Happy Tuesday folks,
Hope everyone had a fantastic President’s Day.
Over the weekend, a lot of hubbub was made over Stuart Stevens’ remarks on ABC’s “This Week” regarding the center-right’s technology deficit. Stevens remarked that technology is merely a purchasable commodity, thus an easy fix. Arguably, he is right, because technology just represents the surface of a larger problem. The focus on technology alone is short-sighted.
The more important, and surprisingly overlooked, comments Stevens made were in reference to demographic problems on the center-right. He mentioned that the Hispanic population has not shown support for the center-right because messaging and policy have not been attractive enough. There are several issues that thought-leaders and policymakers on the right can trumpet in order to show the flaws of the left’s policies.
For example, as the Affordable Care Act continues to unveil itself, the policy details should scareyoung people everywhere. A recent article in The Washington Post warned that insurers will now be forced “offer a generous package of benefits for exchange plans.” As a result, “many 20-somethings who buy their own insurance have plans that are considerably skimpier. So, under the new rule, they will be getting and paying for more, whether they want the added coverage or not.”
This is a genuine opportunity for the center-right to point out flawed policy crafted by the left but ALSO provide tangible policy alternatives that can appeal to younger voters affected by the law. Health care is an area where young people can be shown that market-based solutions will helpprotect their interests.
Seize the day,
Mark Bednar
@MarkBednar
Important Things On Tap For Today
10:45 AM: President Obama delivers remarks on sequestration
3:30 PM: Vice President Biden participates in Facebook Town Hall
Tweet Tweet
@BBCWorld “World’s largest ship to launch in June - 400m long and taller than London’s Olympic stadium http://bbc.in/YvcTPV”
@LizSly “There are now 857,712 Syrian refugees (UNHCR). That’s an increase of aprox 150,000 in the past month. http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/regional.php …”
@Politico “Rev. Jesse Jackson says his son is ‘struggling’ http://politi.co/VBE8MC”
@JohnHansell “Maker’s Mark to Drinkers: Never Mind http://nblo.gs/Ir8DY”
@NatGeo “What exactly killed off the dinosaurs? http://on.natgeo.com/YrT1vP”
On The Radar
Economic Growth
Paid Time For Federal-Union Activities Grew In 2011. “Government costs for the paid time that federal employees spend on union activities in 2011 grew by nearly 12 percent over the previous year, reaching $156 million, according to a report released Friday by the Office of Personnel Management. ‘Official time,’ as the hours are known, rose during that period by nearly 10 percent. The average number of official hours per employee also increased 8 percent to 2.82 hours for each worker in 2011, up from 2.61 in 2010. The OPM credited the increase to a jump in the number of union-represented employees, increased collective bargaining in several large agencies, growing use of labor-management forums and greater emphasis ‘on accurately documenting official time compared to previous years.’ The number of non-Postal Service federal employees rose by about 1.4 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year, totaling 1.2 million workers, according to the agency’s report.”
Online Sales Tax Effort May Get Swallowed By Push For Larger Tax Reform Deal. “Advocates of online sales tax legislation are worried that their bill could become bogged down in the larger debate over reforming the federal tax code. The measure’s backers — including the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, Dick Durbin (Ill.) – say it doesn’t affect federal revenue collection and therefore there’s no reason for their proposal to be wrapped up in tax reform. But Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), whose panel has jurisdiction over the online sales tax measure, likely will want to consider it in the broader context of tax reform, a Democratic aide said.”
Immigration
Other Countries Court Skilled Immigrants Frustrated By U.S. Visa Laws. “But their student visas expire soon, both before summer, and because of the restrictive U.S. visa system, they may have to move their company to India or another country. ‘We love it here,’ said Bajpayee, a cheerful 27-year-old in an argyle sweater and jeans. ‘But there are so many hoops you have to jump through. And you risk getting deported while you are creating jobs.’ Much of the immigration debate in Washington has centered on the 11 million undocumented migrants in the country. But, from the halls of MIT to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, business and academic leaders are more focused on what they call an even greater threat to the U.S. economy: immigration laws that chase away highly skilled foreigners educated in U.S. universities, often with degrees funded by U.S. taxpayers.”
Immigration Debate Draws New Super PACs, Celebrities. “Major donors from both sides of the aisle are pouring big money into the campaign for an immigration overhaul, as Republicans play political catch-up and Democrats set out to leverage record Latino campaign fundraising in 2012. A new GOP super PAC dubbed Republicans for Immigration Reform, led by former Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, is drawing a wide cross-section of business donors. At the same time, Democratic Latino fundraisers who helped contribute $30 million to President Barack Obama’s re-election are organizing a new campaign to advance Hispanic electoral and policy interests.”
High-Tech Startups Lacking Skilled Workers. “A number of the startups surveyed believe current immigration policies in the U.S. are contributing to their problems finding skilled employees. Among the nearly 20 percent of companies that would advise President Obama to focus in his second term on building a strong talent pool of employees, half felt he should concentrate those efforts on immigration reform.”
Red-State Democrats Hang Back On Immigration Push. “Senate Democrats facing re-election fights next year are hedging on whether they will support the bipartisan push to overhaul immigration laws, one of the president’s top priorities. Democrats such as Arkansas Sen. Mark Pryor, North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu are churning out carefully calibrated statements designed to encourage the group of bipartisan senators working on the immigration issue while remaining noncommittal about their support.”
Health Care
Some Employers Could Opt Out Of Insurance Market, Raising Others’ Costs. “Federal and state officials and consumer advocates have grown worried that companies with relatively young, healthy employees may opt out of the regular health insurance market to avoid the minimum coverage standards in President Obama’s sweeping law, a move that could drive up costs for workers at other companies. Companies can avoid many standards in the new law by insuring their own employees, rather than signing up with commercial insurers, because Congress did not want to disrupt self-insurance arrangements that were seen as working well for many large employers.”
Big Tobacco And Anti-Cancer Activists Agree: Health Provision Goes Too Far. “Big tobacco companies and anti-cancer activists are standing in opposition to a part of the Affordable Care Act that allows insurance companies to charge smokers 50 percent more than patients who do not use tobacco. Cigarette makers such as Altria say the policy amounts to discrimination against smokers. The American Cancer Society, meanwhile, worries that the high surcharges could make health insurance unaffordable to cigarette smokers, who are disproportionately low income. ‘We’re anti-smoking, not anti-smoker,’ said David Woodmansee, the cancer society’s associate director for state and local campaigns.”
It’s Official: The Feds Will Run Most Obamacare Exchanges.
“Friday was a very important day for health policy days. It was the last day for states to tell the federal government whether they wanted any part in running the Affordable Care Act health exchanges come 2014. The federal government did not get many takers. Some of the most closely watched states, including Florida and New Jersey, decided to leave the entire task to the federal government. All told, the federal government will run 26 of the state health exchanges.”
X-Factor
Watchdog Groups Warn Of Fundraising Scandal In Obama Second Term. “Government watchdog groups once allied with President Obama warn he could become embroiled in a second-term scandal because of ties to a group set up to collect unlimited donations. The group, Organizing for Action, plans to raise unlimited chunks of funding to promote the president’s agenda. It is chaired by Jim Messina, Obama’s 2012 campaign manager, and advised by David Plouffe, who recently served as Obama’s senior adviser.”
Ed Henry: “This Isn’t About A Golf Game” “White House Correspondents Association president Ed Henry is standing by his complaints about the lack of press access to President Obama, pushing back against critics who say he and his fellow White House correspondents are just “whining” and don’t respect the president’s privacy. ‘This is a fight for more access, period,’ Henry told POLITICO late Monday night. I’ve heard all kinds of critics saying the White House press corps is whining about a golf game and violating the president’s privacy. Nothing could be further from the truth.’”
This & That
Favorite WMATA Nap Spot
Michael Jordan’s Best And Worst Moments As A Washington Wizard
Slick Thieves Heist $50 Million In Diamond From Brussels Jet, Make Clean Getaway