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Kashmir is not an economic problem but a political one: Ali Sagar

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 09:32:30 -0600

Srinagar, November 21:(Vijay Kumar) -- Referring to the recent statement of the J&K Chief Minister, Omar Abdullaha, Minister for Rural Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohd Sagar said that we believe that Kashmir is not an economic problem but a political one, which can be resolved through the process of dialogue between various parties . He said that we have to take concrete measures to address this issue and in this regard National Conference will play role of facilitator.

The minister was addressing a public gathering at Hygam village of Baramulla district after taking a review cum public darbar meeting at the district.Ali Sagar while assuring that National Conference will play pivotal role in settlement of Kashmir issue said the party has always played a positive role for settlement of various vexed problems and always pleaded the cause of Kashmiri people before various for a.

He said that it is recorded history that National Conference has always resorted to people friendly measures so that the people of the state do not suffer viz-a-viz political, economical and developmental aspect. He said that it was due to tireless efforts of the late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah that the lot of people living in even rural and far flung areas got economically lifted due to the historical Act of land to the tiller which in a way paved way for the upliftment of the land tillers who were otherwise subjected to inhuman and exploitative treatment by the big land holders.

The minister was accompanied by the Minister of State for Roads and Buildings Javid Ahmed Dar, MLA Sopore Mohammad Ashraf Ganaie and senior leaders of the party.

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Jammu & Kashmir Government A Security Risk: Former Union Leader

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:34:09 -0600

Jammu, November 18 (Vijay Kumar) - Former Union Minister & leader of the BJP legislators party, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta alleged that the Congress-led dispensation at the centre and incompetent coalition of the state are virtually proving a security risk for the country.

Addressing the party activists and various delegations in Jammu on Wedensday, Prof Gupta expressed his grief over the killing of DIG of the BSF, O.P. Kanwar and casualties of other soldiers and officers in the booby traps and infiltration bids along the border/Line of Control.

He said that it is intriguing that while there is no let up in the enemy designs, the guards are being lowered by removing the troops even from areas affected by the cross border terror as also there are moves to doing away with the special powers of the forces to deal with the menace of terrorism, he added and observed that Congress leadership was never having a clear cut Kashmir policy and had been buckling under internal and external pressures coupled with the communal considerations.

BJP leader asserted that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India, legally as well constitutionally, but the dynastic Congress had put this state at different footing, resulting in so many problems for which the entire country, especially the people of this state, moreso of Jammu, have been facing the music.

He ridiculed the claims of the ruling leaders including that of Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, for providing good Governance and making this state as a Misali Riaysat and pointed out to the spate of agitations and anti-government demonstrations by the suffering people.

At the meeting the activists listed various problems facing the people including that of soaring prices, missing of rations at the government controlled out lets, poor health care, increasing unemployment, awful conditions of the transport services coupled with mounting road accidents and the government having no policy to provide succor to the families of the victims, and so many others.

Prof. Gupta impressed upon the activists to strengthen the forces of nationalism and ventilate the public grievances in a democratic manner.

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What Health Care Reform Means for Medicare Programs

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:00:34 -0600

Using results from a questionnaire [2] we did with American Public Media’s Public Insight Network [3], we’re looking at how the proposed health care reforms will actually affect people facing common health care coverage situations. This is the third in a series (Part 1 [4], Part 2 [5]).

Graydon DeCamp

Age: 75 Location: Elk Rapids, Mich. Work status: Retired Income: About $75,000, including SSI

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Graydon DeCamp, 75, is one of about 11 million members of Medicare Advantage, the managed care plan option under Medicare that is administered by private insurers. Like many members of the plans, he says he is very happy with his coverage.

Medicare Advantage has been a major flash point [6] in the health care reform debate, giving fodder to opponents of reform who say that Medicare would be cut to pay for the proposals. Our analysis of the impact of reforms on one very satisfied Medicare Advantage member finds the changes would be a loss for many seniors, but a win for taxpayers.

About Medicare Advantage: The elderly can participate either in traditional Medicare, which is administered by the government, or in Medicare Advantage, which subsidizes managed care plans administered by private insurance companies.

The private plans offer many perks – low or zero cost-sharing, comprehensive prescription drug coverage, even gym memberships. But they also have a downside: As in other managed care plans, prior authorization is needed for many services, and members are limited to certain doctors and hospitals.

The relatively new Medicare Advantage is more expensive for taxpayers, however. In 2003, the Republican-controlled Congress wanted to make sure that seniors, especially those in rural areas, had access to a range of managed care plans. (This was a problem that plagued an earlier version of the Medicare managed care program.) So it agreed to pay health insurers more per person than it would cost if they were in traditional Medicare. Today that gap is about 12 percent [7].

Neither the House health care reform bill nor the Senate Finance Committee bill eliminates Medicare Advantage, but both would reduce what the government is willing to pay. The boon for private insurers from higher premium subsidies has long been a prime target for budget savings, especially among Democrats in Congress. So – not surprisingly—cuts have turned up in the reform bills. Those provisions have proven to be some of the most contentious in the debate. President Barack Obama insists there are not cuts to Medicare in the health care reform packages, though many don’t see it that way.

His story:

Graydon DeCamp says he couldn’t be happier with his Medicare Advantage plan. He switched to it after his premium for traditional Medicare and private supplemental insurance skyrocketed to more than $1,000 a month even though, DeCamp says, he’s a healthy guy.

Now, in Medicare Advantage, he pays $148 per month for a plan that also features low co-payments. A few years ago he had two detached retinas, which resulted in five surgeries. His out-of-pocket expenses, he says, didn’t go over $500 or $600. Prescriptions that he takes for ongoing eye problems cost him $55 every three months.

“I’ve got no complaints,” he says.

What health reform may mean for him:

DeCamp’s premiums will probably increase, and he may have fewer plans to choose from. If the government decreases its subsidies to Medicare Advantage plans, the plans will likely pass their increased costs on to people like DeCamp, resulting in higher premiums. The House bill calls for $172 billion in savings over the next 10 years from reducing Medicare Advantage payments to insurers to the same amount paid for traditional Medicare – a significant chunk of the roughly $570 billion in savings from changes to Medicare overall. Likewise, the Senate Finance Committee’s bill calls for $470.2 billion in Medicare savings, of which 25 percent ($117.6 billion) would come from Medicare Advantage cuts [8]. The bill would generate those savings by establishing a bidding process for plans.

Because DeCamp lives in northern Michigan, he may also see fewer Medicare Advantage plans to choose from as subsidies under both proposals decrease.

Overall, DeCamp would likely fare better under the Senate Finance Committee proposal, which includes more protections to soften the impact of reduced subsidies. If the bids include significant cuts to benefits, the government would temporarily step in.

The proposed reforms also call for some improvements to Medicare Advantage coverage. The Senate Finance bill prohibits managed care plans from charging people more than traditional Medicare for certain services, such as chemotherapy, renal dialysis and skilled nursing care. It also offers bonuses to plans that offer superior quality of care and care coordination. And the House bill provides bonus payments [9] to high-quality plans, and requires that a list of high-quality and improved-quality plans be provided [10] on the Medicare Web site.

If his plan becomes too expensive, DeCamp could switch back over to traditional Medicare. Under both bills, preventive services would be free (see the Senate provision [11] and the House [12]’s). And both have provisions for reducing fraud and waste, which drive up Medicare costs.

Update:This post has been updated to reflect that Medicare Advantage plans include managed care plans, and a similar category of managed care plans called Preferred Provider Organizations, or PPOs. While HMOs generally require approval from gatekeeper doctors for many services, PPOs encourage members to use providers in the network by imposing higher cost sharing for outside services.

Stimulus Spending Hits $216 Billion

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:38:27 -0600

The federal government has paid out $216 billion, or 27 percent of the stimulus package, according to the latest numbers from Recovery.gov and the

most recent available estimates [1]

(PDF) of tax cuts issued so far. The money includes $132 billion in spending and $84 billion in tax cuts. You can track the flow of money by agency on our

Stimulus Progress Bar [2]

Check out the details [2].

Sri Lanka Elections

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:25:57 -0600

President Mahinda Rajapakshe to make an important decision today (17, November) evening about forthcoming election According to the sources of government of Sri Lanka Minister of mass media Luxman Yapa also has confirmed that president is going to take a decision today after consulting his ministers and United Peoples Front Alliance. Although the crowd gathered to clebrate the 58 convention of Sri Lanka Freedom Party were expected president did not reveal his decision on elections yesterday 16 in Colombo.

Economist Explains The Housing Boom and Bust

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 22:59:57 -0600

The Housing Boom and Bust by Thomas Sowell ISBN 978-0-465-01880-2

Economist and columnist Thomas Sowell contends that the housing boom and bust were the result of government intervention in the economy. He examines both the politics and economics of the housing bust. "When it comes to the home mortgage boom and bust, who was to blame? the borrowers? The lenders? The government? The financial markets? The answer is yes? All were responsible and many were irresponsible. Economics cannot explain such things. For that, we must turn to the politics of housing."

Sowell asserts that Federal interference addressed a problem that did not exist, namely, that there was a nationwide shortage of "affordable housing." In some local markets, there were very high prices.

Sowell ascribes the housing boom and bust to the

1) Subsidization of home ownership by Fannie Mae and similar institutions

2) The promotion of home ownership to poorer Americans

3) Regulation of financial institutions forcing them to grant mortgages to buyers who were poor credit risks

4) Demands for lower interest rates and mortgage loans to poor credit risks by regulators, Congress and the White House

5) Land use restrictions (such as "open space" programs) which drove up prices in particular markets.

Sowell quotes a 2002 column from Newsweek magazine's economic columnist Robert J. Samuelson "To anyone with a sense of history, the home boom must be a source of wonder. Housing usually leads the economy into recession. Mortgage rates rise, then housing construction and home sales fall."

The bailouts, the stimulus plans and the like come under criticism from Sowell. An interesting observation is that

"Despite the rhetoric of urgency and the great hast with which this legislation was rushed through Congress to spend unprecedented sums of money, the actual programs and policies created arve very slow-acting. In February 2009, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that it would be September 2010 before even three-quarters of the money would be spent." Just in time for the Congressional mid-term elections. Purely a coincidence of course.

Sowell takes a look at the Great Depression and New Deal, noting that FDR's New Deal was a continuation of Hoover's unprecedented interventionism. He contends that the Hoover and Roosevelt prolonged the Great Depression.

Impressive though this book is, there are some gaps. While interest rates are discussed at great length, the Federal Reserve's discount rate policy and other monetary interventions receive short shrift. The Austrian school's theory of the business cycle receive no discussion. See the works of Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich von Hayek, and Murray Rothbard. Congressman Ron Paul's proposals to Audit the Fed and End the Fed are not mentioned at all.

Thomas Sowell has written another fine contribution to our knowledge of the reign of error in American political economy that will illuminate a path to a better future.

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About the author: Richard Cooper is an international trade executive with a manufacturing firm on Long Island, New York, USA. He is active in the Libertarian Party www.lp.org on eminent domain and other issues. He was chair of the Libertarian Party of New York www.ny.lp.org. He was a delegate candidate for Ron Paul in the 2008 New York Republican presidential primary.

Strenghthning of Politics in the country and supporting Democracy SPO arranged for 3 days training w

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:15:46 -0600

SPO concluded three days training workshop on Democracy and Good Governance.

CHITRAL: SPO-Strengthening Participatory organization is a national based NGO and Its Peshawar Region conduct a Follow-up session with Five major Political parties (PPP (P), PPP (Sharpao), JUI, JI, PML(Q). All the parties share their achievements after getting training on Human Rights. PMLQ organized two days conference with their 18 UC level committees and share their learning with political workers. Other parties also share there learning’s in their respective party based meetings. They also appreciated the Campaign regarding opening of Lowari Tunnel and declared Chitral in the relief and rehabilitations Package. They declared it the achievement of SPO and the Chitral based political parties steering committee. They were also meet with Governor, NWFP in his recent visit to Chitral and show one stand of all political parties.

Next day SPO-Peshawar Started a Workshop on "Democracy and good Governance”. for Political parties of District Chitral. 22 political workers including 3 women actively participated in the workshop. The workshop themes are Democracy, Defining state and its function, understand difference between state and society, state and Government and state and institution, Understand the role of Senate, National and Provincial Assembly and a demonstration of How a bill become a Law in a role play. Freedom of Information and Critical review of local Government were the interesting session where the participation is enthusiastic.

At the end of the workshop the religious parties make a plan that they will propagate the women rights in inheritance in the context of Islam in juma congregational prayers and also Violence against women. They also show great interest in the documentary produce under "WE CAN" campaign and take interest in becoming a member and inform 10 other people to avoid Violence against women. SPO is a national Secretariat of we can campaign in Pakistan. Others Parties also make plan to inform their member about Rights to Know. The PPP (P) will re-organized and strengthen their women wing in District Chitral.

The participants appreciate the facilitation of Miss Shabnum Noureen Program officer and Ijaz Qasim, Regional Director and evaluate a workshop and declared the workshop useful, relevant and enhanced their capacity and open a new windows of learning.

G.H. Farooqi PO Box No. 50 GPO Chitral Pakistan phone No. 03025989602, 0346-9002167, 0943-302295, 414418

Email: gulhamad@gmail.com

Politician trained by SPO regarding procedure of Assemblies

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 08:51:03 -0600

SPO concluded three days training workshop on Democracy and Good Governance.

G.H. Farooqi PO Box No. 50 GPO Chitral Pakistan phone No. 03025989602, 0346-9002167, 0943-302295, 414418

Email: gulhamad@gmail.com

Protests paralyze Nepal government headquarters; police fires at leaders

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:17:06 -0600

While Maoist protests on Thursday completely paralyzed Nepal government headquarters at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu, the security personnel deployed at the South Gate of Singhadurbar fired at senior Maoist leaders Dev Gurung, Ananta and Amik Sherchan. According to Radio Mirmire, more than 60 others were injured with rubber bullets and tear gas shells.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal was unable to attend his office as thousands of Maoist protesters besieged the government headquarters from eight different locations.

Out of 46 ministers in the government, only four were in their office, the government-owned Nepal Television reported. The four ministers had furtively entered their complex at 04:00, four hours before the Maoist protesters began to appear on roads. Not a single minister belonging to the prime minister’s party—UML—was able to come to office, reports confirm.

To further reinforce the protests, film artists, singers, musicians and literary figures had also staged their programs on roads. Maoists—now in the UN-monitored peace process—have been staging renewed protests for seven months with a demand of parliamentary discussion on President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav’s overruling of the sacking of the then Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal by the elected Prime Minister Prachanda.

Media reports in May 2009 show the Army Chief used parallel executive power by defying the elected government’s orders. This had led the then Prime Minister Prachanda to take actions against him. After President Dr. Yadav, though without any executive power, reinstated the Army Chief sacked by the Maoist-led government, Maoist Chairman Prachanda resigned his prime ministership stating that he wanted to avoid violence likely to result out of parallel rules.

Maintaining civilian supremacy—making the country’s army generals work under the elected government as Maoists clarify—has been the protesters’ principal demand which the current alliance of 22 parties (most of them with only one seat in the parliament) has rejected.

Civil Society members have suggested the government to allow the issue of civilian supremacy to be discussed in the parliament. However, the coalition partners have adopted an exclusionary approach against the Maoists, who stood the largest political party in the Constituent Assembly elections held on 10 April 2008.

J&K BJP alleged that Kashmir University becomes a den of anti-India activities

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:30:19 -0600

Jammu November 12 (Vijay Kumar) –– BJP J&K State unit President Ashok Khajuria on Thuresday alleged that the University of Kashmir has become a den of anti-India activities.

Addressing a press conference at party headquarters today in Jammu he said the latest example is the permission granted by the Kashmir University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Riaz Punjabi to a religious bigot and separatist Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani to use the University premises for provoking anti-India explosions and asking the students to take oath for Jehad, Azadi and Islam. This has happened for the first time in 50 years that the sanctity of an academic institution has been eroded by people like Geelani.

Ashoak Ashok Khajuria said Prof. Riaz Punjabi needs to be dismissed, arrested forthwith and proceeded against as per the law of the land. His dismissal has become all the more imperative in view of the fact that ever since his appointment as the Vice-Chancellor, the University of Kashmir has been conducting itself in a fashion like the Deoband School (Saharanpur), which only recently adopted a resolution asking the Muslims of the country not to sing national song Vande Matram as, according to it, it is anti-Islam, Khajuria said. He said besides Prof. Riaz Punjabi, legal action should also be taken against the State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is the Pro-Chancellor of Kashmir University, and has given a free hand to the Vice-Chancellor for permitting anti-national activities in the campus. Simply arresting Geelani is not enough. Geelani is in habit of making such provocative and anti-national statements and if he sits quite, his shop will be closed. So, the Pro-Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor are more guilty for what Geelani uttered in the University premises.

The BJP is of the considered view that time has now come for the Union government to review its whole Kashmir policy and rein in the likes of Omar Abdullah, who have become a threat to national security and integrity.

Khajuria once again reiterated that the BJP will not allow the Govt. of India to announce any concession to the Kashmiri separatists and protagonists of Greater Autonomy and Self-rule as any such concession would not only give legitimacy to the cult of terror and politics of rabid communalism but would also dilute the Indian sovereignty in Jammu and Kashmir, thus helping Pakistan directly to achieve its sinister goals.

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