There's Transparency and There's Transparency Which Works

The Reston Hospital Center has tried to be more transparent, by measuring the response time in their ER and posting the expected wait time on the Internet. (It was 9 minutes when I checked in when drafting this.)

I don't know whether they're measuring the extent to which people are using this, but they should. It seems to me like something which would be useful, assuming you're a person who uses the ER as a substitute for a doctor.  Maybe I'm naive, but I'd guess there's not too many of those in Reston--it's rich enough most people will have health insurance and a doctor.

Of course there's also the issue of image building.  Even if no one uses this, it does give the image of an up-to-date institution, which one wants if you have to go to the hospital.  And it might have been easier to sell the idea of measuring ER response time to your ER staff if sold as a way to inform the customers, rather than as a way to make them more productive.  I'm assuming that if they can cut the response time, they've reengineered their business process to be more efficient.

IRS, FSA, and Adjusted Gross III

A followup to this post

FSA notice PL-216 has been issued with a set of questions and answers ( which demonstrate some of the complexities of synchronizing FSA and IRS data). I should have anticipated FSA and IRS would have such problems--for example, the issue of whether a power of attorney is acceptable by IRS. Also turns out my previous posts on the subject should have referred to notice PL-213, which told counties the letters to producers based on IRS info were being mailed from Kansas City.  I'm getting old.

The Unpopular Heathcare Package

That's an appraisal common to the chattering classes and the right.  Perhaps I'm comparing apples and oranges, but would we say: the unpopular pro-life position, or the unpopular pro-choice position?  My impression is that support for the health-care law is about equal to the support for those positions--around 40 percent.

Jobs for Whom?

So now there's a lot of defeated Democrats around, some of whom will be looking for jobs for the next 18 months to 2 years while they organize to get win the next election.  And some of whom are capable individuals.

So who will Obama add to his administration: Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin from SD or Blanche Lincoln to USDA?

How To Spin the Election

Brad Johnson at Grist puts a good face on the election--most of those who voted for cap and trade in the House won.  What he doesn't do, and should, is look at the percentage of winners among those who voted against cap and trade.  I'm assuming, since the Reps only had a couple seats lost, the percentage would be close to 100 percent. Sometimes it's best to just suck it up and say we lost.

The Understatement of the Month

From Matt Yglesias,discussing why Delaware's Senate race got more ink than Alaska's:

"And logistics count in life."

Voting Technology

Today for the first time I had a choice of technology when I voted: I could use the optical scanner or the touch-screen method.  When I was asked which, I was totally flummoxed.  As it turns out, I went with the paper route, which had no waiting line, whereas the touch screen had 5 or so people waiting.  Don't know why people would choose that method.

Organic Farming in China

Once upon a time, when I was young, the only thing China had was "organic farming".  (Actually, I think the English lord (Howard?) who was an early advocate of organic farming studied Indian or Chinese agriculture.)  Now that some Chinese are rich, "organic" is becoming a fad, according to this Post article.  "Fad" is a little harsh, no doubt attitudes will evolve and people will become more realistic, much as Americans have done.  Maybe Whole Foods will open stores in China, following in the footsteps of KFC?

Metrics for Rallies

From the Post's Dr. Gridlock blog, discussing Metro's problems on Saturday:

"They were figuring on a crowd about the size of the one for the Glenn Beck rally on Aug. 28. That day, about 200,000 more trips were taken on Metrorail than on a typical summer Saturday."

"To say Metro was overwhelmed, that would be more like it. That was no where near enough equipment or personnel to help the people who showed up. Metrorail wound up providing about 475,000 more trips than on a typical Saturday. "

 I've been frustrated by the crowd estimating that goes on for the various events on the Mall.  It's always seemed to me that Metro ridership is a solid indicator with which to compare rallies.  Granted the attendance at different events will make more or less use of Metro and may or may not deter people from using it for their normal weekend activities.  But still the ridership is a solid number, not dependent on aerial photography and the prejudices of the counter.  

Unfair Description of Lincoln's Disaster Program?

Via Farm Policy, Dan Morgan writes about the budget impact of the disaster program using Section 32 funds that was pushed by Sen. Lincoln.  I'm querying this part:

"Nonetheless, farmers will be able to qualify for a check merely by certifying they had a 2009 loss of 5 percent on their rice, cotton, soybean or sweet potato crops last year. Those applying won’t need to supply new documentation to USDA, although their records could be subject to a spot check. Losses of 5 percent on a crop are within the range of normal year-to-year harvest variations, which is why previous disaster programs have generally required proof of losses of at least 20 percent."

I'm not sure the implication is right, though I can't find evidence to the contrary in a fast check of FSA. Usually a disaster program or crop insurance uses a yield, often known as an APH (standing for actual production history) which could be fairly representing an average of normal yields. But in the case of rice, cotton, and soybeans, it's possible the program uses the same yields as used for the big payment programs, which I think have been frozen for years, if not decades. Such yields, if I'm right, would represent much less than current normal production. 

[Note: just because I question the description, don't understand me to be defending the idea of the program. I'm not.]