So Texas is making noises about ditching Medicaid, but on the other end of the spectrum, some blue states are rushing to embrace the program's expansion under the federal health-care reform law as quickly as possible. Take California, for example: Just last week, the Obama administration approved a plan that will give the state $10 billion to modernize and expand the state's Medicaid program. The plan -- which was passed by the state legislature and heralded by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) -- will expand coverage to about 500,000 Californians who didn't previously qualify for Medicaid. All states will be required to undertake a similar entitlement expansion by 2014, but California is leading the pack.
Why is California so eager to get ahead, while red states continue to drag their heels? The state had already made an effort to insure poor residents who didn't qualify for Medicaid, requiring counties to take final responsibility for covering the poor, disabled and low-income seniors. As a result, county governments and hospitals for low-income residents have extended health-care services, if not full insurance coverage, to a larger swath of California's population. But county governments have struggled to come up with the funds for such services: The Los Angeles Department of Health, for example, is facing a $629-million deficit from last year and this year. California counties and hospitals will now receive federal funds to transition their low-income patients into a full Medicaid coverage program: Los Angeles County will receive $65 million more in revenue, for example, and California is expected to pay only 1.5 percent more for Medicaid, while the federal spending on the program will rise by 23 percent.
Earlier during the debate, Schwarzenegger had joined Texas and other states in protesting the Medicaid expansion as a budget-buster. Now he's outright celebrating some of the changes under health-care reform for providing an injection of new federal money. "This agreement is great news for the people of our state because we will be able to expand coverage, improve the delivery of care and build a strong bridge to federal healthcare reform with increased federal resources," he said in a statement Tuesday.
Having committed to extending health-care services to more of its population, California has decided that it's worth betting on health-care reform and reaping the benefits of federal dollars sooner than later.
Texas stands to receive even more bang for its buck in the Medicaid expansion -- at least partly because the state has restricted its Medicaid eligibility and skimped on its benefit packages for so long. As a Kaiser study points out, the federal government will be covering more than 95 percent of the costs of the state's Medicaid expansion: "If Texas sees a 46 percent increase in Medicaid enrollment by 2019, the study notes, it will still only see state Medicaid spending grow by 3 percent," reports the Texas Tribune. In essence, the residents of some states that have done the least to expand medical coverage are now poised to benefit the most from health-care reform.
On one side, you have states such as California that made expanding health-care to the poor a priority well before the passage of the federal health-care reform law -- and those states are now grateful to receive federal money to assist their efforts. On the other, you have states such as Texas that declined to make this commitment and now resent that the federal government is forcing them to do it.
It's time for the U.S. Senate to ratify the new arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia (New START).
The treaty's benefits are clear and concrete (PDF). Each side would reduce its nuclear stockpile by about one-third. Each side would adhere to an effective, multi-faceted monitoring scheme -- including satellite reconnaissance, on-site inspections, and extensive information exchanges -- that would ensure compliance with the agreement. The treaty would also set the stage for enhanced U.S. and Russian cooperation on urgent issues such as curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions and securing nuclear weapons and bomb-making materials to keep them out of the hands of terrorists. And it would signal to the rest of the world that the United States and Russia -- which together account for over 90% of the world's more than 20,000 nuclear weapons -- are serious about their commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The treaty calls for existing nuclear weapons states to reduce and eventually eliminate their arsenals in exchange for other signatories agreeing not to develop nuclear weapons.
The fewer nuclear weapons there are, the safer we all will be. New START offers an important step in the right direction.
So why hasn't the Senate ratified the treaty yet? First, the administration needed to make the case for the treaty, with a particular focus on Republican skeptics whose votes were needed to reach the 67 vote total needed to ratify a treaty. But that case has been made. There have been 18 hearings, dozens of briefings, hundreds of questions answered at the request of individual Senators, not to mention hundreds and hundreds of pages of reports, analysis, and testimony. An impressive bipartisan group of experts, including national security advisors and secretaries of state and defense from the Reagan, Bush (father and son) and Clinton administrations, has endorsed the treaty. So have all of the nation's top military leaders, along with key retired leaders like seven former commanders of U.S. nuclear forces.
So what is the holdup? Laura Rozen of Politico got hold of a memo by a staffer from the Senate Republican Policy Committee that purports to supply the reasons why the Senate should delay any vote on the treaty. In fact, the memo acknowledges that two of the main objections raised by the treaty's critics have already been addressed.
The first issue is "nuclear modernization" -- the ability to build a new generation of nuclear delivery vehicles and to preserve the reliability of existing warheads in the context of an upgraded nuclear weapons complex. There are serious questions about whether spending in these areas is in fact needed at a time when U.S. and Rusian arsenals are being reduced. But whatever one may think about building a shiny new weapons complex at a time when a growing number of world leaders are calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons, the Republican memo notes that New START will "preserve the ability of the United States to modernize its nuclear forces." The real complaint is that the Obama administration is not doing so quickly enough, even though it is spending more on the nuclear weapons complex than even the George W. Bush administration did.
As Linton Brooks, the head of the nuclear weapons complex in the Bush administration, said in April, "I'd have killed for that budget and that much high-level attention" during the Bush years compared to the Obama years.
A second major issue raised by Republican skeptics has been whether New START constrains the United States from developing whatever kind of missile defense system it chooses to. It does not. The Republican memo notes that this "may be a true statement," but that the real question is how much money and effort the Obama administration is willing to devote to missile defense. As with nuclear modernization, this is an issue of administration policy that has no direct link to the New START treaty. The treaty allows any administration to pursue as extensive a missile defense system as it desires; it does not, and should not, dictate what shape that system should take, or how much should be spent on it. That is an ongoing policy issue.
Holding New START hostage to the policy preferences of some -- not all -- Republican skeptics makes no sense. New START is valuable in its own right, and it will make us all safer by reducing the number of nuclear weapons in both Russia and the United States. Debates over what kind of missile defense system to build, or how much to spend on modernizing nuclear delivery vehicles and the nuclear warhead complex, should be pursued on their own merits, outside the context of the treaty.
The Senate should ratify New START before the end of the year, during its lame duck session. There is no good reason to wait, and there are a number of very good reasons to move forward now.
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Debian Project <b>News</b> - October 18th, 2010
State of Debian 6.0 Squeeze , ask.debian.net, updated DebianEdu, new sloppy backports, Debian project membership.
Monday <b>News</b> Roundup - - The Offside - Liverpool Football Club Blog
Hodgson, aka The Manatee, as seen in this stock photo from 1937. A short international break.
NBC Ad Urges Recording <b>News</b> - NYTimes.com
The anchor Brian Williams encourages people to record "Nightly News" if they cannot watch it at 6:30 pm.
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bench craft company rip off
Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 11/15 - Arrowhead Pride
Well, that happened. Who invited the 2009 Chiefs to yesterday's game? As you can imagine, there are a lot of recaps and opinions on the game (and a missing handshake). Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news.
» Movie Review: LennoNYC - Blogger <b>News</b> Network
We are pleased to announce our latest endeavor, Blogger News is now sponsoring some radio shows on Blog Talk Radio. You can check our full schedule, and listen to previous broadcasts here, and we hope that you will join us on the air in ...
Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Nov. 15 <b>...</b>
Stocks in China may face more declines today after large losses in mainland and US-traded China shares on Friday. Chinese media have been reporting that the government plans interest-rate increases to curb rising prices in the country.
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Afghan Insurgents in Weakened State « Liveshots
KABUL, Afghanistan -US and NATO officials claimed Sunday that insurgents in Afghanistan are.
<b>News</b> - PIC: See Jessica Simpson's Stunning Engagement Ring <b>...</b>
The singer debuted her new bling at an in-store appearance Saturday.
Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Nov. 15 <b>...</b>
Stocks in China may face more declines today after large losses in mainland and US-traded China shares on Friday. Chinese media have been reporting that the government plans interest-rate increases to curb rising prices in the country.
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Sea Ice <b>News</b> #29 | Watts Up With That?
In sea ice news this week, Arctic sea ice continues its inexorable climb toward the summit, to be reached sometime in March 2011. At present the ice growth is tracking just below the rate of 2007, but it should also be pointed out that ...
Senator-Elect Rand Paul Pushes Earmark Ban - FoxNews.com
Paul said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, "I think ear markings are bad. There is some symbolism. Definitely the symbolism is bad. And, I think it encourages people to vote for large appropriations bills, because all of a ...
Kinect - OpenSource - amazing work created within a few <b>...</b>
November 14, 2010 | In News, c++, openFrameworks | View Comments. There have been a number of exciting developments in the last few days related to XBox Kinect. For those that may not be aware of what it is, it's a brand new interface ...
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» Movie Review: LennoNYC - Blogger <b>News</b> Network
We are pleased to announce our latest endeavor, Blogger News is now sponsoring some radio shows on Blog Talk Radio. You can check our full schedule, and listen to previous broadcasts here, and we hope that you will join us on the air in ...
Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Congressional FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>
epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Congressional FAIL.
Denver Broncos <b>News</b>: Horse Tracks - 11/15/10 - Mile High Report
Your Daily Cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks!
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Senator-Elect Rand Paul Pushes Earmark Ban - FoxNews.com
Paul said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, "I think ear markings are bad. There is some symbolism. Definitely the symbolism is bad. And, I think it encourages people to vote for large appropriations bills, because all of a ...
Monday <b>News</b> Roundup - - The Offside - Liverpool Football Club Blog
Hodgson, aka The Manatee, as seen in this stock photo from 1937. A short international break.
Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Congressional FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>
epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Congressional FAIL.
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Pulse <b>News</b> Reader app celebrates VC success by going free
Celebrating their anticipated announcement of a successful VC injection of $800000, Alphonso Labs, makers of the Pulse News Reader iOS application , have made the application a free download. The Pulse News Reader, which formats RSS ...
NBC Ad Urges Recording <b>News</b> - NYTimes.com
The anchor Brian Williams encourages people to record "Nightly News" if they cannot watch it at 6:30 pm.
Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Congressional FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>
epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Congressional FAIL.
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Debian Project <b>News</b> - October 18th, 2010
State of Debian 6.0 Squeeze , ask.debian.net, updated DebianEdu, new sloppy backports, Debian project membership.
<b>News</b> - PIC: See Jessica Simpson's Stunning Engagement Ring <b>...</b>
The singer debuted her new bling at an in-store appearance Saturday.
Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 11/15 - Arrowhead Pride
Well, that happened. Who invited the 2009 Chiefs to yesterday's game? As you can imagine, there are a lot of recaps and opinions on the game (and a missing handshake). Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news.
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Arrowheadlines: Chiefs <b>News</b> 11/15 - Arrowhead Pride
Well, that happened. Who invited the 2009 Chiefs to yesterday's game? As you can imagine, there are a lot of recaps and opinions on the game (and a missing handshake). Here's today's Kansas City Chiefs news.
Pulse <b>News</b> Reader for iOS now free
This is both a strength and a weakness -- it works better with some types of feeds than others -- but overall it provides a pleasant way to catch up with the news over your breakfast. Tags: AlphonsoLabs, ipad, new york times, ...
Kinect - OpenSource - amazing work created within a few <b>...</b>
November 14, 2010 | In News, c++, openFrameworks | View Comments. There have been a number of exciting developments in the last few days related to XBox Kinect. For those that may not be aware of what it is, it's a brand new interface ...
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Monday <b>News</b> Roundup - - The Offside - Liverpool Football Club Blog
Hodgson, aka The Manatee, as seen in this stock photo from 1937. A short international break.
» Movie Review: LennoNYC - Blogger <b>News</b> Network
We are pleased to announce our latest endeavor, Blogger News is now sponsoring some radio shows on Blog Talk Radio. You can check our full schedule, and listen to previous broadcasts here, and we hope that you will join us on the air in ...
<b>News</b> - PIC: See Jessica Simpson's Stunning Engagement Ring <b>...</b>
The singer debuted her new bling at an in-store appearance Saturday.
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Senator-Elect Rand Paul Pushes Earmark Ban - FoxNews.com
Paul said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, "I think ear markings are bad. There is some symbolism. Definitely the symbolism is bad. And, I think it encourages people to vote for large appropriations bills, because all of a ...
Kinect - OpenSource - amazing work created within a few <b>...</b>
November 14, 2010 | In News, c++, openFrameworks | View Comments. There have been a number of exciting developments in the last few days related to XBox Kinect. For those that may not be aware of what it is, it's a brand new interface ...
Sea Ice <b>News</b> #29 | Watts Up With That?
In sea ice news this week, Arctic sea ice continues its inexorable climb toward the summit, to be reached sometime in March 2011. At present the ice growth is tracking just below the rate of 2007, but it should also be pointed out that ...
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Lujiazui Breakfast: <b>News</b> And Views About China Stocks (Nov. 15 <b>...</b>
Stocks in China may face more declines today after large losses in mainland and US-traded China shares on Friday. Chinese media have been reporting that the government plans interest-rate increases to curb rising prices in the country.
Probably Bad <b>News</b>: Congressional FAIL - Epic Fail Funny Videos and <b>...</b>
epic fail photos - Probably Bad News: Congressional FAIL.
Cable announces new business mentoring network - <b>News</b> : NDS
p>Vince Cable announced a new 40000-strong network of business mentors at the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week today, and called on more businesses to join up.</p>
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Debian Project <b>News</b> - October 18th, 2010
State of Debian 6.0 Squeeze , ask.debian.net, updated DebianEdu, new sloppy backports, Debian project membership.
Denver Broncos <b>News</b>: Horse Tracks - 11/15/10 - Mile High Report
Your Daily Cup of Orange and Blue Coffee .. Horse Tracks!
What to Expect in House Lame Duck - FoxNews.com
FOX News covers politics on America's Election Headquarters. FOX News political coverage on elections, races, foreign policy, candidates, and national security.
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Pulse <b>News</b> Reader for iOS now free
This is both a strength and a weakness -- it works better with some types of feeds than others -- but overall it provides a pleasant way to catch up with the news over your breakfast. Tags: AlphonsoLabs, ipad, new york times, ...
Senator-Elect Rand Paul Pushes Earmark Ban - FoxNews.com
Paul said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, "I think ear markings are bad. There is some symbolism. Definitely the symbolism is bad. And, I think it encourages people to vote for large appropriations bills, because all of a ...
» Movie Review: LennoNYC - Blogger <b>News</b> Network
We are pleased to announce our latest endeavor, Blogger News is now sponsoring some radio shows on Blog Talk Radio. You can check our full schedule, and listen to previous broadcasts here, and we hope that you will join us on the air in ...
The Search Engine Optimization (SEO) industry has grown tremendously in the past few years, and to such an extent that many SEO practices have become important components of the Internet marketing strategies for many businesses.
However, although the ever-changing dynamics between search engine algorithms and SEO techniques have evolved in complexity and in many different directions, very little has been done to actually measure the effectiveness of these SEO methodologies and processes. Significant amount of money is budgeted yearly by businesses for their website's SEO projects, but only a few actually conduct a regular review of their SEO programs. A well-designed SEO audit is therefore a necessity. The SEO website audit is also fast becoming the norm in many companies wanting an objective assessment of the effectiveness of their SEO initiatives.
As with any other audit, SEO website audit is a means to examine the efficiency and effectiveness of business websites. It seeks to identify the gaps between expected and actual website performance. The end goal of SEO audit is to recommend improvements and maximize the benefits from SEO investments.
SEO Website Audit in a Nutshell?
SEO audit is a means to track the performance of the various SEO activities conducted for a website. Through the SEO website audit, the status of the site as evaluated by search engines can be assessed. With SEO audit, there is now a way to examine the robustness of the website's technical framework and infrastructure, which includes SEO keywords, content, meta tags, and link popularity, and in comparison with top competitors.
The SEO website audit is both a quality and performance review. It measures the value added to the website as a result of the SEO work done on it, such as search engine rankings, traffic volume, and conversions.
The output of an SEO audit is a report on the site's performance. It contains the issues and problems that cause poor website performance, and the most efficient and effective SEO techniques to employ from thereon to improve performance. Moreover, the SEO audit report will identify SEO methodologies that can be removed from the SEO program altogether because they are not effective and are a waste of investment.
Benefits of the SEO Audit
What are the benefits of an SEO audit? Here are a few of them:
1. An SEO website audit can pinpoint reasons for poor ranking performance and provide helpful performance improvement advice.
2. An SEO audit can assess the extent and scale of poor performance. It can also rectify whatever damage done by past SEO methodologies by providing valuable decision-making information on whether to hire professional SEO experts to work on the problem, or continue with in-house SEO work.
3. An SEO website audit guarantees management buy-in and support, particularly when conducted by a third-party SEO auditor. When confirmed by concrete metrics, this can convince decision makers in the company that present and future SEO strategies are working effectively for the business.
Making SEO web site audit a part of the business road map should be one of the most important undertakings for a company. SEO audit ensures that the company's SEO initiatives are well-validated and worth the investment.
Debbie Everson is the CEO of SearchMar.com, the leading provider of search engine optimization & online marketing solutions to over 200 small businesses. Debbie brings over 15 years of experience leading SEO and direct marketing programs for some of the most respected brands in technology, retail and healthcare. Read my SEO Blog. Follow me on Twitter. Call 866-885-6263 for a free consultation. Article Source: |
Networked <b>news</b>: the digital future of regional journalism | Media <b>...</b>
US local and regional media are rebuilding using new business models, including that of Washington-based site TBD. By Kevin Anderson.
Senator-Elect Rand Paul Pushes Earmark Ban - FoxNews.com
Paul said during an interview with Fox News on Sunday, "I think ear markings are bad. There is some symbolism. Definitely the symbolism is bad. And, I think it encourages people to vote for large appropriations bills, because all of a ...
Cable announces new business mentoring network - <b>News</b> : NDS
p>Vince Cable announced a new 40000-strong network of business mentors at the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week today, and called on more businesses to join up.</p>
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