Blog #9: A Major Problem with this Country (US)
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- Written by: Super User
Intro
A Quick Minute Look
HQ-Save-the-Billionaires-or-not-Walk-updates
Petition
What is a major problem with this country? The interns have broken out of the accounting department!!! (one bean for you, two beans for me - one bean for you, three beans for me -one bean for you, four beans for me, etc...)
Bob Lutz, President of Chrysler Corp. etc... is the author of ''Car Guys' vs. Bean Counters: The Battle for the Soul of American Business'. He was a car guy who saw the results when the bean counters hold sway:
"But then GM's leadership began to put their faith in analysis, determined to eliminate the "waste" and "personality worship" of the bygone creative leaders. Management got too smart for its own good. With the bean counters firmly in charge, carmakers (and much of American industry) lost their single-minded focus on product excellence. Decline followed."
"A common theme in the book - and as eluded to in the title - is the role of the over-analytical wave of thinking (primarily driven by MBA's) which was a contributing factor to the demise of GM. Bob also covers the other factors, that led to the eventual Chapter-11 filing, including rising fuel prices, staggering health insurance costs etc."
At least the auto industry had some choice. But my recollection was the cars seemed the same (while breaking down). Management would be on one board then on the board of a different auto company - until companies like Toyota came in and blew their doors off!
So what would one area of medicine look like if the "accounting interns" (aka MBAs) came in and gathered up all the dialysis clinics? Dialysis clinics by themselves are small monopolies, like utilities, and many times are the only option in a geographical area. Factor into that a kidney dialysis patient only really has two choices: get dialysis or die!!! Sounds like an monopolistic accounting intern's dream! Customer service, who needs that crap! Take all those little monopolies and make one big monopoly! I'll reiterate, what would this look like? Here is a picture. Someone needs to write a 'Medical Guys vs. Bean Counters' book (maybe someone has, but we will see).
Blog #8: A fourth Way to Participate in the 'Save the Billionaires (or not)' Walk
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- Written by: Super User
Intro
A Quick Minute Look
HQ-Save-the-Billionaires-or-not-Walk-updates
Petition
Jim Cramer, the stock guru, is famous for having had to sleep in his car at one point in his life. He knows a little of what it is like to come up the hard way. After having listened to his show for years (I do have one bad habit -stock investing - keeps me away from the racetrack) he is someone who has impressed me as a person who is sympathetic to the underdog. So I wrote the following redacted email to him! Why not! Sometimes long shots do come in:
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<redacted intro>
Blog #7: A Message and Question for Becky Quick at CNBC and Warren Buffett - Join In!
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- Written by: Super User
Intro
A Quick Minute Look (stats verified by Colorado State Legislature)
HQ-Save-the-Billionaires-Walk-or-not-updates+info
Petition
(Questions for Warren Buffett and Becky Quick of CNBC can be sent to
This was emailed off to Becky Quick of CNBC who will be interviewing Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger at the Berkshire Hathaway meeting on May 6th, 2023:
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Quote:
Arundhati Roy
Blog #6: Solutions - part 2 (a deeper dive)
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- Written by: Super User
Petition
Intro
HQ-Save-the-Billionaires-Walk-updates+info Alert: printable flyer now available!!!
In the last blog it was mentioned there were 1600 electric utility companies in the US vs. 2 dialysis companies (basically). The utilities have quite a hodgepodge of different business structures like Cleveland's community-owned Cleveland Public Power to large for-profit utilities. One business structure that stood out were cooperatives. There are more than 900 electric utility co-ops in the US! And what is the stated mission of these co-ops? "To power communities and empower members to improve the quality of their lives. And what is the mission of a for-profit company? "Increase your return on investments" "generate more sales and revenues or raise your prices". That last mission statement just doesn't have the same ring as the first does it?
Wouldn't it be nice if the medical field had their form of co-ops? Actually they do, they are called care cooperatives. And it has been said about them: "Local cooperative health organizations can and do provide top-quality integrated, coordinated care". An example is Seattle's Group Health. Here are blurbs from this article:
"“I surprise my patients by asking, ‘Is there anything else you want to talk about today?’ ” said Dr. Shriver, chief of a clinic near Seattle run by Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound. “They’ve never heard a doctor say that.”
"Above all, Group Health’s physicians are paid a salary and can earn bonuses of up to 20 percent for high-quality performance. Unlike most doctors, who are paid by the visit or procedure, they have little incentive to churn patients through and order unnecessary tests and operations."
And from a PBS article:
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