It is Finally Time to Expand Medicare.

The current health care system is broken for millions of Americans. The vast majority of Americans are happy with their coverage through employer sponsored health care or within the Medicare system. These in combination with the millions of Americans on Medicaid cover most Americans. These programs should not be changed as they are functioning well for the most part. 

The part that is broken and currently the point of contention causing government to shut down is the approximately 25 million people who get insurance through the exchange/ ACA marketplace. Premiums have soared, primarily because they are subsidized by government which functions as a blank check for the insurance companies. Customers going to the exchange are faced with premiums costing over $30,000 per year for a plan with large deductibles ($10,000 before their insurance begins to pay). No surprise that subsidies are needed as this is unaffordable for most people. Available insurance that few can afford is a broken system.

The fastest and easiest solution to this debacle is to add to the exchanges the option to buy into Medicare and let the private companies compete with the Medicare program.  Currently, for those over 65, this private vs government competition functions well with the Medicare system (government) competing against Medicare Advantage plans (private). They exist in equilibrium by competing over quality and price, ultimately driving down costs. For those under 65, Medicare should be offered at a cost that is not subsidized and reflects the age adjusted risk and be actuarily sound.

The Medicare system already exists, functions well and has high satisfaction. It can easily be adapted, quickly implemented to those under 65, and priced at an actuarily sound level. Democrats should be happy with this as it a step towards a one payer system, their utopia. Republicans would hopefully support this as it increases competition even though that competition is coming from government. Perhaps throwing in an expansion of HSA will sway republican votes.

Early retirees are facing huge increases in their premiums and some pre-retirees are postponing retirement due to the fear of rising premiums which they will have to pay until they reach 65. Offering them to buy into medicare will spur retirement and free up many job opportunities for the younger generation at a time when job losses are mounting due to AI, corporate downsizing, etc.

Younger people are reluctant to be self employed or start a business but rather prefer getting a corporate job due to the security of employer sponsored health insurance. This stunts creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit so vital for the growth of the economy. We should be incentivizing creativity, not creating barriers.

Generally, solving problems by promoting competition in the the private sector is preferred over government solutions. But, evidently, the private solution with creation of health care exchanges is failing and has not resulted in a decrease in premiums as promised by the Obama administration. The idea of having private insurance companies compete with each other on the exchange to control prices has failed. Quite the contrary, premiums have tripled and have outpaced employer sponsored plans. Perhaps, the competition between private and government plans is the key to reduce costs.

The Republicans have no real solutions except HSA accounts which do not fix the problem of soaring premiums. Trump's idea of giving money directly to consumers will not work as this does not drive down costs and buying a health insurance policy as an individual will be prohibitive. The Democrats just want to throw more money at the problem through subsidies without admitting that their creation of Obamacare has failed and needs an overhaul.

A change is needed for the millions of Americans who get their health insurance on the ACA marketplace. It is failing too many Americans. The time has come to expand Medicare to those under 65 at actuarily sound unsubsidized premiums. Introducing this option will provide the necessary competition to drive down costs quickly.

Omer Neutra

Omer Neutra was a 21 year old young man who grew up in Plainview, New York and was a typical Jewish American who loved sports, spent his summers at Jewish camps, and planned on attending Binghamton University. He deferred his enrollment and opted to spend a gap year enlisting in the Israeli army. Two years ago he was murdered by Hamas terrorists while working as a commander of a tank division. Last week, his remains were returned to Israel and was laid to rest. He prioritized his desire to defend a land that he did not grow up in but felt obligated to defend. Ultimately, at the cost of his life.

What is the average American supposed to think about this young man who enlisted in a foreign army and sacrificed his life defending a foreign land. Although inexact, there are thousands of Americans currently serving in the IDF. Are there any other countries where Americans enlist in foreign armies at such numbers or is it just a Jewish/Israel phenomenon? To some, this only confirms the notion that Jews have dual loyalty and prioritize risking their lives for Israel over enlisting in the US army and defending their actual homeland. And furthermore, if their loyalty is primarily to a foreign country, should their citizenship in the US be rescinded and shouldn't they be forced to move to Israel if they're connection is so deep even to the risk of their lives?

This is the naturalization oath of allegiance to the US that prospective citizens must declare:

"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law;

It certainly seems that those who claim that Jews have dual loyalty have a point and that if their allegiance is primarily to Israel then they should just move there. 

However, it all depends on your perspective and the answer to a fundamental question. And furthermore, the answer to this question explains the anti-Israel sentiment that is spreading throughout both political parties. The ultimate defining question is whether the battle between Israel and its Arab/Persian neighbors is a local/regional war or is it the front of the battle between the West and the forces looking to destroy Western civilization. If it is the latter, then these American boys enlisting in the Israeli army are at the front of the West's existential battle against a fascistic ideology determined to topple Western civilization. They should be exalted by America and should receive all the benefits of an American veteran. They should be viewed by their American compatriots as tremendously brave heroes who volunteered to take it to America's enemies, fighting America's war preemptively by putting on a different uniform.

If there is any doubt whether this is a local/regional war or a civilizational war, just listen to the words of the enemy. "America is the great satan".

Similarly, Israel is spearheading the fight against the enemy of the West and should receive full support. Certainly, not the criticism and charges of genocide it has received by the woke progressives and the America first crowd. Yes, many Jews have dual loyalty, but their loyalty to Israel is not at the cost of diminishing their loyalty to the US, but rather accretive to it.

Omer Neutra is an American hero and his parents should be extremely proud of their son and his memory should always be a blessing. May he finally rest in peace.

  

JINO

The election of Mamdani as mayor of New York under a socialist label in the center of capitalism for the country and perhaps the world is astounding and scary. But even more shocking is that he was elected in a district that has the second largest jewish population in the world, Israel being the first. An individual, who chants to globalize the intafada, fails to denounce the terrorist Hamas, and happily sits with antizionists and avowed antisemites. He was elected with the help of the Jewish vote which in polls support him with 30%+ of their votes.

How can it be explained that a third of Jewish voters support Mamdani? It makes sense if you understand certain facts. A large group of Jews are Jews in name only, JINOs. They are, in reality, woke progressives masquerading as Jews. They have either co-opted the religion by using a veneer of Judaism while their true intention is political progressivism, or actually believe in their Jewish identity but have misinterpreted Judaism as a mandate for repairing the world through social justice, what they term tikkun olam. Either way, the end result is political progressivism.

Most JINOs are minimally observant, if at all, equating their Jewish identity with woke progressivism exclusively. Their religion is, in fact and in reality, woke progressivism and this trumps any desire to improve themselves as Jews, or for the betterment of the Jewish people as a whole, or the Jewish nation, Israel.  Instead of taking on the demands of the Jewish religion which ultimately leads to the betterment of the individual, they cede their responsibility to government and proclaim that by supporting the political party that supports social justice, they are "good Jews".

Thus, it becomes understandable how Mamdani received a third of the Jewish votes. The JINOs believe that woke progressivism is their utopia, their ultimate desire and everything else is secondary to it. The safety and security of the Jewish people in New York City is of secondary importance. The State of Israel is seen as a force contrary to social justice. The Torah is irrelevant to them. Woke progressivism is their religion, not Judaism, and Mamdani is the beneficiary of this mental disorder. They are Jews in name only, JINOs.

A Marxist, Antisemitic, New York Mayor and the Jewish Vote

The race for the next mayor of New York is shaping up to be a major inflection point in the ongoing infiltration of socialist/woke/Marxist ideology into the fabric of the United States. The success of Zohran Mamdani is very concerning for the future of NYC, the most important and consequential city in the US. If he becomes the mayor, the deleterious effects will be immediately and permanently consequential. The seat of capitalism for the entire world will be led by a socialist, anti-capitalist. To boot, the most Jewish city outside of Israel will be run by an avowed antizionist, pro-Hamas, antisemite. 

It is a complete failure that a better candidate wasn't recruited to run for mayor. It is critical for the financial industry centered in New York to have a moderate mayor and the blame and consequence will be directed at them. Where are the finance leaders like Jamie Dimon that invest billions into NYC? Where are the NY real estate moguls that have so much to lose if Mamdani wins. There should have been a candidate for mayor from the business world. Instead we had the choice of a Marxist, a washed out disgraced politician in Andrew Cuomo, and an ineffective incumbent in Adams. But it is too late.

It is inconceivable that the majority of New Yorkers desire Mamdani to lead their city, but he can win for several reasons. The small but vocal woke minority will be sure to get a high percentage of its adherents to get out and vote, while the complacent moderates will have a lower turnout. Futhermore, it is appearing  that the  anybody but Mamdani vote will be split amongst more than one competitor. This anybody but Mamdani vote has to consolidate behind one candidate for their to be a chance.

Most importantly, the Jewish vote has to be motivated and mobilized to vote. There is every reason for every Jew in NY to vote against this antisemitic, anti-Zionist. The Jewish vote can sway the election holding 12% of the electorate with the potential for an even greater relative percentage by pumping up turnout. Every Rabbi should begin immediately sermonizing to their congregations about the importance of coming out to vote in November. Every Jewish organization should be pounding its NY members to vote.  

We cannot sit idly by and watch an anti-capitalist lead the center of capitalism and we cannot allow an anti-semite lead the center of Jewish life in the diaspora.

If you are horrified by the events of October 7 and the public's pro-Hamas response it is incumbent on you to vote. If you are Jewish or supporter of Israel, please make it your business to vote on November 4 . 

NO EXCUSES.

for early voting by mail or in person:

https://vote.nyc/RequestBallot

Private Equity Scam

 I recently had a very honest sprinkler mechanic come by my house to fix some issues and I was enlightened by his description of the sprinkler business. Basically, the sprinkler companies pump up their earnings by requiring their technicians to upsell questionable services and repairs. After achieving a certain level of revenue they sell the business to a private equity firm for a multiple of the revenue. The private equity firm consolidates several of the sprinkler acquisitions into one company which it then sells for a profit. Is this good for the consumer?

This model seems to be effecting many business, including the medical business, where private equity  gobbles up profitable, autonomous, doctors practices then employs doctors at a set rate. The doctor becomes an employee and earns a salary based on productivity and doesn't gain from the profit of the business. The PE firm tries to maximize its profit by increasing the revenue and minimizing expenses. Basically, the business goes from a doctor run enterprise to a doctor employee model. Does anybody think that the employed doctor would be as motivated as the doctor owner? Does anybody think the PE firm cares about the best interest of the patient's health?

We are experiencing the corporatization of many businesses that were traditionally run as Mom and Pop endeavors and are being consolidated into larger entities by private equity and this is not in the interest of the consumer. Pre-sale, it creates negative incentives for small business owners and results in unscrupulous business practices.  Post-sale, the corporatized employees that ultimate deliver the services have little incentive to generate satisfied, recurring customers but only to generate a cash flow for their bosses to pay off the debt incurred by the acquisition. Furthermore, the corporatized business will attempt to drive down expenses, including salaries, in an attempt to reach projected targets. The greater the profit minus debt service, the greater the value of the enterprise and hence, valuation to the next buyer. Until it all comes crumbling down.

I believe that many of these consolidated business entities will fail as they will have overpaid for the underlying businesses, projected unrealistic goals, and cannot generate the cash flow required to support the debt. Additionally, the services provided by these large businesses will be of poor quality in comparison to the small business providers, further decreasing their profits leading to their demise. 

Private equity is creating short term profit at the expense of reliable, honest, quality services. Their goal is only to increase the value of the business to sell to the next buyer at higher valuation. Ultimately this model will not succeed. But as with everything, opportunities arise when other things fail. The appeal of a committed local small service provider and the relationship between a local provider and his/her customer will be preferred. Personally, I always search out for the individual plumber, HVAC technician, or sprinkler mechanic.

Lessons from the First Israel Iran War

There are two lessons that can be learned from the ongoing Israel Iran war started on October 7, 2023, its mission, to eradicate the State of Israel and the Jews. The first is that Israel is most vulnerable when they have been lulled into a sense of security and complacency as was the case prior to October 7, 2023. The second lesson is that the enemy has only 12-24 hours to achieve enough of their goals before Israel has the time and ability to mobilize. And this is an obvious weakness of the Israeli military since it relies heavily on its reserve forces to compensate for its smaller population and hence smaller standing army. Time is required to mobilize this reserve force as most are going about their normal lives.

As in the case in the 1973 Yom Kippur war, Israeli intelligence failed to recognize the impending attack which resulted in the enemy forces making significant progress against Israel in the beginning of the war. They failed to capitalize on these gains and allowed Israel time to mobilize which eventually led to their defeat. Had the enemy been able to disrupt the mobilization of Israeli forces, the outcome may not have been favorable for the Jewish state.

If there is another existential war against Israel, the enemy will have probably learned their lesson and after a surprise initial attack would plan a secondary mission to prevent mobilization of Israeli reserve forces. This may take the form of disrupting communications via electromagnetic pulse or a biological or chemical attack.

Israel must prepare for such a scenario. Their best preparation is to capitalize on their strengths which include their intelligence and their technology advantage. In addition, it is clear that preemptive attacks by Israel results in its best outcomes and this was proven by the 67 war, the destruction of the nuclear reactors in Iraq and Syria, and the recent attack against Iran. Intelligence will lead to necessary preemptive attacks preventing full scale existential strikes against it as well as secondary strikes.

Israel's demographic disadvantage can be offset by their technological advantage. They require a force to withstand the initial attack to give it time for its reserve forces to mobilize. This may take the form of a drone/robotic force led by artificial intelligence that requires minimal front line personnel. Imagine a force of remote controlled tanks, remote controlled drones, remote controlled surface to surface missile banks along with a defensive shield. This can all be controlled by a small remotely located technology group assisted by AI, allowing time for reserve forces to mobilize.

We are living during the first Israel Iran war which started on October 7, 2023 led by the proxies of Iran. Israel is winning the war on multiple fronts but lessons are learned by both sides and both will make changes as a result. Israel has to invest in its natural advantages to overcome its demographic disadvantage. Although hopefully there wont be another, the second Israel Iran war will look very different from the current one.

Hardening of the Heart

In the story of the Exodus, it took 10 plagues for Pharaoh to allow the Jewish people to leave Egypt. And even then, he chased after them. You would think he would have seen the writing on the walls way earlier, preventing all the death and suffering experienced by the Egyptians. It is written that Pharaoh's heart was hardened and this prevented him from conceding defeat and he continued to pursue the enslavement of the Jewish people. Ultimately the Jewish people escaped and became a nation.

In the 1967 Six Day War, the king of Jordan was warned by Israel not to join with the other Arab countries to go to war against it. If they had stayed neutral, their borders would not have changed. Jordan's King Hussein decided to throw in with the Egyptians and went to war against Israel, resulting in the rapid defeat of the Jordanian army. This terrible decision by King Hussein led to Israel's capture of all of Jerusalem, including the temple mount. Was his heart hardened?

The Ayatollah in Iran is experiencing a similar scenario. Hamas and Hezbollah were defeated. Syria and the Assad regime have fallen and allow the Israelis to use their air space to attack Iran. Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed and the IRGC are being gradually eliminated. Israel flies freely over Iranian air space, bombing military installations, assassinating enemies at will. Yet, the Ayatollah doesn't concede defeat, obvious to anyone looking from the outside.

Why will the Ayatollah not give up? Is his heart being hardened?  Perhaps, there is a larger plan in place that is yet to be played out. In the above two examples, the hardening of the leader's hearts led to the Jewish people becoming a nation and to the reunification of Jerusalem under Israel. What will be the result of this obstinance by the Iranian leader?

We are living through historic times. These weeks that we are experiencing now will be remembered for centuries if not longer. It is clear, the orchestrator is moving pieces around and we are at an inflection point in his plan. Hardening of leader's hearts is just one tool He uses to achieve his goals.

Am Yisroel Chai!