The paper could use the just compensation, to which it is constitutionally entitled, to rebuild its facilities in a more urban scale on LESS LAND downtown, where the paper used to be and still belongs. Its current land in North San Jose could be put to -- drum roll -- industrial use, thereby increasing the amount of industrial land in this city. But why wait for the government to step in? The Merc should privately market its land and use the proceeds to move its headquarters into an office tower downtown. By the way, this little ditty merely illustrates a larger point. San Jose is NOT running out of industrial land -- AND NEVER WILL. Instead, many companies -- and I'm looking at you, San Jose Mercury News -- are simply using industrial land inefficiently. Increased scarcity in land merely leads to intensification of development. Which is why the one-story tilt-ups in North San Jose surrounding the Mercury News are now planned for denser development. And which is why we never hear of places like Hong Kong, Singapore or Manhattan running out of industrial land.
Well said, Don. I thought quite the same several weeks ago when we had the do at the Brit and I did a round-about through San Jose (south) to get back to 680. There's a lot of empty land in SJ, not to mention inefficient usage of presently occupied land.
100% agreement with your friend. I lived in Canada for two years and here, in Japan, for about 25. People who live in the U.S. and have never lived anywhere else don't realize (although they're getting there) how badly they are being screwed by the health/medical/pharmaceutical system in our country.
Healthcare is a basic human right. The government should provide it to all Americans for free -- same as they provide it free to all undocumented workers. If there's any question about who gets what level of service, then knowledgeable, unbiased government workers could decide which people and which ailments are most deserving. Hopefully, one day our free government healthcare will be as good as our free government education. The government should also provide free shelter and food, and free soccer specific stadiums. But that discussion is for another thread.
My experience with socialized medicine. Got sick on a business trip to the UK. Not really sick, just a bladder infection, but pee'ing blood got my attention. Hotel referred me to a local doctor. Went to his office, basically a house. Long, long line of sick people in the waiting room (reminded me of old people on Monty Python) but I walked right by them all and was seen immediately by the doctor. Why? I was paying cash. Later that day after a little penicillin and a couple pints of Courage I once again had a nice strong yellow flow.
Pretty much every tech company (other than Adobe) in the valley has a big, sprawling campus with useless lawn areas an and excessively huge sign bearing the company name. Don't even get me started on parking lots.
Nothing is ever free. The suggestion that anyone is talking about free medical care is way off the mark. Right now, there is not a person in this country who cannot get necessary health care...everyone who wants it, gets it. The problem is that far too many get that care in emergency rooms or other very inefficient sources. I am in 100% agreement with any plan that requires every person to have health care insurance. Yes, some can't afford it, but channeling those people away from emergency care is one step of the many required to get something positive accomplished. Hey, I am all in favor of outlawing "for profit" insurance companies period.
Agree almost 100%. I'm a pharmacist, and can assure that the insurance companies are making all the money (which is horsebleep). Making health insurance is so "statist", though. Expanding HSA's is the answer, not socialized medicine. And allowing providers to collectively bargain with the slime balls....err...insurance companies
I have just had some experience with Kaiser, having had a gallbladder removed and a couple of other relatively normal, yet somewhat extensive medical procedures. I could not say nicer things about Kaiser (with the exception of their hospital food). They were efficient, I had a private room, and the care was exceptional (including the few days in the telemetry unit because my heart wasn't functioning normally). They are about as close to "socialized" medicine as exists in the US right now. However, they have a system that does not appeal to everyone. I had back surgery in the mid-90s and my surgeon (not Kaiser) told me then that Kaiser was the most efficient company of any, including all of the regular insurance companies. Of every dollar they received, they spend almost 90 cents on patient care. Most of the insurance companies are lucky to spend 50 cents on patient care. Plus, with Kaiser, I like the concept of the doctor being able to make a unilateral decision about the care that is needed.....no nonsense about approvals and such.
As I remember it, and it's been 35 years since I lived in Canada, the government had several insurance companies running the program with the government overseeing those few insurance companies. That way the gov't was not directly involved in the day-to-day operation but kept its eye on things to make sure they stayed fair. I think some form of the Canadian pattern would work best in the US.
Everyone seems to be against the insurance companies, but FOR more insurance. This is insane. The problem is insurance itself, which depends on an imbalance of information (in the insurance companies favor) for the companies to make a profit. The cure for the US system of health care will come when we break free of traditional insurance. We need a system that lets the people who pay for healthcare -- the public -- do business directly with doctors and other healthcare providers. Everyone who blames the insurance companies is right -- but then most of the same people go right out and buy traditional health insurance via our employers. It's insane. We have to cut the traditional insurance companies out of the loop in healthcare. If I were a younger, I'd go with an HSA. Pure genius. Let the current system die a well deserved death.
Canadian healthcare is superior to the US in every way, unless you are a member of parliament and/or wealthy. Then you go where there's real quality care. http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/256600 _ _ _ Yep, Canadians love their healthcare system, only except when their life depends on it, eh?
Hey, Bajoro. Did you notice that that paper, The Toronto Star, has a better soccer section than the Merc?
"Actual" You might find someone who would quarrel with you on that, but.... I also noticed a lot of other stuff there, too. Not just news about FCT (or is it TFC?). Ciao! Oh, another thing, bdg. When the Merc actually does get an actual team to cover, how do you think they'll cover it?