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Health Care and the power industry...

Trace Thoma sends us over to Jack Roberts who is looking back to the public/private power debate of the 30's

Patent option shouldn’t be deal breaker for reform

Public option shouldn’t be dole out breaker for reform Recent reports that the Obama administration may (or may not) be backing away from a public option for constitution care reform are likely to raise the decibel level of the debate even higher. Unfortunately, the result may be to mark down further the chances of getting health care reform passed at all.

For some reason, the issue of whether the final reform bill includes a noted health insurance option has taken on apocalyptic proportions. Both proponents and opponents have made it the defining factor in whether health custody reform will succeed. Yet, ideology and emotion aside, there is no reason to believe the exaggerated hopes or fears on either side.

To a high-minded extent, this is reminiscent of the great debate in the 1930s over public vs. private power, a controversy that catapulted Wendell Willkie, a utility advocate who’d never held elective office, into the Republican nomination for president in 1940. Nowhere was this debate more contentious than in Oregon.

Open power advocates believed that private utilities were strangling the economy and robbing ratepayers, while opponents insisted that exposed power was a sure route to socialism. Sound familiar? The only thing both sides seem to agree on was that one system or the other must prevail and that available and private power could not coexist.

Jump ahead 70 years. Here in Lane County, most people pull down their electrical power from municipal utilities, cooperatives or a people’s utility district. Private utilities such as Portland Common Electric and Pacific Power serve most of the rest of the state.

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Insurance Companiies Handling The Northwest News

Nippon Life Insurance Will Invest 500 Million Euros in Allianz's Unit Bloomberg - Jul 05, 2011 Earth and MailNippon Life Insurance Will Invest 500 Million Euros in Allianz's UnitNippon Sustenance, with head offices in Tokyo and Osaka, invested $250 million in Northwestern Interactive Life Insurance Co. last year and $500 million in Prudential Financial Inc. (PRU) in 2009. Both companies are based in the US The investment in Northwestern Nippon Viability Insurance: To Buy Allianz Subordinated Bond For EUR500MNippon Life Insurance To Invest 500 Mln Euros In Allianz - UpdateNippon Lifestyle plans €500m Allianz investmentall 34 news articles »

Sedgwick Expands Into the Pacific Northwest Marketwire (press release) - Jul 05, 2011 "I am very in with Sedgwick's reputation as a go-to trial firm for many of the world's largest companies," Marks said. "I am fervent to become a part of that history and to contribute to expanding that reputation in the Northwest. and more »

Cord Blood America Enters Agreement With Regence, Serving BlueCross and ... PR Newswire (press release) - Jul 05, 2011 Regence is a nonprofit outright health solutions company based in the Pacific Northwest/Intermountain region. Through insurance, wellness, and consumer conflict products and services, Regence promotes health and helps people make up to date decisions and more »

Post Wire Services New York Post - Jul 05, 2011 Boston GlobeThe suspected insurance fraud that incited his murderous rage began in 2006, when Paul Shay reported an arson at his establishment in Bechtelsville, about 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia, the Pottstown Mercury reported. Some weeks later, Paul Shay filed an Mistrust in weekend Pa. shootings killed by policeall 915 news articles »

Life Companies Roll Out Construction-to-Perm Programs Apartment Finance Today - Jul 05, 2011 When Magellan Phenomenon broke ground in June on The Coast at Lakeshore East, a 499-unit stiff-rise in Chicago, it did so armed with a $99 million construction-to-perm loan from Northwestern Common Life. Pacific Life Insurance Co. and Prudential are

Reich Insurance makes North West acquisition Post Online - Jul 04, 2011 We are also currently exploring other object opportunities as we continue to look for ways to add value to the business of insurance." Barnett Insurance currently employs 17 people, who will be integrated into Reich Insurance players. and more »

NWI Companies Announce Tech Partnership Inside INdiana Business (press release) - Jul 05, 2011 IdentityLogix and CoreBlox are located in the Purdue Study Park of Northwest Indiana and will offer a new software platform that can provide “real-prematurely intelligence.” MERRILLVILLE, Ind. - Officials from IdentityLogix and CoreBlox Inc. announced a

Rep. Broxson To Hold Forums On Aluminum Wiring, Property Insurance NorthEscambia.com - Jul 05, 2011 So now the insurance companies have found another way to assail more, if you dont have copper wire then the price goes up? Later they can change it back if you dont have aluminum they can nurture it up. Greed thats all…. So now lets add that in to why

Business reviving for local builders Boston Globe - Jul 04, 2011 The Licence Mutual Insurance Co. tower in the Back Bay, now under construction, is among several projects in development. (David L. Ryan/ Globe Alpenstock) By Casey Ross Developers across the Boston area are moving forward with a number of big and more »

First Insurance & Investments acquires Ohio-based insurer Payak-Dubbs Insurance Business Review - Jul 05, 2011 First Insurance & Investments acquires Ohio-based insurer Payak-DubbsFirst Defiance Economic said the acquisition adds to the firm's community financial services dais in northwest Ohio, southeast Michigan and northeast Indiana, which includes 33 First Federal Bank of the Midwest locations as well as the First