Monthly Archives: April 2009

Dylan on Politics

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bob_dylan_l From Bill Flanagan’s recent interview with Bob Dylan:

What’s your take on politics?

Politics is entertainment. It’s a sport. It’s for the well groomed and well heeled. The impeccably dressed. Party animals. Politicians are interchangeable.

Don’t you believe in the democratic process?

Yeah, but what’s that got to do with politics? Politics creates more problems than it solves. It can be counter-productive. The real power is in the hands of small groups of people and I don’t think they have titles.

H’mm.

Not a bad way to start the day

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dan jenkins "I can only tell you that eggs, country ham, biscuits, a pot of coffee, a morning paper, a table by the window overlooking the veranda and putting green, listening to the idle chitchat of competitors, authors, wits and philosophers, hasn’t exactly been a torturous way to begin each day at the Masters all these years."

–Dan Jenkins, Golf Digest (1985)

The lowdown on the 2009 Masters field is here, and Geoff Shackelford is doing his usual fine job of providing a daily review of the best information being generated in connection with the tournament. Starting at 9:45 a.m. CDT, you can watch a live feed of the tournament here.

Rationing health care

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rationbook One of the common complaints heard regarding government-controlled, single payor health care finance systems is that they ration care in a manner that often results in long delays for even routine procedures.

However, as this MedPage blog post points out, private providers in America’s Byzantine health care finance system also ration care, and the results aren’t all that satisfying, either.

Meanwhile, this NY Times article reports on how many private physicians are rationing care by choosing not to accept patients who use Medicare for payment because the net reimbursement for services rendered is simply not worth it. The article also notes the growing trend of physicians opting for a concierge practice, a development that is the subject of earlier posts here and here.

Finally, Arnold Kling, who has done some of the best thinking on health care finance in the blogosphere over the past five years, sums up a big problem with the way in which the American system currently rations care:

In America, about 90 percent of health care spending is paid for by third parties–most individuals do not fend for themselves.  .  .  . My view of the American health care system is that it hardly rations health care at all. That is why we spend so much more than other countries. I wish we put more responsibility on individuals. Instead, we have this delusion that we cannot possibly afford health care if we pay for it individually, but of course we can afford it if we pay for it collectively.

Is this really the best that the Chronicle can do for its lead sports columnist?

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richardjustice032009 Remember awhile back when Chronicle lead sports columnist Richard Justice defamed Stephanie Stradley, a very good local blogger on the Texans and the NFL who now blogs at the Chronicle?

Well, ol’ Richard is at it again.

This time the subject of Justice’s venom is Alan Burge, who pens a very good blog on the Texans for the Houston Examiner.

Burge recently made a comment on one of Justice’s blog posts regarding Texans GM Rick Smith, who Justice has been belittling for months because Smith fired Justice’s friend, former Texans strength coach, Dan Riley.

At any rate, after Burge commented (he goes by "AJ" in the comments) on Justice’s blog post, Justice responded by belittling Burge’s comment. Burge responded by again challenging Justice’s statements regarding NFL contract provisions. Justice responded by continuing to belittle Burge and concluded by accusing Burge of stealing "from others and calling it research."

Inasmuch as Justice has previously removed some of his defamatory statements from his blog site after publishing them, I copied four of Burge’s comments and Justice’s replies to them before Justice could remove or edit them (he has, in fact, done so now). Burge’s comments and Justice’s replies are set forth in the document below. Also included in the document is a comment from another commenter who was appalled by Justice’s comments toward Burge and Justice’s reply to that comment.

With "top" talent such as this, is there any hope for the Chronicle?

 

Richard Justice Comments

Batter up! Stros 2009 Season Preview

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minute maid park

Today is Opening Day for the Major League Baseball season and Houston, so it’s time for HCT’s annual preview of the Stros’ upcoming season (previous annual previews since 2004 are here). The Stros opening day roster is here over at Astros.com.

Despite an unlikely 42-24 run in the second half of last season that allowed the Stros to finish second with a 86-75 record behind the Cubs in the National League Central, there is really not much to be excited about in regard to the Stros this season. Last season’s club failed to make the playoffs for the third straight season since the Stros 2005 World Series appearance. This season’s club is substantially weaker than last season’s club and is even less likely to contend for a playoff spot.

As noted in previous previews, the Stros have been a team in decline for a long time even though generally superior pitching during the 2002-2006 seasons masked that downturn. Owner Drayton McLane cleaned house toward the end of the disastrous 2007 season and the club is now firmly in the process of rebuilding its farm system, which had deteriorated into one of MLB’s worst over the latter stages of the Biggio-Bagwell era.  Even though Stros management continues to promote the delusion that the Stros can contend for a National League playoff spot, this season’s club has virtually no chance of doing so absent highly unlikely circumstances.

The Stros’ problems are really fairly simple to explain. Due to the decline in the farm system, and the failure of farm prospects Chris Burke, Morgan Ensberg and Jason Lane to pan out into at least average National League players, the Stros are deficient in a core of good young players who are capable of sustaining successful seasons. The Stros essentially have two very good players — 1B Lance Berkman and SP Roy Oswalt — one above-National League average hitter — LF Carlos Lee — a decent, but not great, closer — RP Jose Valverde — and a player in his prime who has the potential to develop into an above-National League player — RF Hunter Pence. The rest of the club is an amalgamation of below-National League position players and a pitching staff taht will struggle to be National League-average overall this season. That’s not much of a prescription for a successful season.

Last season’s club was a poor hitting club that generated 46 fewer runs than an average National League club would have using the same number of outs ("RCAA"), which was 12th among the 16 National League teams. This season’s club is unlikely to hit as well as last season’s club and the way in which Stros management dealt with the situation reveals why.

In a cost-cutting move during these lean economic times (partly a consequence of over-paying for players during good times), Stros management allowed 3B Ty Wigginton to leave as a free agent after the best season of his career. Inasmuch as the club lacks any ready prospect at the position, the Stros will run a platoon of Geoff Blum and newly-acquired Reds castoff Jeff Keppinger out there every day.

A Blum platoon with over-the-hill Aaron Boone was the original plan, but Boone will miss the season after being diagnosed with a heart ailment and undergoing surgery. Beginning with the 2003 season in which former Stros manager Jimy Williams probably cost the Stros the National League Central title by insisting on platooning Blum with the clearly superior Ensberg, Blum has deteriorated to a point where he is not even close to being an adequate reserve, much less a starter. He has had under a .300 on-base average in five of the past six seasons, has batted .247 BA/.300 OBA/.371 SLG in about 2,000 plate appearances during that stretch, and has generated 100 fewer runs than a National League-average hitter during that period. Thus, the suggestion that Blum is likely to be even close to a National League-average 3B borders on the absurd.

In fact, the Stros would probably be better off moving over-the-hill SS Miguel Tejeda over to 3B and starting slick-fielding minor league SS Tommy Manzella at shortstop, which at least would provide a defensive upgrade. Good defense is going to be particularly important this season given that the Stros’ old and low-strikeout starting rotation. On the other hand, it will take a minor miracle for starters Mike Hampton and Russ Ortiz — who have pitched a total of about 150 innings between them over the past three seasons — to pitch a total of 150 innings between them this season. One shudders to think who will make up the difference.

Thus, this is likely to be a brutal season for the Stros. The most likely result is a return to the 73 win-level of the 2007 season and there is a real chance that the improving Pirates may finally move ahead of the Stros and relegate the local club to the National League Central basement. The Cubs again are the class of the NL Central and my sense is that the Reds are the most likely club to make a jump up the standings this season. The good news for the Stros is that neither the Brewers nor the Cardinals have improved, either, so at least there is likely to be a muddle of mediocrity underneath the Cubs in the division. However, there is virtually no chance that the NL Wild-Card playoff team will come out of the NL Central.

As with prior seasons, I will continue my periodic reviews of the Stros during the season ("Stros 2009 Season Review, Part __"). This season I will post them after each quarter of the season, which works out to be after each 40 game segment of the season. So, look for my first season review this season after around mid-May, give or take a few days in the event of postponed games. The best sources for keeping up with the Stros on a day-to-day basis are Lisa Gray’s insightful Stros blog, the reliable Crawfish Boxes blog, and the Chronicle’s Zac Levine’s blog. Zac will also provide reports via Twitter this season.

Observations from the SHO

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1C2 Third Hole approach betterThe following are a few observations from my annual trek to the Shell Houston Open at the Tournament Course at Redstone Golf Club:

  • As I’ve noted on a number of occasions, the Tournament Course has a reasonable number of interesting holes that are effectively distributed between three different courses — no. 1 and 18, no. 2-9, and no. 10-17. Inasmuch as the three sections of the course are relatively far away from each other, the best way to watch the action is to pick one of the three courses and then stick to that course for much of your stay at the tournament.
  • If you prefer to limit your walking while at the tournament, stick to the area that contains no. 1 and no. 18. That area includes two reasonably interesting holes — no. 1 is a short par 4, while no. 18 is a long 4-par that is one of the hardest holes on the course. In addition, the area includes the driving range and putting green, numerous grandstands and concession areas. Accordingly, you can see all of the competitors without having to walk around much.
  • My favorite spot on the golf course to watch the action is the area behind the 6th hole, the adjacent 7th tee and the close-by 8th tee. The players have to hit a reasonably long shot into the 6th green, a short but dicey iron on the par 3 7th and a big drive on the par-5 8th. Thus, you can watch all of the players hit a nice variety of shots while walking a very small area of the course. The only downside — the area is a good 30 minute walk from the 1st tee-18th green area.
  • The Tournament Course is in extraordinarily good shape. The Houston Golf Association overseeds the course with rye grass during the winter months and the rye remains vibrant in Houston through about mid-April. That’s why the players enjoy putting on the greens so much — the rye has very little grain in comparison to the slower and grainier Bermuda grass that takes over the course during the warmer months from mid-April through mid-November.
  • Although the Tournament Course is in great condition, the HGA could spruce it up a bit by planting some flowers around the course. For example, the unsightly drainage ditch that separates no. 1 and 18 from the rest of the course could use some wildflowers on the banks to provide some color. Moreover, given the lush green color of much of the rest of the course, some well-placed azaleas and other bright flowers would improve the ambiance of the course nicely.
  • One of the most enjoyable aspects of PGA Tour events is that the players are almost all extremely nice and friendly. Each time I said "nice putt" or "nice shot" or "great birdie" to one of the players walking by, every one of them made eye contact, smiled and said "thanks."
  • I’m always amazed at the increasing number of good ball-strikers on at these events. Everyone knows about such long-time ball-strikers par excellence such as Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Steve Elkington, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Tommy Armour, III, among others. But relatively unknown players such as Jonathon Byrd, Vaughn Taylor, Michael Leitzig and Kevin Na are absolutely wonderful ball-strikers. It really makes you appreciate the depth of talent on the PGA Tour.
  • By the way, the 54 year-old Norman and the 49 year-old Couples remain marvelous drivers of the golf ball. They remain amazingly long and accurate.
  • Geoff Ogilvy is now firmly entrenched as one of golf’s big stars. You can tell it by the way he carries himself — he has that quiet air of confidence of one who knows that he belongs among the top players in the game. He is going to be around the top of the leaderboards for a long time. He really does hit the ball high, too.
  • It is simply amazing to me that Paul Casey has never won a PGA Tour event. He is an wonderfully well-rounded player. His lack of a Tour win is another reflection of the incredible depth of talent on the PGA Tour.
  • Phil Mickelson was a mess in his two rounds at Redstone (9 over par). On Friday morning, I watched him fan a 144 yard 9-iron into the water hazard 20 yards left of the hole on the par 3 7th hole. His drives were similarly erratic and he didn’t putt well. I can’t imagine that he feels much confidence going into Augusta National next week.
  • While strolling over to the driving range, I had a nice chat with Houston-based teaching professional Jim Hardy, who was tutoring a number of his pupils during the week. We shared a nice chuckle on how Jack Nicklaus’ idiosyncratic swing principles had created an annuity for teaching professionals over the past generation because of the necessity to correct the swings of all the golfers who were attempting to emulate Nicklaus.
  • If Sergio Garcia putted with the confidence that he hits his other shots, then he would have won multiple majors by now.
  • A conversation between a couple of Tour pros on the 2nd tee overheard by a friend of mine: "Were you in Stanford [Financial Group]?" "Thank God, no. I passed on that one."

The Tyranny of the Busybodies

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"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.”

– C. S. Lewis, God in the Dock

The Wavering Rule of Law

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scales of justice So, because of prosecutorial misconduct, the Justice Department decides to move for dismissal of the political corruption case against former Alaska senator Ted Stevens (previous posts here and here).

Meanwhile, Jeff Skilling, who created billions of dollars in wealth and thousands of jobs by revolutionizing risk management of natural gas prices for producers and industrial consumers, sits in a Colorado prison cell under the weight of a barbaric 24-year prison sentence. Skilling’s conviction involved even more egregious prosecutorial misconduct than the Stevens case. The criminal case against Skilling was materially weaker than the case against Stevens, too.

It is a sad reflection of the current state of American rule of law that the DOJ readily concedes prosecutorial misconduct against an arguably corrupt legislator, but ignores it in a shaky case against a businessperson who created many jobs and great wealth.

And how bizarre is it that America’s primary business newspaper rightly decries the government’s abuse of Stevens’ due process rights but continues to ignore even worse abuses with regard to a creative and productive businessperson?
Update: Larry Ribstein chimes in, too.

The Postrel Health Care Finance Articles

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health care finance Clear Thinkers favorite Virginia Postrel (previous posts here) is well-known in health care finance circles for her authorship of a reasoned critique of one-payor, centralized health care plans back in the 1990’s. She now writes for The Atlantic.

Over the past year or so, Virginia has been experiencing serious health care issues, so she has recently penned two extraordinary articles in The Atlantic (here and here) chronicling her personal experience with America’s Byzantine health care finance system. Both articles are must-reads for anyone interested in these important issues, but here are a couple of snippets from the second article that are representative of the wisdom that Virginia provides:

Mr. Daily [a critic] shares a common belief, expressed less dramatically in other letters, that there is somewhere a pot of money dedicated to “health care” which “society” divides between winners and losers. In the United States, at least, there is no health care pot, any more than there is a pot for housing or education or magazine subscriptions. There is simply an economy, which includes health care among other goods, and the amount we spend on health care grows out of the largely decentralized decisions made by individuals and organizations. As productivity increases and prices drop in some areas—food, clothes, entertainment—we can afford to spend more on health care (even without overall economic growth or increased health-care efficiency). [.  .  .]

.  .  . We do not currently treat health care as a right. That we don’t is, in fact, what most letter writers are objecting to. Neither do we regard it exactly as a privilege, to be allocated to the worthy few or even to be limited to those who can afford to pay for it, directly or indirectly. Rather, it is a good, produced and purchased in a complex marketplace through a combination of individual, organizational, and political decisions.

Even this formulation is misleading, however. Health care isn’t a single good, nor, like food, is it easily defined in terms of a minimum to sustain life. Studying other countries’ supposedly universal systems only demonstrates how fraught the concept of “health care” is: one bundle of services in British Columbia and a less-generous one in Nova Scotia, one in England and another in Scotland, one in New Zealand before the election and another afterwards. Arguably the U.S. already has universal care, in the sense that everyone can get some care—if only from an emergency room—for some things, and that citizens (a critical word in this context) without money are covered by Medicaid.

The real issue is how you define “health care.” What gets included is a matter not only of medicine and economics but of culture and politics.

What limitations on health care are Americans willing to accept in return for universal coverage? That is one of the core issues that those who are currently crafting health care finance reform are assiduously avoiding. But true reform will never occur without addressing that issue.