The AMA currently represents about 100,000 or so physicians actively, of 650,000 total in practice. It is not a union, I don't even know what it is, but at 16% of the workforce it's more of a trade group. The AMA opposed it in 1979 because there is no reason individual doctor's payments should be being made redundant public. The reimbursement rates, ie what medicare pays for x y and z are already available. The WSJ wants to use the data to screen for fraud, which is admirable, but Read More...

If you are smart, you will charge everything possible on your credit card default card, and pay it off each month. It is not smart to pay cash or use a Debit Card. Advantages of using a Credit Card include: 1. Use of the banks' money free for at least 20 days 2. Protection from fraud 3. Extra warranty on many purchases 4. Freebies such as luggage insurance, travel insurance, depending on card 5. Saves money! I get 1% back on everything. There are a lot of angry people who hate credit Read More...

As human beings, we compete, struggle, win, lose, succeed or fail. We do this because we have an innate desire to better ourselves, to make things better for our children. Something outside of and beyond ourselves tells us that this a commendable goal, and that even without the conscious acknowledgement of the individual, this struggle is necessary to the betterment of all mankind. Liberals reject, and quite possibly hate this aspect of their own humanity, because as in any struggle, Read More...

Indeed, Krishnan. It's a shame that because he was honest and forthcoming about his thoughts and he tried to engage the looters at their word, he was publicly lambasted and villified. But we already knew this, us students of Ayn Rand? It only gets worse from here. The most we can do is to support John Mackey in any way we can. All he wants is honesty is the best policy in business and definitely honesty in government. I will seek to try and get a Whole Foods store on my side of town Read More...

This is a step in the right direction, but it's hard to take seriously. He can promise anything he likes, that doesn't mean he can deliver. I would like to see the article where he elaborates on how he would fix the entitlements - if anyone can link to it that would be greatly appreciated. I favor a simple tax credits calculator code with few if any deductions or credits. That would create simple rules that everyone can understand and would allow billions of dollars now spent on compliance Read More...

Hi Scott - love this column. I agree that fares for WN have crept up. But, as a FF out of PHL, WN is still the hands down choice. Their staff is just so much nicer than USAir. From the counter to the gate to the on board service, they smile at me. The staff at US Air has been miserable for the last 15 years. Plus, Rapid Rewards is a real FF program. Dividend Miles is a joke. Would love to see international service someday. Lufthansa is getting harder to justify my love over USAir, Read More...

I'm a retired Navy Officer, and I assure you that things are just as bad in the sea service..... worse even if you consider the Political Correctness in all things related to females. None of this should be unexpected. You get what you pay for; you want meek leadership characteristics? Subject your officers to career destruction for any perceived hostility towards a protected minority --- soon enough your military leadership will submit to the whip. Politicians like it this way. Only Read More...

Most communications inside companies are by IM. Not follow up email, not phone and not social network sites like Twitter and Facebook. In smart companies everyone is connected real time, if you need a phone call or email you use those tools. But the discussion is usually over before the call, and if you are not in the loop you are going to be heard. Embrace the tools, email is replacing the fax. IM is replacing emails. Beware the emailer, usually the pya tool of choice. Not the fastest Read More...

This year, households making more than $1 million will pay an average of 29.1 percent of their income in federal income tax calculator taxes, including income taxes, payroll taxes and other taxes, according to the Tax Policy Center, a Washington think tank. Households making between $50,000 and $75,000 will pay an average of 15 percent of their income in federal taxes. Lower-income households will pay less. For example, households making between $40,000 and $50,000 will pay an average Read More...

A lot of the conflict evident in this discussion, is due to the inevitable conflict of gender managerial roles in the human mating system. It is not written in stone anywhere that men and women SHOULD get along as couples. Indeed it is clear that human M-F gender roles are very different, and set in place by the adaptive value of successful reproduction. So although one can sometimes find a partner who gets along outside these often aggravating DNA constraints (for awhile at least), Read More...