Oregon PERS Set to Award $8 billion Contract, Largest Contract in State’s History With no Media Coverage

In 2004 the State of Oregon decided to isolate the "employee contribution" part of PERS and put these amounts into what are called IAP (Individual Account Program) accounts. These 200,000 IAP accounts are essentially a defined contribution program, not unlike a 401K, for which members earn returns based upon market results with no guaranteed rate of … Continue reading Oregon PERS Set to Award $8 billion Contract, Largest Contract in State’s History With no Media Coverage

Regeneron’s Eylea: Pulling Open the Curtain on Drug Costs

Doris is 85 and suffers from moisture build up in her eye, what some call wet eye.   She is on Medicare and gets treated with Eylea, a Regeneron product, every 4-5 weeks.  Each treatment costing $6,200.   That is more than $70,000 per year even though Doris never made more than $40,000 while working. … Continue reading Regeneron’s Eylea: Pulling Open the Curtain on Drug Costs

Is Patient Health Being Mortgaged via Derivatives as Homes Were During the Financial Crisis?

    Senator McConnell's Dilemma:   To Serve Patients or Investors? When evaluating health care investments it is important to analyze the structure of leading drug and medical equipment companies.  A close look indeed reveals a derivative driven system in which private equity and hedge funds increase demand for drug payments by purchasing the rights … Continue reading Is Patient Health Being Mortgaged via Derivatives as Homes Were During the Financial Crisis?

The Oregonian – How Measure 97 Might Affect Oregon Businesses

By Jeff Manning - October 12, 2016 MORO, Ore. -- Mile upon mile of golden stubble -- the remains of this summer's wheat harvest -- surround this tiny town in the high plains of north-central Oregon. The soft white wheat grown by nearly 900 area farmers is the region's economic engine. That engine would soon sputter … Continue reading The Oregonian – How Measure 97 Might Affect Oregon Businesses

How Measure 97 might affect Oregon businesses

by Jeff Manning, The Oregonian Corporate Oregon's declining contribution is due at least in part to what Portland investment adviser Bill Parish called "the explosion of accounting gimmicks and tax schemes" that corporations use to manipulate their bottom lines and dodge taxes. "Measure 97 is a beautiful tax because by taxing gross sales above $25 … Continue reading How Measure 97 might affect Oregon businesses

Los Angeles Times – They Teamed Up to Conquer Wall Street. Now, One is Bankrolling Clinton and the Other Trump

By Joseph Tanfani and Evan Halper - October 6, 2016 When Republican senators investigated a little-known San Francisco nonprofit steering as much as $50 million a year to climate change activists, the right-wing media outlet Breitbart News pounced on the report. Breitbart branded the organization, the Sea Change Foundation, as a vehicle for “rich liberals who are secretly … Continue reading Los Angeles Times – They Teamed Up to Conquer Wall Street. Now, One is Bankrolling Clinton and the Other Trump

Did Donald Trump’s Foundation Fund Citizens United?

In 2010 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Citizens United, opening the door for unlimited political contributions, essentially turning major political races over to billionaires.  Republicans and Democrats now openly agree this has had a major impact on the political process. Billionaire Donald Trump himself has openly criticized this decision, calling it a disaster … Continue reading Did Donald Trump’s Foundation Fund Citizens United?