OK, folks, it’s rant time. The obligatory and halfhearted hearing into the Insurance Commissioner’s office can only be described as pathetic.
Based on published reports and what was reported at DL, there appeared to have been next-to-no preparation by the respective committee members. Little in the way of followup questions. And the weak post-hearing handwringing that the General Assembly really can’t do much because the IC’s office is a constitutionally-separate office.
Bullshit. There is absolutely no reason why The General Assembly can’t craft legislation to, for example, require the IC’s office to comply with contractual and procurement laws. None. How do you think the IC’s office got its powers in the first place? That’s right, by a little something called laws created by lawmakers, aka legislators. Every year, the IC’s office brings its own legislative agenda to the General Assembly. There is no reason why the General Assembly can’t or shouldn’t enact an agenda designed to ensure that the IC’s office works on behalf of the people, not just the insurance companies.
Well, actually, there is a reason. One incentive for seeking chairmanships of committees ‘regulating’ banking and insurance is to ‘insure’ that you can build hefty war chests. For example, those of you who are disappointed in Bryon Short’s performance here should be prepared to be disappointed in the future. He has the ‘aw-shucks’ amiability of Tom Carper circa 1982, a tabula rasa quality upon which those seeking progressivism could project him as a progressive, and the same empathy for banks and insurance companies as his former employer. This is not surprising as he worked for Carper and emerged fully-formed from the Ed Freel Candidate Factory. Just remember this: When the opportunity came to stand up for those who have been hurt by the BC/BS preauthorization denials, he threw up his hands and said there was nothing he could do. The chair of the committee. Nothing he can do. One can understand Monsignor Greg ‘100 Incidents Do Not Constitute a Trend” Lavelle shilling for the plutocrats. But once again, ‘Democrats’ at best turned and ran away from the situation.
In fairness, Short might have been influenced by the Governor’s office, which was likely discomfitted by the fact that preauthorization was about to be peddled as part of its state health care cost savings plans. Fair enough. Tell us again what it means to be a Democrat? When it comes to protecting corporate interests at the expense of consumers, there ain’t a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties.
And Karen Weldin Stewart is still utterly unfit to hold public office. However, nobody but the public will suffer by her reign of incompetence. Certainly not the legislators raking in the banking and insurance bucks.
*Sigh*
Once again, virtually the only bill of interest that could be considered today is Pete Schwartzkopf’s attempt to expand casino gambling in Delaware by at least two casinos. The bill is currently laid on the Speaker’s Table, which means it can be brought up for consideration any time at the request of the sponsor. If Hazel Plant is back in attendance and/or if some negotiations have yielded a compromise, then maybe it will be considered soon. Here is the full House agenda.
At least the House agenda offers us another teaching opportunity. You will notice a ‘Consent Agenda’ consisting of two bills listed. Bills placed on a consent agenda are generally considered to be noncontroversial bills (in this case, two House bills returning to the House with Senate amendments). An objection by any member of the body automatically removes a bill from the consent agenda.
On to the Senate Agenda. ‘Nuff said.
See ya tomorrow.