Tag Archives: Lori Houghton

This One Had All the Drama of a North Carolina – East Nowhere Tech Basketball Game

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It was over before the shouting. Or the talking, for that matter. In retrospect, it was probably over from square one. At its organizing session Wednesday morning, the House re-elected Democratic Rep. Jill Krowinski as House Speaker by a lopsided 111-to-35 margin over independent Rep. Laura Sibilia.

The image above is not the cover for the little known Sergeant Pepper Bureaucrats Club Band album, but a press conference held by House Democrats before the House convened. In a calculated show of solidarity, dozens of Dems squeezed tight behind incoming House Majority Leader Rep. Lori Houghton, who described the caucus’ agenda for the 2025 session. Houghton began the presser by asserting, pointedly, “I am the new House Majority Leader.”

From that moment, there was no doubt that Krowinski would prevail. Unless you beleve that a now permanently hypothetical Speaker Sibilia would have retained Krowinski’s leadership team.

Frankly, all but the tiniest hint of doubt had been removed Tuesday morning when the Dems distributed an email announcing the press conference. I mean, if leadership is unveiling its priorities at a presser immediately preceding the vote for Speaker, then they must have known it was in the bag. How embarrassing would it have been for leadership to unveil its agenda only to be tossed out within a couple of hours?

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What Is This “Health Care System” Of Which You Speak?

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If there was an organizational chart outlining America’s process for supplying and paying for health care, it would look something like this. It’s not a “system” as much as a mare’s nest that grows more and more complicated — and less efficient and increasingly unjust — over time.

I’m guessing here, not a health care management expert or anything, but this mess has got to be costing us untold billions that might otherwise go to, I don’t know, making people healthier? There are inefficiencies, redundancies, and a massive amount of profit-skimming at every turn. That’s why other developed countries can provide much broader and more equitable coverage at a much lower cost. I have often thought that health care in America would be cheaper if we simply left big bags of cash everywhere.

Aside from the inadequacies and inequities of our “system,” there’s also the fact that it’s completely out of our control. Decisions made at high corporate levels trickle down like warm piss upon our heads, and damn but we’d better be grateful for the golden showers.

This line of thought was triggered by VTDigger’s story about likely reform efforts in the state Legislature. A story that could have been published, with alterations in the details, just about any time in the past. Yep, our health care “system” needs reform, and by God, our elected officials are gettin’ to work.

But the scope of that work will be limited indeed.

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