newsobserver.com projects - N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund - Comments

Re: Physical health, not mental health

kook123456 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:28:49 -0400

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Re: If you can follow this, worry

cdtew — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:27:18 -0400

Wow, never thought my law school education would make me feel as ashamed as when I just read that paragraph and understood it clearly. I need a drink, and it's only 9:30.

Re: If you can follow this, worry

chicadechip — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:06:02 -0400

I wrote the Gov and received a response from her staff about a month ago. They did the typical political response, you know the kind that only says they're full of sh**. I had to write them back to be sure that someone didn't hack into their system and use their e-mail to respond to me without them knowing. Undoubtedly they were too embarrassed to write me back. Now it seems they are trying to use big, fancy words to make it look like they actually know something.

Re: If you can follow this, worry

woodcox — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:05:43 -0400

I wish I didn't know what that meant. Note to self: Get out more.

Re: If you can follow this, worry

dahedgehog — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:18:10 -0400

Maybe I should worry. My translation:

The federal ARRA regulations are really confusing. So we had to start a taskforce over at the Office of Recovery and Investment to try and figure out how to get the money. This taskforce figured out that the first step in getting federal money is designating HWTF as the state-designated entity. So we did that.

Do I win (lose)?

Re: If you can follow this, worry

bnartist — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:15:42 -0400

The "gobbledygook" is in an "impenetrable" paragraph.

Shame on Perdue & the N&O!

concerned53 — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:22:49 -0400

A true stretch by you all to say the ad is accurate. You essentially implied that she had no involvement. Oh yea, a staffer attended a committee session. But does mean that she knew about it? Just yesterday, Beverly told a reporter that she didn't even know that she had a fundraiser this week that was hosted by one of her main fundraisers, who appears to be real questionable character (we know that is a lie!)

If this is an example as to how Beverly gets behind and/or speaks out on an issue, our state has a major problem if she is elected Governor. She didn't even demonstrate any clout in the Senate by getting it out of committee.

What a fake she is. She will say or do anything to gain her power (she apparently doesn't have any now) and that of her status quo power elite!

Come on N&O, you can do better than this as she had absolutely no passion or knowledge around this issue prior to a month or so ago.

Re: Jones: Perdue helped on stem cell bill

McCroryManager — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 20:44:08 -0400

Looks like she was very helpful...she called the bill sponsor?...ok, did she actually call a Senator or two to ask for their vote? Did you hold a press conference advocating the bill? After over 20 years in the General Assembly and as Lt. Governor, you would think she would have some influence over the members of the Senate where she presides. So, either she is completely ineffective after 20 years or she didn't really make it a priority. Either way, doesn't show much leadership.

Ok, Bev

Isaac136 — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:16:58 -0400

Glad you straightened out your p.o.v. on the mental versus physical health issue. But dang I wish I had more faith that you actually had a firm grip on the realities beneath the issues you know are important. Had you been truly invested in the subject wouldn't we have been able to see or hear that in your response during the original exchange?

I would dearly love to believe in a leader, but I can no more convince myself that you are a leader than I can that David Hoyle cares about ethics when he casts his votes, Tony Rand cares about open meetings or Marc Basnight won't be calling the shots when you take office.

Re: Physical health, not mental health

anniepema — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:20:07 -0400

The male biological clock is often the culprit in the de novo genetic mental/physical disorder. Older dads with DNA mutations in sperm stem cells and sperm. Yes the problems are physical, an accident or genes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paternal_age_effect

Re: Physical health, not mental health

scharrison — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 23:30:46 -0400

"It is unbelievable that you support someone who believes that government can do it best or has the answers."

I find it unbelievable that you (or anyone else) would support someone for Governor that doesn't have faith that government can do it best or have the answers. But I understand that many have developed an antipathy towards a system that takes your money but never seems to give you your money's worth, and I will admit to feeling that way from time to time myself.

But when we talk about privatization, we're not really talking about "small government", in the classic sense. Small government taxes less and provides fewer services. In the case of privatization, we're talking about private employees doing the jobs that public employees once did. The same amount of taxpayer-subsidized services that are contracted out to the private sector, theoretically because they can provide the same service(s) cheaper, or better services for the same cost, etc.

But there are a multitude of potential problems that can arise, such as the mental health fiasco, which was partly due to a poor capabilities assessment. And no matter how "corrupt" folks reading this might believe civil servants can become, privatization provides numerous avenues for corruption and waste. Part of it is due to kickbacks, but a bigger issue is loss of accountability. And one of the worst aspects of privatization (in my eyes) is what can happen to the employee who ends up doing the job.

Government employees have relatively decent health care, a marginally livable wage, protection from discrimination, retirement plans, etc. Very often, their private-sector replacement has none of these employee benefits, which is a major reason the private company can "outbid" the government entity. Our General Assembly has taken many steps to guarantee State employees have these benefits, because we need to recruit and retain good people. The outsourcing of their jobs basically amounts to an end-run around these laws, and should be viewed as malfeasance instead of "innovation".

Re: Physical health, not mental health

razor0397 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:46:42 -0400

If McCrory is a danger as you and Beverly say he is....why has he been able to serve as Mayor for 13+ years. McCrory is an intelligent down to earth nice guy. He listens and is approachable. I own a business in eastern nc. I have seen him more in the east than Beverly who you know lives here. I went to Charlotte for a football game and asked people about McCrory. The response was overwhelming positive. I talked to employees in the hotel, police officers, waiters in the restaurant to employees at the stadium. They like Pat because he does it right. It is unbelievable that you support someone who believes that government can do it best or has the answers. We can't continue to spend, spend and tax to meet our needs. She cannot lead without selling the taxpayers out.

Re: Perdue: Mental health not separate

drhammond — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:37:51 -0400

I swear, this woman is going to make me vote for a Republican.

Marsha V. Hammond, PhD: Clinical Licensed Psychologist, Asheville/ Waynesville, NC: hammondmv@netzero.com
NC mental health reform blogspot: http://madame-defarge.blogspot.com/

Re: Perdue: Mental health not separate

FFC1304 — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:20:24 -0400

She's SO ingrained in the flipflopping demorackkk regime, she doesnt know what her involvement is on anything...she's like a lawyer - if her mouth is moving, chances ARE she's lying!

Re: Physical health, not mental health

tangoz — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:23:57 -0400

Perdue and Hagan are REAL DANGERS to my bank account.