Friday, September 28, 2012

How Much Would a State Lose If It Opts Out of the Expansion of Medicaid under the ACA?

The Affordable Care Act seeks to achieve universal health care coverage by expanding Medicaid and by granting funding to low income persons and families to purchase health insurance. In NFIB v. Sebelius decided June 28, 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the states must be given the opportunity to "opt out" of the expansion of Medicaid contained in the Affordable Care Act. How much money would a state lose if it chooses this route? It appears that it would cost the average state about $1 billion annually to forego expanding Medicaid. What else would it lose? Competitive advantage.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Palm Center Study on Effect of Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell on Military Readiness



The Palm Center has published its study One Year Out: An Assessment of DADT Repeal’s Impact on Military Readiness. Over the course of six months the Center visited military units and interviewed hundreds of servicemembers, including "553 generals and admirals who predicted that repeal would undermine the military, to all major activists and expert opponents of DADT repeal and to 18 watchdog organizations, including opponents and advocates of repeal, who are known for their ability to monitor Pentagon operations." The result - The Center found that allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly in the military has not reduced military readiness, and may instead have improved morale.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Online Legal Education

I spent most my summer learning how to teach online. The bottom line - in an online class I can cover more material and my students can learn it more effectively. However, this method of teaching and learning is not for everybody.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

On the Passing of Art Modell

When I was 14 my family and I watched the Browns beat the Colts 27-0 to win the NFL championship. Dr. Frank Ryan was at quarterback; Paul Warfield and Gary Collins at receiver; Ernie Green at running back; Leroy Kelly was running back kickoffs and punts; on the offensive line were Dick Schafrath, John Wooten, and Gene Hickerson; on defense, Galen Fiss, Jim Houston, Vince Costello, Jim Kanicki, Dick Modzelewski, Bill Glass, Bob Gain, and Paul Wiggin played on the line and at linebacker; from his cornerback position Bernie Parrish directed the aggressive play of the defensive backs; Lou Groza was still kicking, as he had since the end of World War II; and we had the incomparable Jimmy  Brown.

Art Modell owned that team and he owned the town.