New Project Tease

The Author is working on a top-secret (almost), new project in the electronic gaming space. That's right, the lights are on in the skunk-works. Codhissatva is busy byte moving; marketing & operations maven (that would be me) is busy strategic planning; social network Samurai is busy architecting anticipation threads; and world-famous creative director is busy, well... being creative (when he's not playing golf). We'll be teasing this out over the next few weeks, starting now...right here.


Update: The 7th Guest was launched on Dec. 15th, 2010. The video below is our first "fan review." We are gratified with the response of our long-term fans and the marketplace in general. More to come.

Indie Pop Tunes

Updated the Indie Pop playlist on my YouTube channel. One of 15 playlists, this is where the newest "discoveries" go. With the usual attention to female vocalists. From Mumford & Sons, to Uffie and Net favorite Pomplamoose...the collection now numbers 34 videos.

MC Escher Panorama

Play with this! It's about time. I've been waiting for a talented artist/coder to render the fabulous graphic art of MC Escher into more accessible and user-involved models. My wait, it appears, is over.



Tribute to Escher in Barcelona

The Role of Social Network Organizing...

The Role of Social Network Organizing in Political Campaigns

by Charlie McHenry

Background:  The advent and proliferation of hand-held mobile "smart phones" with access to the Internet and email has changed the way America communicates. Paired with the explosion of participation in online, digital social networks like MySpace and FaceBook, a powerful set of new organizing and communication tools is emerging.  Savvy political campaigns are already leveraging the technology, indeed they led the way in many cases. One has only to look as far as Moveon.org, ActBlue or Democracy for America for case studies in social network excellence.

Importantly, it is predicted that by the year 2013 more Internet users will access the Net from their hand-held devices than from desktop PCs. Campaigns can now literally reach their base of supporters anytime, in any location.

Proposition: Successful political campaigns of the future will depend on the reach and power of the social networks on the Internet, leveraging these sites, services and hardware technologies that support them in a variety of creative, mission-critical ways.

Challenge/Objective: To strategically design and build an Internet and social network presence to provide a comprehensive and robust platform for organizing, fund-raising, canvassing, event management and GOTV. To use the platform in the most aggressive, technologically advanced and creative manner to win the campaign.

Caveat: Wise professionals and serious candidates appreciate the dangers of over-communicating. The tools discussed must be deployed with care and study, in a strategic manner. Reactions and feedback need to be monitored to ensure the desired results. Campaigns can talk too much, and that is sometimes a fatal flaw.

Discussion:  The Internet and bevy of new, social networking and metrics sites enable the flow of information in two directions: outbound and inbound.

Outbound strategies and communications are used to identify, cultivate and organize campaign supporters - the base.  These are conversations the campaign initiates and maintains with constituents. Conversations that are then continued, amplified and given voice throughout targeted social networks.

In most cases, outbound conversations are initiated from the campaign Web site; the candidate's blog; the campaign YouTube channel, FaceBook fan page or Twitter account. Begin with attention to "share" functions and opportunities. For example, the candidate's principal Web site should offer readers the opportunity to Digg, Reddit, Stumbleupon, or bookmark and share the site with Technorati. These are online, shared bookmark sites that allow other users to "find" and participate in your conversations.

Next, it is very important for campaigns to have mobile versions of their principal Web sites. Mobile sites take the content, links and branding from the principal site and adjust the data to conform to the smaller screens, touch-screen navigation, and positional aspect hand-held devices feature.  Standard sites often do not translate well to iPhones and other hand-held devices, so this piece is important to outbound communications.

Web sites, by themselves, are simply not enough anymore. Effective Internet communications requires multiple sites broadcasting information, all linked together, to maximize visibility, add "weight" and increase traffic. 

A candidate or campaign blog is an important additional piece.  Blogs are journals, they engage readers in different and compelling ways. They offer moderated comment fields to increase user engagement and provide a platform for discussion. And easy syndication through RSS feeds. Blogs contribute to Technorati ratings and referrals.  A minimum of two-to-three posts per week is necessary to keep blogs fresh and appealing to readers.

Perhaps most important, in the new social network space, is a presence on FaceBook. Over one-half of your targets, in most cases, will have a FaceBook profile and spend time on the site. Building and leveraging a FaceBook "fan page," then extending your messaging from that site through the network is an important component of social network organizing.

Twitter is another way for Candidates to communicate with their base, especially from the road and at events.  In the new world, news is first Tweeted to followers, then broadcast to the traditional media. Tweets can highlight appearances, and be used to fill the room.  They can be used to build anticipation, recruit volunteers, and provide short campaign updates.  Campaign ambassadors and evangelists can be instructed to re-tweet important news and include the campaign account on Follow Friday's.   We're still plumbing the depths of this extremely important new tool, but one thing is certain. Twitter is a necessary ingredient in successful campaigns.

Email action alerts coupled with SMS messaging are powerful organizing and communications tools.  Each has its role in a robust digital strategy.  It has become clear through practice that email alerts, tied to opposition statements and strategies, can be leveraged on multiple occasions during a campaign to encourage/motivate donations.  For example, if one candidate makes a statement supporting vouchers for public education in the course of a campaign stop; an email alert can go out the next day to teacher's union members and votes for whom public education is a high priority highlighting the candidate's position and soliciting donations to "...prevent the wholesale dismantling of the public education system."  Quick response, great targeting and compelling copy make this tactic successful in most cases.

Inbound information is leveraged to monitor external conversations about the candidate/issue and campaign. In this manner, campaign management can track trends, intercept rumors and intervene early on, and respond to criticisms when indicated and appropriate. The campaign can also monitor conversations to identify and recruit natural ambassadors and evangelists, then deploying these assets in key roles.

How does one build an online information monitoring system?  The good news is that there are plenty of building blocks to employ.  Google Alerts is a great place to start.  Google allows users to configure automated email alerts around selected key words.  It's not hard to see the potential.  Multiple permutations of key campaign words can be created with a Google Alert tied to each one, providing a wealth of information to sift through on a regular basis.

Twitter is another great tool for monitoring "outside" conversations.  Twitter has a great "search" function and a system of hash mark tags (preceded by #) that permit one to follow topics. Once topic to follow have been identified, individual users who post frequently on targeted topics can be "followed" to ensure a steady stream of real-world feedback.

Technorati's site ranks blogs and documents trends in blog posts.  It also has a search function and one can mine the data contained in the site for candidate or issue mentions in the blogosphere. In these ways, campaigns can keep track of the chatter...what the outside world is saying about the issues, candidate and race.

Implementation:  First things first. It is imperative to be proactive and assertive about collecting email addresses and cell-phone numbers (for SMS messaging) of campaign supporters and targets. 

Second, it is critical for campaigns to inventory their digital and personnel assets up-front to determine what is available for online use and who is ready to use it for the campaign.  That means the campaign communications manager/committee collects all images and graphics to be used in the campaign, all audio and video assets, issue-based information, party-based information, and the like and archives it after approval.

Next, build the principal campaign Web Site.  Avoid "Flash" and any elements that slow-down the page load.  Make the site clean, simple and easy to navigate.  Ensure there is a share and a donate button on the landing page - with links to the campaign blog, YouTube Channel and contact information. It goes without saying that consistent graphic standards across all campaign literature and online resources is essential to avoid dissonance, inconsistency and confusion.

Build the campaign blog. Link to all other on-line resources. Establish an RSS feed from the blog and make sure to use Technorati Tags, in addition to labels, on all posts. Each post should feature a share function at the conclusion of the article with all bookmark and social network sites accessible with a click.  So readers can bookmark the post on the Net and instantly share blog articles on their own FaceBook page or with their own Twitter account.

Open a campaign Twitter account and designate an individual or team/committee to monitor inbound data and manage outbound communications.  Make a strategy and a schedule for outbound Tweets.  Encourage supporters to Re-Tweet campaign Tweets.

Create a campaign YouTube channel for relevant video clips. Clips on YouTube can be embedded easily in blogs of all sorts (encouraging supporters to add clips to their own sites) and once uploaded, get a URL of their own for linking.  A YouTube presence with links back to the campaign Web site and blog add weight to both. Google search bots use "weighting" to determine the page rank.

Set up your campaign Internet monitoring model, leveraging the sites and services referenced previously.  There are additional metrics and analysis sites that will provide an even deeper view into the characteristics of your site visitors, blog readers and Twitter followers. To the extent possible, leverage these (free) resources as well.

Leverage user data:  to identify and recruit campaign ambassadors, evangelists, donors & volunteers;  for fund-raising campaigns and to identify supporters willing to hold events like candidate coffees; and to "discover" and confirm lawn- and field-sign locations.

Create blended events using the Internet to identify geographically proximate supporters, organize events, distribute agendas & literature, and collect donations.

Use Action Alerts judiciously to mobilize supporters for a variety of purposes from canvassing to LTEs and GOTV.

Ten Steps to Integrate Social Network...

Ten Steps to Integrate Social Network Marketing into Business and
Non-Profit Organizations

Preface: Working with an original list created by Brian Solis of FutureWorks, a new media company, The Author has modified and redefined a few of the original bullet points, added background from his knowledge-base and experience; and, included the vital role of IT and data mining in effective Social Network Marketing.

Step 1. Discovery, validation, integration and documentation. The first stage of integration involves discovering and documenting information key to the process. For example, does the organization harvest and store customer/client information including email? How does the firm describe its community of interest? What are the "internal" conversations that underlie business processes in the company? What do the firm's key decision makers consider significant? What are their goals and objectives in the marketing and social networking space? Data gathered in this process needs to be paired with complementary information gleaned from "outside" conversations. These conversations can be monitored using Google Alerts, Twitter Search, PR Newswire's Social Media Metrics...amongst other tools. From these conversations, management can glean what is being said about the company; its products, services and positioning. Trends can be identified and described.

Step 2. Develop a plan. The process and findings in Step 1. are documented in a report designed to provide
the underlying, relevant data; analysis and interpretation of the data;
and, recommended objective-oriented action plans with suggested
timelines and monitoring. Key questions that need to be answered in
this stage include: What do you want your social network marketing to
do? How do you want it to 'work' for your organization? It is important to ensure that your organization's commitment to leverage social network marketing (SNM) is data driven, informed by the behavior of your marketplace, your business and your customers. One way to ensure that happens is to integrate this process into your data collection and mining efforts, involving your IT group in each step of the process. If you are a small business or non-profit, a thorough brainstorming session will assist you in making these decisions. A couple of examples come to mind. A downtown restaurant with a Facebook fan page and Twitter presence analyzed its data to determine which days were slow, then implemented a SNM customer incentive program around giveaways and discounts to fill the seats on those evenings. A local vineyard is using Twitter to turn out a crowd of adoring fans when the regional wine critic visits. The wine industry statewide is inviting Oregonians to tweet about their evening glass of wine, fine restaurants and good pairings; then, retweeting all of the individual tweets to create momentum around the state and the industry. It's not enough to have a profile, the key is a strategic plan.

Step 3. Establish a beachhead, engage your targets, test your platform and process. Take the plunge. In this stage, organizations are encouraged test the waters by defining the kind of presence they desire and creating a test-bed for strategic programs. Start with a presence and strategy for Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr. Later, you'll be adding the company web site, a new or updated blog, and additional social networking resources to your effort. But for now, just get the basic four (referenced) up-and-running.


Step 4. Socialize your presence. Join the conversation, as Solis advises. As you do, you begin to build community - while learning the rules of the road.

Step 5. Establish your voice and a sense of purpose. Once you've begun the conversation, your company/brands need to find and exercise their voices - with a sense of strategic purpose.

Step 6. Act: Turn your words into actions - both inside and outside the organization. Because taking action moves people. Build momentum, show progress, refresh often.

Step 7. Build and manage conversations. As Solis says, "...to direct traffic and build perceptions." This step is key to facilitating the emergence of community - which is earned through shared conversations and shared experience. As your sense of community grows and your familiarity with key players is enhanced, reach out to potential ambassadors and evangelists to leverage their enthusiasm. Engage negatives with strategically crafted counter measures, including proactive messaging.

Step 8. Monitor, adapt and scale. Track program reach and effectiveness; monitor trends; and, scale the platform and programs to sustain and evolve. Involve the IT dept. in mining databases to identify new opportunities.

Step 9. Formalize with a sCRM program. Tie-in to IT and management Decision Support Systems (DSS). Integrate across business processes, including departments, brands, product lines and strategic partners.

Step 10. Metrics, analysis and reporting. Be real. Be data driven. Be transparent.

Credit (for the "bones" of this list): Brian Solis, FutureWorks. This guy's a genius.

Technorati Tags: marketing, social network

Bankers - America's New Thugs

It's true. The new wise guys in the neighborhood are the big banks. The thugs roughing us up, shaking us down, and stealing our hard-earned dollars (think fees, charges and soaring interest rates) are Wall Street Bankers. You know the names: Citi; JP Morgan Chase; Bank of America; Wells Fargo; and of course, Goldman Sachs. These are the guys who destroyed our gold-standard economy through wildly speculative investment instruments paired with aggressive marketing in an grossly under-regulated environment. The same ones. These arrogant, masters of the universe bet heavily against their own instruments and ultimately profited from our loss. That, after begging for and receiving the largest bailout in history. Our thanks for the material support we provided? Frozen credit, a refusal to loan, and, obscene bonuses. Uh-huh.

So it turns out this financial calamity was foreseen, predicted by presidents Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Just watch this blistering video and see what you think. Thanks, Air America, for the vid.


Technorati Tags: Banks, Finance, Economics

Learn to Speak Tea Bag

It's easy. You can do it. Doesn't take long at all. Just about a minute-and-a-half to be precise - thanks to the video below. The animated cartoon, BTW, is courtesy of Mark Fiore, the master of the art form according to the Wall Street Journal.

I'm sharing this video with Pop Impulse readers because it has generated an inordinate amount of death threats. That's right, conservative right-wing Republican teabaggers are very upset. And they want Mark (and you) to know they'll kill anybody who scorns their pitiful positions or makes fun of their ignorance. You remember the famous pic of the guy with a mullet holding a sign calling Obama a "moran?"

You see, the thing about Democracy is that it effectively puts power and authority in the hands of the "common" citizen. If a culture is not committed to education, honesty and transparency, it is easy for wealthy interests to exploit, deceive and manipulate the masses.


Mark Fiore
Cartoon
Tea Baggers
Wingnut
Death Threats

Hand Held Mobile Devices Rule

Personal computing has given way to digital communications and connectivity, on whatever platform is the most convenient and robust at the moment.

Most of us have a "base" desktop computer at home or work -- where we store our personal and business data that is not already in the cloud. Our "personal computer." This machine is also where a lot of our heavy-metal applications reside. It is no longer, however, where most of our actual work gets done. That would be on our mobile devices, hands down. As the editor of Java.net said in an April blog post: "...as computers grow smaller, they are 'disappearing' into the devices that they power, everything from automobiles to netbooks to mobile phones."

That trend will intensify, with the addition of new hardware (think: tablets) and a storm of new, low-cost applications. The battle to watch, therefore, will be between iPhone and Android-based devices - rather than the continuous and familiar struggle amongst chip-makers or OS providers. They are so "last century."

Part of this generational revolution in technology is the convenience and functionality delivered by the new model. Need to do...anything? "There's an app for that." This emphasis on meaningful, new functionality is driving the market. It impacts traditional notions of web communications and has implications for designers, marketers and managers.

I've been reading a lot of "mobile marketing" articles recently, and though I agree it is an important and exciting new market communications and design professionals need to serve, I've not been reading much about the evolution of the model that is driving the explosion in mobile communications and connectivity. I would argue that it is the "functionality," not necessarily convenience or portability that is the engine of this change. There's a reason that the revolution is being sold with the tag line: "There's an app for that." Ultimately, this trend will change the face of computing and impact even the biggest players - like the search engines. As Clint Boulton put it in e-week,

For example, instead of using Google, Yahoo or Bing to search movie times and buy tickets online, users can download the Fandango mobile app and buy tickets.

But first-things-first. Businesses and organizations need to immediately pair their traditional web sites with new sites optimized for mobile devices. That is a given, and an urgent mandate. We've all experienced the frustration of dealing with sites that are not optimized for our hand-held devices: the unintentional linking, new windows launching, and navigational nightmares. No one should be surprised.

User interface design is a science involving human factors engineering and ergonomics. Platform-based behaviors, size constraints, hardware challenges and opportunities are all part of the equation. The best and most effective corporate and organizational sites feature mobile device-optimized versions. It's that simple.

Savvy business strategists will also be looking at leveraging the enhanced functionality offered by mobile, hand-held devices. These devices can communicate; display information in stunning HD color with multiple scrolling options; store Gigabytes of digital audio, video, image and application files; and effectively serve as a mobile office and connectivity hub. Most have cameras, many now offer GPS. The most successful mobile sites and applications will leverage these capabilities and address all of these roles, by providing meaningful new functionality. I'm pleased to be a participant in the industry at this moment, and look forward to contributing to this technology and market evolution.

technology
mobile computing
connectivity

Omodaka - Electronica and Animation

I've been listening to Jpop, in an attempt to dose the holiday blues with some Japanese "cute." In the process, I've discovered an interesting new project that pairs really artistic animated graphics with electronica and occasionally the sound of traditional Japanese folk music. Very unusual. Very cool. Omodaka.



Jpop, electronica, animation Omodaka

Blue Cross/Blue Shield Makes Woman Go Blind

And then, the insurance giant made her watch her daughters as they follow down her path. Disgusting. Can anybody at all tell me why we need greedy, profit-driven, third-party insurance companies like Blue Cross/Blue Shield in the health care delivery system in the first place? No? I didn't think so. If you still believe your in better hands with these capitalist insects than in the hands of your very own government, watch this. If you're still not convinced, do us all a favor and jump off a bridge.


HEALTH CARE
BLUE CROSS
REFORM
hc09

Will Ferrell Sticks It

Sure, there needs to be a greedy middleman in the healthcare equation. It's the American way. We want to give our hard-earned cash to Insurance giants who really, really care about us. Not like the evil government, oh no. I can count on my Insurance company to: raise my rates and my deductible on an annual basis like clockwork; to meddle in my private health care decisions; to contest virtually every claim; to pay only a percentage of costs leaving the rest for me to cover; and finally, to dump my sorry butt as soon as they are able. But that's who I want administering my health care program, deciding on my treatments, drugs and end-of-life care. Uh-huh. What can I count on the government for? What? National defense? Transportation infrastructure? Medicare? Pell grants for my college students? The court system? Air traffic control? You get the picture. Now watch this:

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

HEALTH CARE
INSURANCE
WILL FERRELL
HC09

The Conservative Argument for the Public Option

Okay, let's make it simple. The public option in the current debate refers to proposals to have a single-payer national health insurance program included as an "option" in health care reform. The public option is more efficient; it has lower administrative costs; it is fair, and it is cheaper than any of the alternatives. That's right. Folks scream about Medicare, but it works and works for less than all other private insurance schemes. Makes sense. Private companies are all about profits, not service, not care, not your health and well-being. Get it? This video presents the "conservative" argument for the Public Option. It makes a clear and compelling case, don't you think? Leave me your comments.



HEALTH CARE
PUBLIC OPTION
REFORM
HC09

Help Reform Health Care

Help "Change Congress" put this ad on the air in Arkansas, where a blue-dog Democrat named Mike Ross is standing in the way of health care reform. Time to put our $$ to work getting the insurance giants and vested health care industrial complex sorts off our collective backs. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We've been trying, without success, to get this done since Teddy Roosevelt (a well-known Republican) put it on his agenda about a century ago. This add feature Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. It is phat, a totally hard-hitting, fact-filled shot across the bow. Time somebody called these small-minded jerks out. Thanks Keith, thanks Rachel. Now do *your* part and match or one-up my $35 donation to the cause.



HEALTH CARE
REFORM
HC09
Mike Ross

Why We Loved Teddy Kennedy

The liberal lion passes. Teddy Kennedy RIP. A tireless crusader for the poor, underprivileged, and the average American worker, Kennedy showed the nation what true, Senate leadership looks (and sounds) like.

We loved Teddy, with all his flaws and imbroglios, he was a giant of American politics and the last little bit of Camelot in the US. Though wealthy, he spoke with the voice of the common man, confident and empowered to speak truth to authority. He was a champion, and now he is gone. We remember him with great affection and respect. Why? Just watch the video below. Kennedy at his best on the Senate floor.



Teddy Kennedy
RIP

Small Press Expo Poster

If you're going to be in Bethesda, Maryland in late September, you may want to consider attending this exposition. If you do, you're sure to see some fantastic graphic novels and other mind-bending eye-candy. Co-sponsored by my favorite purveyor of fine comic titles, FantaGraphics, this show is where independent comic books live. 2009's expo features legendary cartoon artist Gahan Wilson as the keynote. Just check out the poster. You knew it was going to be killer.
COMICS
FANTAGRAPHICS

Town Hall Meeting Madness

You know, my favorite Sri Lankan proverb is sometimes point on. The proverb: The Higher a Monkey Climbs, the More it Exposes its Ass. To wit: the gaggle of conservative wing-nuts that are part of the vast right-wing conspiracy to derail health care reform, hand the insurance companies a victory, and embarrass the president. After the spectacles we've seen at the town-hall meetings of our legislators, this crew has their rosy-reds pretty damn exposed. Not a pretty sight. Thanks to Markos at Daily Kos for producing this video shocker. Just look at these fools. Makes a thinking person worry.


Technorati Tags: Health, politics, Teabaggers

Health Care Reform Lies - Email Alert

There is a detailed, well-written email circulating today that you may have already received from a family member or co-worker. It looks to be a thoughtful critic of health care reform and it is alarming. Trouble is, it is full of lies and deceptions.

It relies on mis-interpretation and deceit. Arm yourself with the truth and beware of the well-funded propaganda pieces being authored and paid-for by special interests including the current health insurance companies. I've included below a point-by-point response and rebuttal provided by Health Care for America Now.

Please cut-and-past the body copy and forward it to anyone who may send you the email. You'll know it when you see it. And remember through all the barrage of bullshit, we really don't *need* insurance companies at all in the equation. They're the ones that have been raising our premiums annually, eliminating older and infirm citizens from their roles, increasing deductibles while reducing coverage, then denying needed coverage to loyal clients. Ask yourself this: Are you happy with your health insurance coverage and rates? If the answer is no, then you agree we need reform. Let's get it done.

---begin pasted text ---

The contents of the email I am replying to are patently false. If the anonymous writer of this email had actually read the bill, he or she would know better.

Here are the facts. Anyone can verify them by reading the bill at http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h3200/text

Actual itemized contents of the Health Care Reform Bill:

"Page 22: Mandates audits of all employers that self-insure!"

TRUTH: This is not an "audit," it's a study. Moreover, the bill states (pp. 22-23) that the report will "include any recommendations the Commissioner deems appropriate to ensure that the law does not provide incentives for small and mid-size employers to self-insure or create adverse selection in the risk pools of large group insurers and self-insured employers." This is almost directly the opposite of the email's claim.

"Page 29: Admission: your health care will be rationed!"

TRUTH: Page 29 continues to define the "essential benefits package" and discusses limits on what Americans will have to spend on health care under this minimum standard. In no way does this section stipulate the rationing of care.

"Page 30: A government committee will decide what treatments and benefits you get (and, unlike an insurer, there will be no appeals process)"

TRUTH: Page 30 begins to describe the Health Benefits Advisory Committee which establishes certain minimum standards for health insurance plans. In no way does this committee deny treatments and benefits to Americans with health insurance.

"Page 42: The 'Health Choices Commissioner' will decide health benefits for you. You will have no choice. None."

TRUTH: Page 42 begins to describe the Health Choices Commissioner's duties. The idea that this person will decide what benefits Americans receive is patently false, given that most Americans will keep their current plans under reform, and Americans within the exchange will have the choice of purchasing many different kinds of health plans. Rather, the Commissioner will establish minimum standards to protect Americans.

"Page 50: All non-US citizens, illegal or not, will be provided with free healthcare services."

TRUTH: Pages 50-51 contain a provision stating that discrimination will not be allowed in the provision of health care services. Nowhere does the bill state that non-US citizens will be provided free health care services. The bill prohibits federal dollars from being used for undocumented immigrants.

"Page 58: Every person will be issued a National ID Healthcard."

TRUTH: Page 58, in the context of a discussion of administrative standards, mentions that "determination of an individual's financial responsibility at the point of service and, to the extent possible, prior to service, including whether the individual is eligible for a specific service with a specific physician at a specific facility...may include utilization of a machine-readable health plan beneficiary identification card." In no way does the bill state that such a card would be national, or that it would be issued to every person, or that it would, in fact, be used at all.

"Page 59: The federal government will have direct, real-time access to all individual bank accounts for electronic funds transfer."

TRUTH: Page 59 continues the discussion of administrative standards, and authorizes electronic transfers of money within the government. In no way does this provision grant the government access to individual bank accounts.

"Page 65: Taxpayers will subsidize all union retiree and community organizer health plans (read: SEIU, UAW and ACORN)"

TRUTH: Here's what page 65 says: "Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a temporary reinsurance program to provide reimbursement to assist participating employment-based plans with the cost of providing health benefits to retirees and to eligible spouses, surviving spouses and dependents of such retirees." No mention is made of unions or community organizations.

"Page 72: All private healthcare plans must conform to government rules to participate in a Healthcare Exchange."

TRUTH: That's true! Plans have to have a minimum standard of benefits, bat can offer other plans as well. But that's fair, isn't it? Private insurers can continue to operate outside the exchange if they wish - should the government establish no standards for the exchange? In that case, how could reform end insurance industry abuses and help to control costs?

"Page 84: All private healthcare plans must participate in the Healthcare Exchange (i.e., total government control of private plans)"

TRUTH: This section says is that if private health care plans want to operate in the Exchange, they must provide a basic benefit package.

"Page 91: Government mandates linguistic infrastructure for services; translation: illegal aliens"

TRUTH: Some American citizens are more comfortable speaking a language other than English, especially in a sensitive situation like a consultation with their doctor. This provision in no way opens the door for coverage of undocumented workers.

"Page 95: The Government will pay ACORN and Americorps to sign up individuals for Government-run Health Care plan."

TRUTH: Page 95 makes no mention of ACORN and Americorps; all it says is that the Commissioner can conduct outreach to vulnerable populations, making them aware of their options.

"Page 102: Those eligible for Medicaid will be automatically enrolled: you have no choice in the matter."

TRUTH: People who are eligible for Medicaid will not have to face the burdens of paperwork and other bureaucratic struggles. Far from depriving people of choice, this measure will ensure coverage.

"Page 124: No company can sue the government for price-fixing. No 'judicial review' is permitted against the government monopoly. Put simply, private insurers will be crushed."

TRUTH: This section describes rate-setting under the public health insurance plan option, which will compete with private insurers, who can set their own rates. Because of inherent advantages like their established administrative and provider frameworks, private insurance companies will not be "crushed" by government competition.

"Page 127: The AMA sold doctors out: the government will set wages."

TRUTH: The government will negotiate rates with providers under the public health insurance plan option. However, private insurers will continue to pay their own rates.

"Page 145: An employer MUST auto-enroll employees into the government-run public plan. No alternatives."

TRUTH: This is simply not true. Employers with more than 20 employees aren't even eligible to participate in the exchange, let alone the public plan, until several years after the exchange launches in 2013. Moreover, no employer will be forced to participate in the public plan.

"Page 146: Employers MUST pay healthcare bills for part-time employees AND their families."

TRUTH: Employers are required to pay some benefits for part-time employees on a basis proportional to what they pay for full-time employees. No language on this page or the next stipulates coverage for the families of part-time employees.

"Page 149: Any employer with a payroll of $400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays an 8% tax on payroll"

TRUTH: The payroll penalty applies to employers with payroll over $500,000 who do not provide insurance to their employees. The percentage for employers with payroll from $500,000 - $750,000 is 6%. Employers do not have to offer the public option to avoid this penalty, they can offer private insurance if they wish.

"Page 150: Any employer with a payroll of $250K-400K or more, who does not offer the public option, pays a 2 to 6% tax on payroll"

TRUTH: This is false, see above.

"Page 167: Any individual who doesn't' have acceptable healthcare (according to the government) will be taxed 2.5% of income."

TRUTH: Pages 167-173 detail what "acceptable health care" means (basically, insurance coverage) and also allow for many different kinds of exceptions to this rule.

"Page 170: Any NON-RESIDENT alien is exempt from individual taxes (Americans will pay for them)."

TRUTH: Non-resident aliens do not have to pay the penalty for not having health insurance, nor will the receive federal assistance, because they are not required to purchase health insurance. They are not exempted from individual taxes generally.

"Page 195: Officers and employees of Government Healthcare Bureaucracy will have access to ALL American financial and personal records."

TRUTH: This is a gross overstatement. For the purposes of determining affordability credits for Americans who need financial assistance in purchasing health insurance, employees of the Health Choices Administration will have access to tax information that the federal government already keeps. As is clearly stated on page 196, "Return information... may be used by officers and employees of the Health Choices Administration or such State-based health insurance exchange, as the case may be, only for the purposes of, and to the extent necessary in, establishing and verifying the appropriate amount of any affordability credit described in subtitle C of title II of the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 and providing for the repayment of any such credit which was in excess of such appropriate amount.''

"Page 203: "The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax." Yes, it really says that."

TRUTH: This quote is taken out of context, and is in fact referring to a calculation used in the bill. Full context of quote: "'(4) NOT TREATED AS TAX IMPOSED BY THIS CHAPTER FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES.-The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax imposed by this chapter for purposes of determining the amount of any credit under this chapter or for purposes of section 55.''

"Page 239: Bill will reduce physician services for Medicaid. Seniors and the poor most affected."

TRUTH: This section has nothing whatsoever to do with reducing services. It makes much needed changes to the way in which physician reimbursement is recalculated every year. The bill will, in fact, create much more opportunity for seniors and the poor to receive necessary care.

"Page 241: Doctors: no matter what specialty you have, you'll all be paid the same (thanks, AMA!)"

TRUTH: Page 241 does not say this. Nowhere does it say this. It does say that physicians will be grouped into certain categories regardless of specialty. These categories merely determine if the physician is engaged in primarily therapeutic or preventative care.

"Page 253: Government sets value of doctors' time, their professional judgment, etc."

TRUTH: There is no good response to this assertion as it appears to have been made up completely. The section deals with 'misvalued codes' meaning that the government is potentially not paying an acceptable rate for a specific service. This will allow the government to, for example, pay more for services that require more payment, such as high-overhead procedures. The author of these criticisms separately attacks the bill for paying the same rate to all doctors, then attacks again for paying different rates.

"Page 265: Government mandates and controls productivity for private healthcare industries."

TRUTH: This section amends the Social Security Act to include productivity measures. There is no mandate or control of anything. This merely updates the way in which doctors and hospitals are paid through Medicare.

"Page 268: Government regulates rental and purchase of power-driven wheelchairs."

TRUTH: This is simply not true. This slightly amends existing guidelines for payments for medical equipment, in this case power-driven wheelchairs. This section introduces no 'regulations' that are not in the Social Security Act.

"Page 272: Cancer patients: welcome to the wonderful world of rationing!"

TRUTH: Overusage of the hot-button word "rationing" is a way to deflect attention away from the actual language of the bill and incite unjustified fear. This section only compares costs incurred by cancer hospitals to costs incurred by similar hospitals, and adjusts payments to reduce the possibility of fraud and abuse.

"Page 280: Hospitals will be penalized for what the government deems preventable re-admissions."

TRUTH: This is almost correct. The section is one of the first efforts at targeting excessive readmissions. Excessive readmissions are physically and emotionally damaging to patients, while simultaneously putting them, and the health care system, in far more financial risk than is necessary. The American Hospital Association recommended reduced payments for avoidable readmission in testimony to Congress.

"Page 298: Doctors: if you treat a patient during an initial admission that results in a readmission, you will be penalized by the government."

TRUTH: This is patently false. The section is about possible methods that the Secretary of Health and Human services might consider in order to address the growing problem of patient readmission. This section does not, in any way, create a penalty, nor does it even mandate policy. It merely provides examples of recourses that might be considered.

"Page 317: Doctors: you are now prohibited from owning and investing in healthcare companies!"

TRUTH: This provision only limits Doctor's investments in health care facilities that they refer patients to The effort to limit self-referral has been ongoing for many years as an effort to reduce fraud and abuse. This is, essentially, the medical community equivalent of insider trading. Limiting this incentive works to put the patient's health above all other considerations. Doctors remain free to engage in investment opportunities in areas that don't create a significant conflict of interest.

"Page 318: Prohibition on hospital expansion. Hospitals cannot expand without government approval."

TRUTH: This section regulates physicians' investment in hospitals to make sure that physicians are not unfairly benefiting from their power to refer patients to hospitals they have a stake in. The section does not prohibit hospital expansion.

"Page 321: Hospital expansion hinges on 'community' input: in other words, yet another payoff for ACORN."

TRUTH: In the ongoing effort to demonize community-based groups such as ACORN, every instance of the word "community" has become associated with that group's efforts. In reality, this provision allows for anyone to provide input. This includes homeowners, religious leaders, neighborhood groups, and others. There are no payoffs. There is no money exchanged in any way.

"Page 335: Government mandates establishment of outcome-based measures: i.e., rationing."

TRUTH: This provision is included in order to allow the government to base payments on practices that work. Nowhere does it say health care will be rationed. The attempt to isolate what works and what does not work in Medicare Advantage plans only benefits the health care system in general.

"Page 341: Government has authority to disqualify Medicare Advantage Plans, HMOs, etc."

TRUTH: The government can disqualify some Medicare Advantage Plans from receiving some additional payments, but only if those plans are not meeting necessary requirements.

"Page 354: Government will restrict enrollment of SPECIAL NEEDS individuals."

TRUTH: This section only deals with how to handle special needs individuals who need to enroll outside of the open enrollment period. Almost every type of plan operates with open enrollment periods. This section does not create more restrictions.

"Page 379: More bureaucracy: Telehealth Advisory Committee (healthcare by phone)."

TRUTH: This section merely expands existing Telehealth programs, which supplement but do not replace other health coverage, and provide a vital resource to Americans in rural and remote areas.

"Page 425-430: More bureaucracy: Advance Care Planning Consult: Senior Citizens, assisted suicide, euthanasia?; Government will instruct and consult regarding living wills, durable powers of attorney, etc. Mandatory. Appears to lock in estate taxes ahead of time; Government provides approved list of end-of-life resources, guiding you in death; Government mandates program that orders end-of-life treatment; government dictates how your life ends; Advance Care Planning Consult will be used to dictate treatment as patient's health deteriorates. This can include an ORDER for end-of-life plans. An ORDER from the GOVERNMENT; Government will decide what level of treatments you may have at end-of-life."

TRUTH: All of these hysterical claims have been debunked elsewhere. HR3200 provides for the reimbursement of a voluntary session of end-of-life counseling with your physician once every five years. This in no way means the government will make decisions for patients or encourage doctor-assisted suicide. Counseling simply makes patients and their families aware of their options.

"Page 469: Community-based Home Medical Services: more payoffs for ACORN."

TRUTH: ACORN is not a Community-Based Medical Home.

"Page 472: Payments to Community-based organizations: more payoffs for ACORN."

TRUTH: This is clearly still referring to community health groups, not ACORN.

"Page 489: Government will cover marriage and family therapy. Government intervenes in your marriage."

TRUTH: Covering marriage and family therapy, as many private insurance plans do, does not mean that the government "intervenes in your marriage." The types of individuals who are recognized as therapists are clearly defined on page 491; in brief, professionals only, not bureaucrats.

"Page 494: Government will cover mental health services: defining, creating and rationing those services."

TRUTH: This section expands government coverage for mental health services under various government programs, and ensures that all mental health services will be offered by qualified professionals.

Technorati Tags: Health, reform, Congress

Author Frustrated - Starts Pirate Party

Pirate Party of Oregon
A Draft Manifesto

We are driven in extraordinary times to take extraordinary actions to protect our Union and preserve our rights and way of life.

The Country was founded at such a moment, and we find ourselves gripped by historic challenges and opportunities once again.

At the same time, we recognize that powerful special interests, like the banking & investment giants, large Pharma, and the insurance companies have accumulated richly funded war chests with which they’ve purchased vast amounts of influence. Just check out the lobbying reports around the current attempt to reform health care. Special interests are spending billions to buy our democracy right out from under us. Congress is clueless and out-of-touch; and, when they’re not, our legislators are hopelessly deadlocked and unable to lead. The net result is government by special interest. Top-down, prescribed by CEOs, Lawyers, Bankers and members in good standing at the local country club. Do you really think *this* is what the founders had in mind?

So with this backstory, and an enormous amount of impatient frustration with both political parties, Pirates everywhere are taking action. Aarrrrgh.

The Pirate Party of Oregon, as The Author imagines it, will be built on a commitment to reform, transparency, and, bottom-up governance. That's right, bottom-up. What a concept. Think of us as Open Source politicians. The party was founded by techies in Sweden and The Netherlands around copyright & patent reform, net neutrality and personal freedom…with a focus on privacy protection & open technology standards and systems. That sounds about right to a lot of Oregonians as well. The European Pirates just won several seats in the EU parliament, so the movement is for real. New Pirate Parties have already started-up in Germany and Switzerland. Not a joke.

The Pirate Party of Oregon believes in citizen-moderated State involvement in regulation, ensuring basic rights & basic services, health, education & safety.

Pirates believe Government needs to be out of everything else, especially the “social” issues like individual choice in marriage, reproductive and end-of-life matters. In a Pirate Party world, Govt. stays out of herbal and minor drug enforcement, while maintaining vigilance over criminal cartels pushing dangerous, hard drugs until such a time as a general consensus has been reached on how to move forward. Legalization is on the table. We believe that government functions best when it facilitates freedom and the pursuit of happiness. And we don't believe that the federal government has any business spying on American inside US borders, so we have trouble with the wholesale interception of voice and text communication of average citizens by the NSA.

Pirates pick their fights carefully and stay out of foreign wars whenever possible. So the Pirate Party believes in reduced military spending and a changed focus in public and foreign service to planetary renewal, combating climate change and reducing our footprint. But don't even think about taking our guns away from us. That doesn't mean we feel comfortable with our current status as the No. 1 weapons producer and seller to the world.

Pirates demand sustainability…and accountability. Hey, it takes a Pirate to steal back our country from the special interests. Make no mistake about it, that is just what we need to do and it will be a long and hard fight. Just right for a band of angry Pirates. That said, Pirates are techies and the Party has a commitment to continued space exploration specifically, and to unfettered scientific investigation in general.

Government’s legitimate role is to safeguard and promote individual rights & liberties; protect citizens; provide health, education & basic safety-net services; and, act as the voice and authority of the people in dealings with mega-corporations and sovereign, foreign nations.

Pirates recognize that it takes money to run the state, and believe that a fair and equitable system of taxation, subject to regular review and renewal, is a legitimate mechanism for our elected authorities to employ as a funding mechanism. In general, Pirates believe that taxation should be progressive, not regressive; and that the tax code must be simple and non-punishing. The Party believes that tax breaks, exemptions and loopholes are often complex, difficult to understand, and tailored for a select few – so they would be subject to review and re-configuration. No more millionaires who pay no taxes or corporations receiving public subsidies and tax exemptions. All should pay their fair share, and the authorities must be accountable for the expenditure of our funds. Or we'll make them walk the plank.

Pirates also understand commerce, and we know thievery and exploitation when we see it. There’s a lot of that going on right now, in creative fee structures, unexpected charges, and a variety of bank-driven financial manipulations. So ironically, Pirates are strong supporters of vigorous regulation and enforceable transparency. We’re not big on closed-door deals that don’t stand the light of day. Pirates allow that currency and the exchange of goods is the foundation of commerce, and that commerce is a source of creativity, value and growth. But we’ve seen too graphically in the last few years what rampant greed in an unregulated environment can bring – the damage it can do. Don’t want to go there again anytime soon. So Pirates want to see the masters of the financial universe constrained, supervised, and only then cut-loose to do what it is they do that feeds the star-maker machinery behind business.

And you may have noticed that Pirates come in all sizes, shapes, colors and sexual orientations. Not a mistake, that. Our tent is really, really big – so you need no special doors to enter. If you’re mad as hell and you just won’t take any more, consider becoming a Pirate. If you’re frustrated with both the Republicans and the Democrats, think about the Pirate Party. No really. Our fellow pirates in Europe have set an example, hooked-up and got stuff done. Not a revolution, but a great start. We can do that. America’s got talent, and lots and lots of pirates. Join now.

Technorati Tags: Pirate, Politics, Manifesto