Running the Gauntlett - Latest Comments

Re: Socialized Heathcare… Do we want this?

surferdude123 — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:15:28 -0000

the plan is not a Canadian system, it is to create competition by offering another plan (without profit motives) for people to consider. they would have the option to keep current HI plan or the govt one. the expectation is that it will drives proces down (good thing. competition does this). how it is funded to kick off, will it drive prices down, will most of the 47million be insured are all great questions. do not by the myth that this is socialized medicine.

Re: Socialized Heathcare… Do we want this?

Ryan — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:11:22 -0000

The Canadian system does have an inherent "rationing" to it -- the legislature ultimately gets to decide what level of care will be provided to citizens.

I like the UK model -- the state guarantees a certain standard of care that works for most people in most cases. Unlike in Canada where all doctors must work for the state health care system and where a doctor can not be in private practice, in the UK there are private doctors and private insurance. So you can buy supplementary insurance to get a higher standard of care than what the UK state insurance provides.

In fact we already have this system in the USA -- if you're over 65, that is. Medicare provides a certain standard of care as determined by the legislature (in conjunction with doctors, etc.) and if you want "more" or "better" care (e.g. a private room at the hospital instead of a shared room) you can buy supplemental insurance or pay out of pocket to cover that extra level of care.

What Medicare and any state-run health plan for people of all ages in the USA could benefit from is a realignment of incentives. Right now doctors who serve Medicare patients are incentivized to do more -- more tests, more procedures, etc. -- since they get paid based upon volume and not on results. Any state run health care should change that incentive to encourage doctors to provide the best results for a patient, not the highest volume of care. A few private hospitals have begun doing this (Mayo Clinic for example) and some HMO's who own the whole system (hospitals, doctors on payroll, etc.) like Kaiser Permanente do this.

In the UK, general practice doctors get incentives to get their patients to stop smoking, lower their blood pressure and cholesterol, etc., resulting in a healthier population that is cheaper to care for. Here in the USA we often just eat our burgers, get obese, get diabetes, and then go on a lifetime of drugs and insulin, for example, rather than stopping the problem at the root cause.

As a small business owner, I'm all for an affordable health care system that my employees could use. Right now it is very hard and expensive to compete with large companies in terms of the benefits that I can offer.

Re: Airlines

gauntlett — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:28:19 -0000

I'd like teleporters! I bet we will see more consolidations in the airline industry. Protectionism will make it difficult for foreign carries to carry domestic routes, but would make sense.

Once fuel prices skyrocket air travel will become very expensive and will no longer be a means of travel for all. That is a ways off however, so the US ought to start investing in a rail system ASAP!

Re: Airlines

Ryan — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:07:58 -0000

"What will the travel industry look like in the coming years?"

High speed rail?

Maybe teleporters..?

Re: Guns and Ammo

gauntlett — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:17:29 -0000

Yes, this is true. However, I find it unfortunate that in the land of the free we must resort to black markets. Though this is nothing new, and I imagine once prices on foodstuffs have price floors then we will see serious black markets. until then...

Re: Guns and Ammo

Publicus — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:06:46 -0000

There will always be a black market for guns and ammo for those who don't want to be tracked.

Re: Twitter Updates for 2009-02-05

can collection agency sue? — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 02:21:51 -0000

great article.visited your site for first time today,but i must say your write is of top notch and i will surely frequent your site.

Re: Airline in Crisis…

Ryan — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:16:02 -0000

Just curb check your luggage. Well worth the $2/bag extra fee to have someone handle the bags for you, since you're already paying $15 - $100 per bag.

Re: Twitter Updates for 2009-01-09

pennystocks — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:01:10 -0000

We've started to see some great things happening with twitter, hope to see you on there, we're pennypicks and post often about the market.

Re: All Calm on the Western Front

Ryan — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 13:31:26 -0000

"Just remember with every crisis there is opportunity."

I took advantage of some great after-Christmas sales and I'm going to refinance my house again at 5% for 30 years fixed and get my share of the bailout!

Re: Reward the incompetent…

Ryan — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:20:23 -0000

I didn't even qualify for a bail-out check.

Re: Reward the incompetent…

gauntlett — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:10:46 -0000

Oh right... ! I still have yet to receive my bailout check.

Re: Retirees are a threat to the markets

gauntlett — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:09:40 -0000

lol... well perhaps something like that. I wouldn't call it a Pyramid Scheme per say... however, with all bubbles there is a herd mentality. The best point to get in is after the capitulation when everyone wants out. We have yet to hit that point.

The worst time to get in is when people are in a panic to buy because they don't want to miss the boat, and the same for the downside. In Oct. 2007 and December 1999 we had people thinking that stocks were the best bet that they could only go higher... we know the story.

Smart money gets in when dumb money is getting out and vice-versa. So, I'd call it more of human psychology than a Pyramid Scheme, but in a sense they are similar in nature.

Re: Reward the incompetent…

Ryan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:03:28 -0000

But selective socialism is great, as long as it benefits me. :)

Re: Retirees are a threat to the markets

Ryan — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:02:13 -0000

Stock Market = Pyramid Scheme?

Re: The case for inflation

PeopleWatching — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:38:49 -0000

Well-written article, but Obama is not a Boomer. Hopefully you are open to allowing your readers to see an alternative view in comments on this blog: Obama’s membership in Generation Jones (between the Boomers and Generation X). I’ve seen numerous very credible experts say recently that Obama is part of GenJones; if Obama’s generational identity is of interest to you, click this link…it goes to a page filled with lots of articles and videos of many famous people discussing Obama’s identity as a GenJoneser, and the many implications of this for his Presidency: http://www.generationjones.com/2008election.html

Re: Reward the incompetent…

gauntlett — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:40:56 -0000

#2 doesn't set a precedent and continue our march toward destroying any remaining semblance of a free-market economy that our country was founded upon. If those who took on too much risk are being bailed out at our expense to buoy the economy then help out every homeowner including you and me.

This is selective socialism. Think of all the people who just missed the deadline and already foreclosed or walked away.

Do I want my property to half in value... no. However, they are throwing buckets of water on a forest fire. Jobs are being lost, the recession is deepening. The people being bailed out have a small disposable income. Even if they have smaller payments what happens if they lose their jobs? They will still go into default.

Either way housing prices are going to continue to decline. Any look at the Case Schiller index shows how overvalued housing prices have become. Anytime prices (of anything) go to high they eventually correct. Given that this is the largest credit expansion in modern history we are now embarking upon the largest credit contraction in modern history.

However, the Fed will NOT allow a depression to occur. Eventually once all this free money starts circulating we will have massive inflation which will push prices much higher. Inflation through cheap credit is what got us into this mess.

Re: Reward the incompetent…

Ryan — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:35:49 -0000

What if the choice was between these two options:
1. You as the responsible taxpayer cover the bailout and the current value of your condominium stays the same.
2. No bailout, but your condominium loses half of its value.

Maybe #1 costs less than #2?

Re: Fun with Numbers 1929 vs Now

gauntlett — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:56:45 -0000

I use Prophet Charts through ThinkorSwim.com

Re: Fun with Numbers 1929 vs Now

jmeth — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:05:51 -0000

Trevor, where did you find weekly 1929+ data. I've been only able to locate monthly data in my search. Weekly stats (or, even better, daily) would be useful.

Re: You can’t handle the truth…

gauntlett — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 23:31:06 -0000

Gave me a glimmer of hope... that was until the Senate passed the financial bailout...

Re: You can’t handle the truth…

nyinvestingmeetup — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:25:27 -0000

Thank you for posting this. It's a perfect description of what's going on.
At least there's a few reps in Congress who don't have their heads tucked up their butts.
-Organizer, New York Investing meetup

Re: Before the Bailout Vote

Ryan — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:09:58 -0000

I don't think it was that the dollar was rallying yesterday (and again today) but rather than other world currencies were falling because of the fear that our problems are spreading around the world.

Re: History has its warnings:::

Ben Bernanke — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:29:46 -0000

I'm utterly astonished that more people haven't woken up to the fact that powerful financial interests have been systematically stripping the "good" assets out of these failing banks (e.g., JPMorgan Chase getting the good stuff out of Bear Stearns, Barclays getting the good stuff out of Lehman Brothers, etc.) and are now trying to dump the remaining "bad" assets on the U.S. taxpayer.

Wake up people! This can only be part of systematic planning and execution!

Or maybe people have woken up to this fact, but our corrupt and complicit media hasn't been reporting it.

Re: Bernake admits financials out of control…

gauntlett — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 15:34:46 -0000

Well what can I say... I'm fallible and thanks for the proofread!