Great Depression recovery shaped Philly politics
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
The stock market plummets, banks fail, and unemployment shoots up. Sound familiar? Eighty years ago Thursday was the Crash of 1929, when Wall Street collapsed, triggering the start of the Great Depression. In Philadelphia, the Crash began a chain of events that transformed the political face of the city.
Listen:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Great Depression found its lasting physical form in the main Post Office on 30th Street.
Simon: It is exceedingly plain, exceedingly simple, and exceedingly powerful.
Temple University history professor Bryant Simon is across the street, and is looking at the massive building from the train station window.
Simon: There is a brawniness to it. It is both functional and modern at the same time, and speaks to its purposefulness.
The Post Office was built in 1935 as part of the Works Progress Administration, that's a New Deal plan to put unemployed people back to work. Simon says it has a muscular aesthetic, a design that aptly reflects the era.
Simon: For a long period of time – between 1929 and 1945 – not a lot of building going on. The only building that is being done is by the federal government. One thing it really built a lot of is post offices.
But the Republican mayor of Philadelphia at the time, wanted nothing to do with the WPA, and if he could have blocked that Federal construction project, he would have.
In the beginning of the 20th century, Philadelphia was a staunch Republican town, and it was a blue-collar town. University of Pennsylvania history professor Walter Licht says if you were in the Kensington neighborhood on October 29th, 1929, you would have hardly noticed that the American economy had just fallen through the floor.
Licht: I'm not sure in that community you had people who were invested in the Stock Market pulling their hair out.
It took a couple years for hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians to lose their jobs. At the time there were no food stamps, no unemployment insurance, and no welfare programs. Thomas Cronin is a professor of labor relations at St. Joseph's University. He says radical Unemployment Councils rallied in the streets to demand relief, but the union movement was not quick to action.
Cronin: Not that there weren't things going on – relief protests were mounting, but they weren't part of organized labor. Relief organizations and also the socialist and communist party were active at that time.
It was the election of Franklin Roosevelt to the presidency in 1932 that relief started to come in the form labor laws and the New Deal. However President Roosevelt was no friend of the city's Republican Mayor, J. Hampton Moore. Professor Licht says Moore was the head of a long-standing Republican juggernaut in Philadelphia and did not want interference from a Democractic president.
Licht: This Juggernaut does not really respond. Doesn't provide the kind of relief that was necessary given the incredible drops of unemployment.
The Roosevelt's WPA programs were meant to get money back into the people's hands. Bryant Simon says then-mayor Moore blocked those WPA programs from coming into the city.
Simon: The mayor was a product of a long-standing ideology in America that people should pull themselves up by their bootstraps, and if they didn't, then they deserved to fall. The fact that the mayor is refusing this will only help push people into the laps of the Democrats.
But some WPA programs did get into Philadelphia. That Federal Government hired local laborers to build that post office, for example. And Roosevelt, with the New Deal and his fireside chats over the radio, quickly became a popular favorite. To oppose him was political suicide.
Simon: Roosevelt had this wonderfully inclusive language – he began all his speeches with "my friends…"
Roosevelt: My friends, I have been on a journey of husbandry, to see how effectively federal and local authorities are taking care of pressing problems of relief…
Simon says Roosevelt attracted white liberals, African-Americans leaving the Republican party, and the growing trade unions.
Simon: That's the majority of Philadelphia. That coaltion when it was put together made the Democratic party unstoppable.
The complete shift to a Democratic machine was not immediate. It wouldn't be until the 1950's that the Democrats would define the political character of modern Philadelphia.
November 9, 2010 at 7:35 am
Full Name: Wayne Berman Title: Vice-Chair; Finance Co-Chair; Adviser.What would Elmo say about this.
Over the course of three years, Berman’s lobbying firm was paid $660,000 to lobby on behalf of UnitedHealth subsidiary Americhoice, a managed care HMO providing health insurance to Medicaid, Medicare, and SCHIP recipients. Specifically, according to the lobbying report, they lobbied on Medicaid issues in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.[Americhoice Lobbying Reports 2004 – 2007; Americhoice.com ] Berman Also Lobbied For “Absurdly Low” Rates for Medicaid Managed Care Companies to Pay Out of Network Hospitals. Also included in the DRA, and mentioned as a lobbying issue on Berman’s Americhoice lobbying report, was a provision setting rates managed care companies must pay to out-of-network providers — mainly hospital emergency rooms — for care received by Medicaid beneficiaries. Rather than forcing managed care companies to reimburse out-of-network hospitals an amount comparable to network providers, the legislation set the default amount to the state’s “fee-for-service rate,” which often is “absurdly low.” The provision thereby shifted financial responsibility for services to Medicaid beneficiaries from the managed care companies to the hospitals themselves, permitting managed care companies to rake in huge profits, while hospitals incurred added losses.[Modern Healthcare, 1/29/07; Text of S. 1932] To Save Money, Bill Cut Services to Medicaid Beneficiaries, But Left Managed Care Providers Untouched. Under the final budget package, substantial Medicaid spending cuts were achieved by imposing new premiums and increased co-payments on Medicaid beneficiaries; some costs were also shifted to the states, who in return were awarded new powers to drop coverage or reduce benefits to certain beneficiaries. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the AARP CEO decried the final bill, saying it “protects the pharmaceutical industry, the managed-care industry and other providers at the expense of low-income Medicaid beneficiaries
”[Inside CMS, 12/29/05; Los Angeles Times, 12/22/05; World Markets Analysis, 12/21/05; The Hill, 12/20/05]
The Players and whats up for grabs. Profits United Health Group 2010 $4.293 billion
Here are some other 2010 budget numbers: Wonder what it cost CMS ( Can’t Manage Sxxx) to operate each year.$453 billion Medicare///$290 billion Medicaid ///$78.7 billion Department of Health and Human Services/// UnitedHealth Group Awarded TRICARE Managed Care Support Contract … Jul 13, 2009 … UnitedHealth Group Awarded TRICARE Managed Care Support Contract for more than $20.3 billion. BILLIONS awarded and still to be awarded United’s AmeriChoice unit is the largest government contractor administering state Medicaid programs for the poor and federally sponsored plans for children. AmeriChoice’s revenue rose 34% last year, to $6 billion. United Health Group and its subsidiarys must be exhausted from signing Corporate Integrity agreements each and every year and as reward for their violations well what happens? they are awarded more contracts and more money and maybe even an ambassadorship here and there and if anybody should question what the heck is going on, then send them a Elmo doll.(Americhoice co-sponsors Sesame Street)Up side, Billions to be made, down side pay some fines (cost of doing business) move on and nobody goes to jail or gets excluded from the game. Get up the next day put on your Elmo costume and its back to work as usual.
cost sharing says:
November 9, 2010 at 7:38 am
As a result of the new health reform law, beginning on January 1, 2011, people with Original Medicare will no longer have to pay a copay, coinsurance or deductible to receive preventive services that are recommended with a grade A or B by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. The law does not require Medicare private health plans (also known as Medicare Advantage plans) to cover these services without cost-sharing.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a final rule yesterday that implements portions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that provide greater access to Medicare’s coverage of preventive services.Centers For Medicare Medicaid Services Finalizes Rule That Eliminates Out-of-PocketCosts For Preventive Services Main CATEGORY Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Also Included In: Preventive Medicine Article Date: 05 Nov 2010
We all remember the TV show “Roots” could this have been the real inspiration for AmeriChoice Health. The 101 Dumbest Moments In Business 2003 EDITION Whiffed pitch No. 6: blatant stereotyping. By Mark Athitakis April 1, 2003 (Business 2.0)– GRAND PRIZE WINNER, DUMBEST MOMENT OF 2002
In September, insurance company AmeriChoice brings trucks to blighted neighborhoods in New York City and gives away coupons for free chickens as an incentive for the underprivileged to switch their Medicare coverage. New York state senator Carl Kruger files a complaint with the state attorney general. The 101 Dumbest Moments In Business 2003 EDITION – April 1, 2003 Apr 1, 2003 … Just don’t tell him about the “Chinese health balls.” ….. In September, insurance company AmeriChoice brings trucks to blighted … New York state senator Carl Kruger files a complaint with the state attorney general….. Falling on his sword, Welch announces he’ll give up most of the perks,…
2009 and 2010 $120,000 from your tax dollars at work
Philadelphia PA Mayor Nutter received two years in a row $60,000 checks to help keep open and operate the city swimming pools. These checks came from AmeriChoice Health and on the surface seems like fine gifts. Yet, they are Bribes non the less, these checks come from a company who receives all its money from the Federal State Governments as a vendor for Medicare Medicaid services is not allowed to offer bribes kickbacks and money gifts of any kind in order to promote its share of the market place. This is also not allowed as a use of your taxpayers dollars yet it happens.What does it really cost the City of Philadelphia to receive this money? Americhoice Health has a long history of corruption over the years yet seems to be protected by those who are responsible to over see their actions why is that? Sorry must apologize just received a notice that AmeriChoice Health was under the impression they thought they were suppose to have started their very own stimulus and economic program package and the one they implemented, they had no idea it violated all the Stark ,Health and Kickbacks laws. Some one will have to notify the following departments it was all a mistake or error in judgement, the Department of Justice, CMS, Dept of health and Human resourses,the FBI,and IRS, and any other agency effected by this tragedy or unfortunate misunderstanding. No harm, no fowl, forgive and forget, OK, then how about some coupons for a free whole fried chicken…..
Among its provisions, the anti-kickback statute penalizes anyone who knowingly and willfully solicits, receives, offers or pays remuneration in cash or in kind to induce, or in return for: A. Referring an individual to a person for the furnishing, or arranging for the furnishing, of any item or service payable under the Medicare or Medicaid program; or B. Purchasing, leasing or ordering , or arranging for or recommending purchasing, leasing or ordering, any goods, facility, service or item payable under the Medicare or Medicaid program. Violators are subject to criminal penalties, or exclusion from participation in the Medicare and Medicaid rograms, or both. A violation of the anti-kickback law is a felony offense that carries criminal fines of up to $25,000 per violation, imprisonment for up to five years and exclusion from government health care programs.The federal anti-kickback statute, 42 U.S.C.§ 1320a-7b(b), prohibits individuals or entities from knowingly and willfully offering, paying, soliciting or receiving remuneration to induce referrals of items or services covered by Medicare, Medicaid or any other federally funded program.
If this were any one person not a corporation they would be in jail now, if the FBI were called in on this matter they would be in jail now, if the IRS were notified they would be in jail now. Since all Ameri-Choice checks come from the United Health’s home office they should be held equally responsible for any bribes, kickbacks, Stark, Fraud and inducements violations that have occured. Federal and State Governments have developed such a depended position with this company that laws and rules no longer apply for them.This role is nothing new for the AmeriChoice people and its been going on for years, look at some of the prior news articles that date back for years only now they can afford to hire the best of Law firms and give the most for Political contributations all on the back of the taxpayer. Sure the Laws have become tighter but you can still dance away their problems.
Three years ago they were reported to these Federal agency’s and as of todays date not only were they allowed to continue doing business but were never charged once. Protected vendor status sure, politics sure,limited government budgets sure, Federal and State officals looking the other way sure, and rather then stop these activities a strong desire not to rock the boat existed. Even with the vast changes in the laws and budgets,a hands off policy remains, you tell me what’s wrong with this picture? The Government created this monster and now they don’t know what to do about it, like shooting yourself in your own foot etc. Tons of money to advance their national growth, its market positions, tons of money for political donations, tons of money to send 75 millon back to its home office from New York state alone, tons of money to suppot National TV shows, tons of money to pay hugh State fines, tons of money to hire the very best law firms, tons of money to pay for bribes and kickbacks, tons of money for hugh salarys and bonuses, all done on the back of the American taxpayor, you see this company receives all its money from the Federal government. Should your tax dollars be held to a higher standard? Should the government agencys responsible for there review be held to that same standard?Should the IRS audit their corruption? Why has this company not been charged? How long can the buck be passed here in more ways then one? Hey, it’s your tax dollars don’t complain now then don’t complain later.tax dollars for bribes // Oct 6, 2010 at 8:57 am