Day 33

Sorry for those viewing, my Internet went down with today refreshing the Massachusetts statistics today.

Massachusetts Statistics

As far as licensing requirements the bottom line is Massachusetts seems to have happy contractors doing their work and no one is losing their licenses. Could be attributable to healthy workers and low rates of drug use and alcoholism in the trades thereby work performance is better. This again attributable to the universal health insurance whereby drug and alcohol abuse is a downward trend.

Home statistics are that the number of home sales over all hit a high like everywhere in 2007, and during these hard times the negative trend of home sales was seen until 2011 where an uptick in sales to only 10% of the state high. This again could be attributed to the health insurance with consumer confidence up and sales trends recovering faster.

Unemployment: The Federal Department of Labor statistics show a high of 9.6% in Jan 2010 and a current rate of 7.4% with a seasoned adjusted average of about 5.8%.

Consumer confidence: According to Mass Insight, quarterly Consumer Confidence Index rose from 65 in October to 74 in January. The group’s Consumer Confidence Index for Massachusetts was 61 in July 2010, 80 in April 2010 and 73 a year ago in January 2010. MassInsight is a Boston company that acts as a consultant to industry and government on business competitiveness issues involving the state.

The Washington, D.C.-based Conference Board put the national Consumer Confidence Index at 70 in January and the New England average at 73 in January. In October 2010 it was 50 in the United States and 44 in New England.

The MassInsight and the Conference Board plot consumer confidence on a scale that varies above and below a baseline of 100.

Results of these simple statistics see that things are looking up in Massachusetts, Consumer confidence is like everywhere and slightly higher, unemployment is close to its averages, and with inflation being the same everywhere and at lows everywhere, the state is seeing none of the downturns in government revenues because they have passed the tipping point of revenue income per capita and again probably all can be attributed to CommonWealth Care.

A note on the issues of Massachusetts health insurance being punitive in that they penalize people $200 if they refuse health insurance is pure folly. The reality is that $200 is an incentive from the government and in no way is a direct cost debit to an individual.

Day 28

I do not care if it is a Democrat or a Republican who gives us states rights universal health insurance, just that it happens.

Some statistics in my world as a retired California real estate broker.

Number of Contractors whose licenses have been revoked: 2007 average 30 per month, 2011 average 65 per month. One of the biggest factors of revocation is insolvency. source: CA Contractor License Board 2007 and 2011.

Number of new single family homes built: Averaged 6300 from January to September in 2007, less than 1800 average thus far in 2011. One of the biggest factors of new home starts is lending and a healthy workforce. source: CA building industry assoc 2007 and 2011, statewide SFR.

Number of licensed real estate agents: November 2007 high of 398716 agents, to August of 2010 of 327341. The licensed agents are directly coupled to the vibrancy of the economy.source: CA DRE 2007 and 2011

Number of statewide single family residence home sales: Approximately 616,000 homes sold in 2007 as compared to 398,106 for 2011. The driving factor of homes sales are three axioms: Low unemployment, high consumer confidence, and low inflation. source: CA MLS 2007 and 2011

Unemployment: 2007 rate was 5.4%, today we have 12.3%. source: CA Edd 2007 and 2011
Consumer Confidence: 2007 rate was 101.9% to 2011 70% source: San Jose State statistic consumer indices 2007 and 2011
Inflation: 2007 4.1% to 2001 3.2%. source: US Inflation Calculator 2007 and 2011 inflation statistics

All these three elements point to needing a fix here. 2007 was just before the financial mess. We need to cure the unemployment mess and Massachusetts clearly shows us that healthy workers are happier and more productive and they have less than the US average in unemployment. Consumer confidence for a 4th straight year is not doing well enough. Again happier healthy employed workers points to greater consumer sentiment. Inflation is under control and is still less than the 2007 high. Add in mortgage rates and the cost of real estate things should be looking up, but they don't. I again point out we need a similar shot in the arm like the GOP did in Massachusetts. We are lagging and will continue to do as UCLA economists are precluding. Universal health insurance is the needed shot in the arm.

Day 27

Things that just happen,

Last night I was thinking about the Song "Hey Annie, I'm not your Daddy" by the Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and boom in the news our Ex Governor.

Hate to sound alarmist but with that noise now, the State and it's affairs will have a tough time of it. Couple that with no willingness to talk about health care insurance ala Massachusetts the fight just got a lot tougher.

This fight needs soldiers and now.

Day 26

This day is a rainy one. Still at my weight and doing small walks.

This day the Governor announced we have more money in the taxes. That is great but where do we go now with the healing of health insurance in this state. We are not in South Carolina where that Governor yesterday proclaimed no to universal health insurance, but we are in a state where it is all in a stalemate.

So come on lets stop our cookoo thinking and get to work.

7 million people demand it.

Day 25

Here are some interesting facts about unemployment today.

South Carolina: 9.6%
Massachusetts: 8.2%
California: 12.3%
US Average: 8.7%

source: March 2011 labor department statistics

Bottom line is Massachusetts for years running now with universal health insurance has beaten the nation average and is better than conservative states who say no to any universal health insurance and certainly to California which the 7 million uninsured, the 6 million unemployed, and the 10 million under-insured we hopelessly lope along.

All states have to invoke universal health insurance to deal with the wicked problems. South Carolina is simply all about the country club and to heck with the poor.

Day 24

Ah finally through the Attack phase of the Dukan Diet. What I did:

Weight starting 194 lbs.

Ate nothing but proteins and oat bran in smoothies made from non dairy non fat items. Walked 10,000 steps or 5 miles each day and sweated to release all the fat stored toxins. I made sure I was never hungry and ate chicken and small steaks for snacks. It was very hard to do, I felt like I had the flu, and then I knew I was feasting on my own fat and losing weight. That is our feedback, if you do not have that flu-like symptom, there is too little or no weight loss. It takes 3 days and any longer is not healthy.

Result is 185 lbs and half way to my goal of 174 lbs. So now the long march to July 16 where I should reach my goal. It is vegetables and somewhat regular meals one day and meats and oat bran the next day for the next two months. Should be interesting.

My Blood pressure is: 130/85 with an 87 pulse (I have coffee right now).

All in all a very successful 3 days. I am not all the way there but with keeping the faith here, it will happen.

Day 23

Sorry could not post yesterday as something was wrong with Google Blog. I think all is fine now. If this continues I will move my blog elsewhere.

When will we be rid of our current system of rationed health care through the county systems, to fully integrated 93% covered health insurance as Massachusetts currently has as we still have over 7 million people uninsured in California?

Yesterday I was invited to a Webinar of people working on what is perceived as the needs of healthcare. One would think we would attack this from every angle but only two points of port are embarked from. One port is the IT end of this. Apparently it is a huge issue to getting the information technology understood and standardized. The other port is clinics being born. This is happening in LA apparently and both these efforts are laudable, but that is it, and clearly not enough. We are not putting a dent in the uninsured in the state nothing in that vein is talked about other than as a footnote, and talk is cheap.

We are clearly shown as fools with PhD’s and Medical doctors having complex websites and complex vendor relationships. Here is one simple item that shouldn't sit well, “favorite nation status” bids. If they get one dime of Federal money they are breaking the law. In these hard times for California, I am amazed we are still looking to outsource IT products we need right here. And what will happen when they get cheap? It will have systemic failures. Like Defense, all contractors have to be American companies run and worked by US citizens, not some foreign country that will sell us more lead tainted plastics. This is what our tax dollars are paying for. You tell me do you smell a rat?

We can do much better, we can submit to what Massachusetts has done and succeeded with in job creation a healthier population probably very effectively dealing with drug addicts and alcoholism. We are about to spend millions of dollars in health care and not doing one thing for the poor and the uninsured. Shame on this 30 person effort.