Have you heard the one about the origin of the word, “politics?” It comes from “poly,” which means many, and “tics,” those blood-sucking parasites….. I tell you, I get back from a trip overseas for a couple weeks and when I get back it seems like the crazies have taken over the political scene. WeContinue reading “Politics, politics…and who always loses?”
Tag Archives: Health
Mental health care system in crisis
If you’ve read The Soloist, you are aware of how disabling mental illness can be to lives full of promise. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) recently released Grading the States, a report card on the U.S. public mental health care system for adults. The analysis is based on 65 specific criteria such asContinue reading “Mental health care system in crisis”
Health, Wealth and History
One of the most poignant moments in the most recent presidential campaign came during the second debate in discussing health care. The town hall format debate was full of the usual equivocating and double-speak of presidential debates and the campaign in general, and both candidates offered vague, stump-speech responses to an audience member’s question aboutContinue reading “Health, Wealth and History”
Homeless children: a national disgrace
The National Center on Family Homelessness NCFH today released a report outlining the extent of homelessness among children in the U.S. In America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness, NCFH researchers found: More than 1.5 million children are homeless annually in the United States—one in every 50 American children. 42 percent of homelessContinue reading “Homeless children: a national disgrace”
Disparities Faced by Boys and Men of Color in California
In a previous post, I alluded to the endurance of inequality along race/ethnic lines in many socio-economic indicators. A recent report by RAND, commissioned by The California Endowment, is a good example of research documenting these disparities. The report, titled Reparable Harm, looks specifically at the gap between Latino and African American males and theirContinue reading “Disparities Faced by Boys and Men of Color in California”
Layoffs increase the ranks of the uninsured
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in the U.S. went up 1.6 points from September 2008 to January 2009, which would mean according to these estimates that the number of people without health insurance increased by about 1.7 million. Clearly, the economic meltdown is affecting all sectors of our society and placing strains on already-overburdened safety net systems.
Bill Pitkin 