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Thursday, August 20, 2009

Potpourri XCVII

More going on in the blathersphere, so let's get started.

Mahmoud Ahmedenijad is now going to allow the IAEA inspect "key" nuclear sites in Iran. Bart's cynical translation: they're hiding the weapons, these sites are political theater to show whoever believes him that he can "play ball" with the West.

From Lin, an article about how the Healthcare Bill (H.R. 3200, Title II, Section 246) has "no federal payment for undocument aliens." Here's the actual language from the bill, which is an exceptionally small section:

SEC. 246 NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS.
Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.

I guess I'm stupid here, but the way I read this is that the federal government will not pay for undocumented aliens. CNS is saying the opposite. This is why it pays for private citizens to read the bill rather than trust any news source. They continue:

"neither bill has a provision for verifying citizenship status, according to these experts."

Okay, that sounds plausible; perhaps because the bill assumes that said status verification is covered by the other laws it references. But, again, reading the bill is worthwhile. I still like the idea of vouchers for a minimum amount of money for the uninsured to spend on private insurance. That's got to be cheaper and less complicated than having government gobble up the healthcare industry.

Did you know NASA has a site for tracking the most recent passes of near-Earth objects (NEOs)? These are big rocks passing by very quickly--like kilometers a second. Yowie! There have been some close ones.

Dar the Science Cheerleader did a radio interview on WXRX in Toronto. Fun, and cute. Kinda like Dar.

And that, as they say, is that.

2 comments:

lin said...

Wasn't there a fellow from Iraq who agreed to a similar shell game? It was a stalling tactic then, and it is one now. Trusting the integrity of someone who has none is a fools errand.

lin said...

Who stands to rake in more federal money, those agencies that turn a blind eye to the illegal status of those whom they treat or those who demand documentation? Federal law requires hospitals to treat all patients regardless of insurance or immigration status if they wish to be reimbursed by the federal healthcare financing administration. Apparently those institutions that treat all comers will have greater access to tax dollars.