequences usually hit workers, not shareholders or upper management, the hardest.
Several decades ago the American steel industry suffered the consequences of this new competition. The result was the now infamous rust belt stretching from Pennsylvania to Illinois. Granted, most of these steel mills were antiquated and could not economically compete.
Group supports health care for all
Joyce and Joseph Gregory of Akron don't have health insurance. He lost his job in 2002 after he was diagnosed with a back problem that prevented him from continuing to work. In March 2005 on his 48th birthday, he was diagnosed with cancer. Debbie Silverstein of Kent said she has a brother who apparently suffers from mental illness. He works but doesn't have insurance. While bipolar disorder runs in her family, he has never had a psychological evaluation -- it is too costly, Silverstein said. These were some of the stories heard Wednesday night at a health-care meeting attended by about 30 people at the Akron-Summit County Public Library in downtown Akron. The Single Payer Action Network Ohio, or SPAN Ohio, is pushing for a fundamental change to how health care is funded in Ohio and, ultimately, nationwide.
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