What’s interesting in the news today?
As always, Open Thread, so feel free to share with the group. 🙂
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This first one, I’m troubled by. I’m uncomfortable with the idea of arresting people for not taking their prescribed medications.
From TheNYPost
“The city is making a major push to sweep the streets of dangerous, mentally ill New Yorkers — and has even compiled a most-wanted list, The Post has learned.”
“Those warrants mean that the patients are not wanted for a crime but instead are being sought because they are not getting their court-ordered treatment.”
“In the past, the city Department of Health would ask cops for help finding mentally ill people who aren’t taking their court-mandated meds so they could be taken to clinics. But that only applied to those who had known addresses — and patients who went off the grid were rarely pursued, the sources said.”
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File this under “Not shocking”.
“Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., indicated that Senate Democrats would renege on their promise to pass the first budget in four years if Republicans did not agree to raise taxes in order to avert the automatic spending cuts mandated by sequestration.
“Senator Murray is working on a budget right now and we hope we can get that done,” Reed said on CNN, referring to Senate Budget Committee chairman Patty Murray, D-Wash. “But we need time. So the sequestration will prevent — preempt us from getting a budget done and other factors.””
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In a sometimes contentious hearing, economists told the House that despite Dem claims, unemployment benefits hurt employment rates. Extensions of UC would only worsen this. Nancy Pelosi hardest hit by the news.
“Unemployment insurance and other forms of government benefits act as a disincentive to work, economists across the political spectrum agree.
Three different economic experts testified before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Job Creation, and Regulatory Affairs on Thursday afternoon during a heated and contentious hearing. All said that government benefits that kick in during unemployment decrease the economic incentive to pursue work, although they disagreed about the extent of the benefits’ effect.”
“Casey Mulligan, an economics professor at the University of Chicago and author of a recent book on the effect that safety net programs have had on employment, argued that the government’s expansion of assistance programs in the wake of the recession actually has made it financially harmful to return to work in some cases.”
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According to the Chicago teachers union, the problem isn’t their fault. It’s those silly standards. And students agree, so it must be true. 🙄
From TheDailyCaller
“The Chicago Teachers Union urged school administrators nationwide to discontinue the use of standardized tests, deriding them as corporate tools.
The CTU recently released a report arguing that standardized tests are a faulty measure of student achievement. They also advance a pro-corporate agenda, the report said.
“Corporate interests continue to push towards a test‐centered public education system that is clearly harmful to students,” according to the report.”
“The union’s anti-testing push is part of a broader campaign by teachers unions nationwide. Teachers at one Seattle high school recently went on strike, refusing to administer a test that they feared would be used to hold them accountable.”
Oh something’s harming students alright. Try looking in a mirror to find the guilty parties.
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And if you missed John McCain on Meet the Press, you should check it out. He put David Gregory in his place.
You can watch it here from HotAir
“If I had tried to guess on Saturday which Sunday talk show would get the most contentious, the pairing of John McCain with NBC’s David Gregory on Meet the Press would have come in last on my most-likely list. After all, this clip starts off by discussing the confirmation of Chuck Hagel, which McCain has already said should take place. McCain threw a wrench in the plans last week by supporting a hold/filibuster on his former friend and Senate colleague, though, and Gregory wants to know why. That’s when the fireworks began, as McCain alleged a “massive cover-up” about the White House handling of the Benghazi attack, and Gregory acted as though it was the first time he’s heard of such a claim:”
““I’m asking you, do you care whether four Americans died?” McCain said. “And shouldn’t people be held accountable for the fact that four Americans died?”
“Well, what you said was the cover-up–a cover-up of what?” Gregory asked.
“Of the information concerning the deaths of four brave Americans,” McCain replied. “The information has not been forthcoming. You obviously believe that it has. I know that it hasn’t. And I’ll be glad to send you a list of the questions that have not been answered, including ‘What did the president do and who did he talk to the night of the attack on Benghazi?’”
A least Gregory didn’t use the “What difference does it make” defense.
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Wandering Views 
About the mentally ill taking their meds: I realize that these are court ordered meds, but who’s paying for these meds? Are the mentally ill paying for them? If the mentally ill are responsible for paying for these meds, what happens when they run out of money? I ask this because we have just discovered that my bipolar brother has been off his meds for 2 weeks (and in a manic state for the same timeframe) because under Obamatax his $2.00 co-poay for all of his many meds have skyrocketed to more than $300.00/month. That is a huge increase when his disability is only about $1200/month. Just sayin’.
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I am amazed at the number of adults and children who are regularly taking mind-altering drugs. One hundred years ago only a very few took drugs for mental conditions. What has changed?
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I asked the doctor of a relative this question. I told him I knew a lot of people on this kind of medicine, especially at work. I told him maybe it was my occupation. He asked me my occupation. I told him I was in television. He said it was my occupation.
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Anyway, I had a very negative experience with this relative and her meds. It was just a vicious cycle of doing well, flip out, adjust her meds, doing well, flip out, adjust her meds. I pointed it out to the doctor that they seemed be just experimenting and he said psychology is a young science. They are still learning about the brain. “So I’m suppose to just give you my loved one as a guinea pig?”
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I can’t remember how bad mental institutions were 40 years ago, I’m sure they weren’t fun spots. But how has the life of a mentally afflicted person changed for the better since then? Were they in a better spot where their meds were regulated, they were fed, clothed and housed rather than left to wander the streets?
The (former) mental institution near me looks beautiful. Families had a place to take the incorrigible when they couldn’t care for them anymore. It’s got to be better than being homeless. Right?
Mental health issues are complex in our country but I’m not sure how well most people and their families are being served. 😦
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Michelle, the homeless were created in the sixties when liberals thought it was wrong to incarcerate people who were not criminals. And conservatives wanted to save money. So they turned them out.
Whatever they had then was better than what they have now, but they seem to prefer sleeping on grates in the wintertime.
(“Sleeping on grates” is a DC thing.)
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At least we no longer burn mentally ill as witches. But then we also no longer see any possibility that the mentally ill might have a spiritual problem. Spiritual problems are not possible since evolution has proved there is no spirit. God is dead!
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Robert – I totally believe that much of what we’re dealing with regarding my brother is demonic.
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And I can tell you from experience with my family, that mentally ill people and their familyes are not well served at this point in time. The system is failing horribly. Of course, part of the problem is, my brother is an adult with his own ideas about his treatment and he does not want the rest of the family inviolved in his care and rehabilitation. He does not want to get better. He wears his bipolar disorder like it’s a badge and an excuse for bad behavior. As a matter of fact, I am calling up the mental health people in his city to find out what resouirces and recourses family menbvers have in dealing with a manic person. I am also getting myself prayed up for this as well. I’m the only Christian walking into a toxic environment from Thurs – Sunday. (See recent prayer requests.)
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I am against the enforcement of taking meds, but not against having someone committed if the need arises. My husband had to do it once and it is not easy to do by any means. It should not be easy, but not almost impossible either. The government often seems to go from one extreme to another.
As far as the cycle of having mental illness, going on a drug and off is a well known phenomena. It is no different from my husband having to try many different drugs for his high blood pressure until he and the doctor found just the right combination. Human bodies are all different, not machines.
The drugs for mental illness cause a lot of side effects, therefore when the patient starts to feel better, he tends to want to quit taking the drugs to get rid of the other symptoms. He thinks he doesn’t really need the drugs anymore. Also, he may have well-meaning people around him telling him, that he really does not need drugs, if he just prays more, disciplines himself etc.
In cases where there is just some bad thinking or real spiritual issues, this may be true. Unfortunately, in real mental illness, it is not true. Eventually, the voices come back, the bizarre thoughts and behavior return. Finally, it either gets so bad or a relative/friend gets the person to get back on the meds. Some people finally realize that, just like a diabetic needs to stay on insulin no matter how good they feel, they person must stay on their drugs.
Another thing happens with the drugs: Bodies change or grow a resistence to them and they must be adjusted. Sometimes this happens when the person has surgery or some other drug interaction. Sometimes it is so gradual they do not realize it is happening. That is why it is so important to have those who love you help you see the truth. Again, similar to a diabetic who doesn’t understand he is actually acting strangely, because his blood sugar is off balance.
My father has a drug for a purely physical problem. He has to weigh himself everyday to know what dosage is best for him. Drugs and their interactions are complicated, whether with physical or mental issues.
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Another problem is that there are a lot of incompetent and in some cases mentally ill themselves professional counselors out there. They are trained in physiological manipulation. It doesn’t take much for them to own an emotionally vulnerable person. If that person is an adult and are being told what they want to hear it is nearly impossible to get them away from that counselor before serious damage is done.
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Klasko, we have been where you are. It is a very difficult situation and I will continue to pray for you. You may find a NAMI chapter near you. We never belonged to one, since we were dealing with issues long before thwe knew about one, but I know some people who have been very helped by just knowing others who are going through the same thing. I believe they may have resources for dealing with all different kinds of mental issues.
Very sad about the co-pays.
It is very hard to determine what is a bio-chemical problem, personal self-centeredness or a spiritual issue. It can be all three. Whatever, it all is, it is a difficult process and requires much patience, wisdom and a whole lot of prayer.
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Yes, Kbells, that can be a problem, for sure. Too many charlatans in that field and not nearly the consensus that people think there is.
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As far as unemployment insurance, it can be a wonderful thing, but like all government programs, there are often Catch 22’s. We ran into them and I know many who have. To go off them, even when you have an opportunity to work can be very harmful for your family. For example, the man who took a temporary job and then lost it. The others who refused the job continued to get extensions of unemployment. Because of the break in employment and the short duration, the man that worked lost future unemployment benefits. Since he could not find more work, his whole family suffered for it. When people see this type of thing, they take it into consideration when faced with choices in their situation.
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Kathleena,
I think that is part of what’s in play here as well. Even if you want to work and get off UC, if the job doesn’t work out, you get punished for taking it. I’m sure that leaves many unsure, so they err on the cautious side and take the guaranteed money. It’s not always laziness, but fear of what happens to you and yours if it doesn’t work out that holds many back from taking some jobs. And I can’t say I blame them.
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Unfortunately, there is a high rate of mental illness in my family of origin. Studies show there is a genetic component in endogenous depression. Finding effective medication can take time, but it is possible. And, once found, it can make a huge difference in the patient’s quality of life.
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The growth of pharmaceuticals for the mentally ill comes from varied sources. The commodification of health (or the free market if you will) has created a market in what was previous off limits for the market. De-institutionalization created a need for “control” outside of the walls so to speak. And while previously the mentally ill could live “off the grid”, greater urbanization and greater social constraints made this unlikely. Politically and socially one can and should blame both conservatives and liberals. Conformity and individualism created pressure both ways so that we no longer accept eccentrics and yet will not forcibly imprison, drug or even help those who refuse assistance.
As some have noted already, the sixties and seventies brought rights for the mentally ill to refuse meds or forced hospitalization and by the eighties other groups saw the financial savings of such an approach.
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A note on the education article.
At the elementary level, standardized tests do nothing to help the students and most often do little more than confirm a teacher’s prior evaluation. At this level, its pretty much a waste of money. Other jurisdictions with better success than the US (ex Finland) don’t bother with standardized tests at the elementary level. At the secondary level, tests are frequently used to sort or stream students and at that level they have some utility. And a final test at grade 12 determines graduation and university admission.
The use of student tests to determine teacher merit pay is to take what is a fairly useless exercise and place it on a pedestal. Student success is not dependent on teachers but rather on parent and to a certain extent social expectation. If pay depended on student test results, then student class placement would be a determining factor in teacher pay.
Presently, there are three grade seven classes in my school. Students are placed in these classes by the grade six teachers with final approval by the principal. The criteria is usually balance, separating bad influences, parent requests, etc. Now if student performance determined pay, this process would be easily open for corruption. Basically my pay would depend on the whims of the grade six teachers.
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HRW, We really had a free market in drugs a hundred years ago. In those days a 10 year old could go into a drug store and buy morphine without a prescription. However, the ten year old would have needed money. Today very few people pay for 100% of the cost of their drugs.
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From an article posted on Facebook…
“As for the scientific theory that meteors may have killed the dinosaurs, Rep. Smith chuckled, ‘That theory would also have us believe that there were dinosaurs.’ ”
I really hope that statement was tongue-in-cheek, not serious. But even if so, Republicans have got to learn that any tongue-in-cheek statement will be reported as serious.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/borowitzreport/2013/02/house-science-committee-questions-existence-of-meteors.html
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Perhaps if one of the heterosexuals said that he or she was considering a sex change…
http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/obamas-new-military-discriminates-against-heterosexuals/
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ricky — i realized after i wrote that. its not the free market but the corporatization of medicine which I blame ie big pharma not market pharma
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HRW, Now we are somewhat in agreement as “Big Pharma” joined with liberal groups such as the AARP to persuade Little Bush and Congress to pass Medicare Part D.
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