Nothing like an entertaining campaign commercial for your morning, right?
This one comes from the Building Industry Association of Washington-backed campaign to allow private insurers to offer workers’ compensation insurance, which now only the state can provide:
Welcome to L&I: The only grocer in town:
July 22nd, 2010 at 10:54 AM
Chioce is freedom! Freedom is choice!
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
July 22nd, 2010 at 11:43 AM
Funny? Entertaining? Sorry Sam, but I don’t think so.
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:14 PM
I-1082, brought to you by Big Insurance. AIG is the biggest private workers’ comp insurer and they want to take over Washington’s system. BIAW has inserted a clause into I-1082 that allows them to siphon money from the system into their organization. As always, it’s about money.
Thanks but no thanks. I’ll keep Washington’s public, NON-PROFIT system.
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:31 PM
Newsflash LaborGoon, you can keep Washington’s public NON-PROFIT system under this initiative. This only provides choice. I’m assuming you’re pro-choice right?
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:39 PM
I see that an attempt is being made to revive single-payer health care.
One can only hope that single-payer Obamacare would have a less-expensive, more attractive variety of health care services, delivered more efficiently for the benefit of us all!
I’m sure that will be the case, aren’t you?
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:51 PM
I should have read Todd’s comment first. That is two minutes I will never get back.
July 22nd, 2010 at 12:58 PM
How is it not funny, Todd?
Seriously - am I the only person with a sense of humor on this blog? It feels that way sometimes. Being the reporter, I’m out of the fray I guess and have the luxury of picking on any and all sides. I’m baffled at how angry and sad people are at this point in life - how are more people not having heart attacks and dying at political rallies!? Everyone is so angry.
Who needs a hug?
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:03 PM
I thought it was hilarious, but I don’t that my opinion on that will pursuade many of the posters around here.
Todd has obviously never had to pay the kinds of outrageous industrial insurance premiums that employers in Washington State are subject to.
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:14 PM
‘…but I don’t think that my opinion…’
July 22nd, 2010 at 1:28 PM
“A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It’s jolted by every pebble on the road.”
Henry Ward Beecher
AFY!!theheelotsheepdog!!!
July 22nd, 2010 at 2:50 PM
When you have no choice, you are left with high prices and poor customer service. I have had some dealing with L and I. They are don’t have to provide a good service to the workers because they are the only ones who can offer such service.
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:20 PM
Well Sam, your day job is secure, but those guys need to get a clue….
Also, do we get to choose which political rallies we would like to see candidates fall over dead at?
I’m just kidding, owww my nose, but hey even if someone really dicey like Dino Rossi dropped over I would give him UPS…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyouvtDcVcc
July 22nd, 2010 at 3:37 PM
I need a hug…. isn’t it obvious !
July 22nd, 2010 at 4:33 PM
I love the ad because it’s too long and not that good.
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:12 PM
The adjective that first came to my mind was, “pathetic.” After further reflection, I thought better of it.
“Hopelessly pathetic” seems more accurate.
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:16 PM
I didn’t watch it but I thought the Rossi vs Didier videos were funnier.
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:21 PM
“Hopelessly pathetic” seems more accurate.
What about the clip was ‘hopelessly pathetic?’
July 22nd, 2010 at 7:22 PM
I loved this: “I didn’t watch it but I thought the Rossi vs Didier videos were funnier.”
My mind isn’t closed!
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:11 PM
What’s wrong with giving businesses a range of options when it comes to industrial insurance?
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:20 PM
Capitalism is great.
But shareholders profiting from injured workers I can’t abide by. Who profits from L&I? No one… and that’s the whole point.
Why don’t they show a food bank getting bought by Wal-Mart and being run as a for-profit? The metaphor would be just as apt as this one.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:21 PM
Dave,
Attempting to use humor, stereotyped characters, poor acting, and a weak analogy to the grocery industry to promote privatization of government services and convince viewers that government programs are inherently inefficient and inept is, in my opinion, “hopelessly pathetic.” Moreover, I feel the ad is disingenuous, inaccurate, and misleading. The sad part is that it will probably be effective.
July 22nd, 2010 at 9:27 PM
The current industrial insurance monopoly is financially unsustainable without rate hikes (and rates are already exorbitant) and fraud runs rampant. The system has no incentive to improve service delivery because they have a captive market.
I’m guessing that if a private company had a monopoly on something the government forced businesses to purchase, the same people lambasting I-1082 would be up in arms.
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:13 AM
And we care what Joe the can’t spell Plummer says, why?….
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:59 AM
You know Joe, that you’re lambasting a real political Tarzan who could handle a bevy of Betties, while a little wrench puller like you wouldn’t even cause a sweat on Cheetah’s brow….
http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/politics/page/4/
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:29 AM
Political humor? Naturally, I’m in Todd 2 and Bikerbob’s camp on the privatization of L&I insurance in WA. And, yes Davesix, I have paid industrial insurance premiums for employees - and I didn’t find L&I or employment security premiums nearly as expensive as business insurance policies that I purchased from for-profit companies. Like employee medical insurance premiums?
With that said, this string of comments confirms it. Kurt Barnhurst, over at the Onion is right. “We Will Never Be United As A Nation As Long As There Are Other People Besides Myself.”
In a flash of self-entitled brillance that we rarely see expressed in other developed western nations, Kurt tells us, “One day, people will realize that fostering a worldview identical to my own is the most sensible course of action. From where I stand, it’s the only course of action.”
“In the meantime,” Kurt warns, “there are a terrifying number of opinions out there that are not mine. Many of them are held by people I haven’t even met. Even more alarming, I would estimate that, on average, non-Kurt-Americans probably share my specific perspective on fewer than five out of every 10 matters of political, ethical, and cultural importance. How can we as a nation move forward if millions upon millions of people in this country can’t get on board with even half my agenda?”
Now, that’s “political humor!”
http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.theonion.com/articles/nation%2Ddemands%2Dtax%2Ddollars%2Donly%2Dbe%2Dwasted%2Don%2Dstuff%2C17704/
July 23rd, 2010 at 8:36 AM
Privatation of L&I insurance? Huh? I thought the inititiave simply allowed for competition? Why is everyone so afraid that WA L&I can’t handle it?
July 23rd, 2010 at 10:43 AM
John says “The current industrial insurance monopoly is financially unsustainable without rate hikes”
…and that’s without trying to fit in a profit. How could Enron or any company profitably deliver a necessary service as cheap or cheaper than the government without rate hikes, or cutting quality?
I wonder why the big push isn’t to solve the efficiency and fraud that is being accused in our current system. Private companies are just as possible to get lazy and raise rates rather than actually fix stuff.
Whether or not the initiative passes to allow competition, I would be eager to dig deeper into what isn’t optimum about L&i, and ensure that it is such a good deal that no private company could possible make better value for the money. Isn’t that one main point of having the government use the economy of scale and non-profit status to do it?
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:22 AM
Richard May says: “I wonder why the big push isn’t to solve the efficiency and fraud that is being accused in our current system.”
My guess is because we have been trying to get those changes made for many, many years now, but to no avail. I agree that it is always best to work at fixing what is broken (recycle, reuse, etc), but if you’ve tried and tried, and can’t seem to get the repair done, there does come a point in time where you have to buy new.
I-1082 actually provides for staying with the existing system, while providing alternatives if they are desired. Seems this is a much better way to go than all public or all private.
As for the video, I have to agree that its not exactly Lewis Black-level material. On a scale of not at all funny to ROTFLMAO, I’d give it a small chuckle.
July 23rd, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Washington voters gave the State Auditor’s Office authority to conduct performance audits in November 2005 with the passage of Initiative 900. Since then, we have conducted nearly two dozen performance audits of state and local governments and special districts.
I find it hard to believe that neither Ken Oplinger or Richard May know that Washington State Agencies are routinely audited by the State Auditor’s Office.
At the conclusion of an audit, the Auditor’s office issues a report and the state agency implements the auditor’s recommendations to increase department efficiency and reduce fraud.
We would not have this level of transparency if we contracted out L&I’s insurance program to private for-profit insurance corporations.
Those who are interested can view one of L&I’s audit reports here: http://www.sao.wa.gov/auditreports/auditreportfiles/ar1003910.pdf
July 23rd, 2010 at 3:57 PM
“But shareholders profiting from injured workers I can’t abide by. Who profits from L&I? No one… and that’s the whole point.”
Creating a competitive market to see if the state monopoly actually does provide a needed service at a competitive price is bad?
I could have sworn that you claimed to have taken a course or two in economics.
July 23rd, 2010 at 7:31 PM
The video may be pathetically amateurish and not the least bit funny but I have to admit it’s boring.
Nobody involved should quit his/her day job!
July 23rd, 2010 at 11:45 PM
Um, Elizabeth…
please click on my name at the top of this post, it’s a link to my website, with a photo on the front page of me and the State Auditor, with a note that I support his performance audits.
The point of my whole L&i post that you responded to, was in favor of auditing and fixing what’s wrong with L&i, no matter what. Clearly such a fix is overdue, judging from Mr. Oplinger’s assessment that the patience has been used up waiting for it.
July 24th, 2010 at 12:00 PM
Richard,
If you’re elected, you’ll find in Olympia a deep-seated unwillingness to reform the system amongst your own party. You’ll find your party’s most powerful constituents–unions–steadfastly opposed to fixing what’s broken.
L&I has no inventive to change. A system where they have to compete for clients would give them that incentive. Several people here insist that the “not for profit” system we have currently–a government monopoly–is best, but it isn’t working. Each legislative session brings renewed calls for change, reform, and then we get studies, special commissions, and talking points from Steve Conway about how we need to work together for change. And then nothing changes. We’ve tried fixing the government monopoly system. The Democrat leadership in Olympia has no interest in doing so.
Opening up the system so private companies can offer coverage alongside the state is the only option left if true reform is the goal. The possibility of losing clients is likely the only thing L&I will respond to at this point.
July 24th, 2010 at 12:51 PM
Sorry, Rick, your comment was removed for the curse word, which I can’t allow, even if not too bad. I invite you to repost your comment without that specific adult slang.
July 24th, 2010 at 1:39 PM
Here we go again with a show and tell photo op, this time with the State Auditor that proves nothing Richard. And just what the heck do you mean by “Clearly such a fix is overdue, judging from Mr Oplinger’s assessment …..” Just what do you expect the concerted voice of the business community to say about L&I ??? They have never liked it and they never will !!! Richard you could do a lot of damage in Olympia with some of your views. You listen but you really don’t get it. Come to think of it, maybe you really are not listening, just flying off the top.
Read more: http://blogs.bellinghamherald.com/politics/election/when-campaign-commercials-are-funny/#ixzz0udYAnhdJ
July 25th, 2010 at 8:11 AM
Rick, if your version of “listening” is staking your ground, covering your ears and saying “la la la”, then calling anyone else a traitor for even asking the tough questions and wanting to know the whole story… then you are encouraging the eventual defeat of the current majority in Olympia. Having a great idea doesn’t help if you lose the majority. I clearly stated that the way to save L&i is by making it so good that complaints would seem less credible.
Listening is not the same as giving away the farm. When the townsfolk are at the gate with pitchforks and torches, ignoring them like Marie Antoinette will just get the palace overthrown.
You say “They have never liked it and they never will !!!”. The trick would have been to make them hate it less by making have less flaws to legitimately point out. Taking some high ground. The “damage in Olympia” you refer to about L&i might come in November because nobody like me was willing to insulate L&i from overthrow by actually fixing enough of the flaws that are the winning talking points. It doesn’t help to loudly say “Oh, that greedy business community, they just don’t get it.”.
Case study : I argued that the transit levy would be more likely to pass if it had at least a partial sunset clause if the economy recovers. A promise that would have been harmless since it likely won’t come true any time soon anyway. But pro transit people said “but if the economy recovers, and we end up with twice the money we ask for, we can just make transit even better and bigger than the current plans! No sunset!”. What happened? Brett Bonner successfully used repeated talking point about the possible immediate economic recovery (I guess his faith in Obama’s policies is more than I thought). That one sticking point was a major part of why it didn’t pass. So transit got 100% of NOTHING from the levy, lost money fighting for it, and is now making cuts.
In November, the “don’t even listen to the opponents” crowd may be swimming in a passed initiative to add competition to L&i. Really good strategy there Rick1. Who’s “doing damage in Olympia with their views”? Unresponsive and shortsighted = asking for defeat. There are ways to be responsive and still win for your team.
July 25th, 2010 at 9:47 AM
Nice post, Richard!
I thought the transit levy would have passed in a heartbeat if the transit union had offered some small token gesture, such as a larger employee contribution to health insurance costs, or a small reduction in pay to maintain the payroll at existing levels.
July 25th, 2010 at 10:15 AM
Dave,
As reported in the Herald well before the election, transit workers gave up their COLA and agreed to a wage freeze, which is more than “some small token gesture.”
July 25th, 2010 at 10:34 AM
Todd,
We both know they didn’t give up step increases, and, as I wrote, they didn’t agree to a reduction in pay.
July 25th, 2010 at 12:21 PM
I heard they are now cutting Sunday service in order to balance their budget.
July 27th, 2010 at 11:46 PM
Is richard may with the bonner camp, or is Bonner in the richard may camp? The may double talk made the message unclear.