One Way Howard Schultz Could Actually Become President

Dave Davis Commentary, The Future Party

Watching a cable news interview with a major university president, we were struck by the fact he was talking not about he might do to reduce the cost of a college education and the attending debt burden, but what he actually had done.  Expounding on his article that recently appeared in the Washington Post where he is a contributor, he outlined what in point of fact how is has reduced costs.  At a time when college costs are rising at a rate far in excess of the general rate of inflation, since he became President in 2013 his university has seen no rise in tuition and other costs such as text books have been successfully attacked.  Innovative ways for students to get a college education without incurring heavy debt have been introduced. Wow, somebody telling you what he’s actually done about a major problem rather than talking pie in sky.

In the fashion of cable news, after University President’s interview was over and he was gone, two commentators, one from the left and one from the right joined the host to discuss what was said. What impressed us was instead of the normal loud disagreement that seems to come with the job of cable news commentator, both were surprisingly positive about what they heard. One might think the commentator on the right might look in  askance of an academic Washington Post Contributor, but on the other hand the one from the left might be unenthusiastic over a known Republican. Yet with some tangible ideas to think and talk about, both admiringly considered how these actions could be expanded upon.  Real solutions seem to bring a certain consensus.

Who is this University President who elicits such a positive response?  That would be Mitch Daniels, the President of Purdue University.  It would not come as a surprise to those acquainted with him to be seen as a problem solver.  A successful two term Indiana Governor, a top  Fortune Five hundred company executive, Director of the Office of Management and Budget under George w. Bush, Think Tank Head and author all point to a man who solves problems.

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We Don’t Talk Anymore

Dave Davis Uncategorized

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Have you lately felt disinclined to engage strangers of another race or ethnicity in any kind of conversation?  Say in a locker room or sharing waiting space.  We bring this up because we have found ourselves cutting these interactions short.  Instead of following  “good morning” with “how’s your day going”, it ends withe first salutation.  At the heart of the reluctance is the real fear of inadvertently sayings or doing something the other person might find offensive.  In these days of “code words” and “dog whistles” it’s almost impossible to keep up with what might offend somebody. If you’re not the one inadvertently offending, you might be the one offended and feel compelled to stand up.  Better to dodge a possible confrontation.

Now some people advise if you find yourself  in a situation of offending someone possibly because you weren’t properly “woke”, apologize immediately and if asked to do something to rectify the situation, do it.  Forget this puts you at the mercy of what someone else thinks and your side  isn’t heard.  If  you offend someone your reasons and explanation are immaterial.  Unfortunately this can lead to some bizarre situations.

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Pills Shouldn’t be Bitter

Dave Davis Commentary, Dave's Healthcare Plan, Policy, Uncategorized

High Drug prices have been the subject of endless news stories. Politicians are railing against greedy “Big Pharma.”  It is hardly surprising people ask , “what does Dave’s Plan do to control drug prices if anything?”  They note the subject isn’t specifically mentioned. That’s true , but only because medicine is an integral part of healthcare not something apart.  One of the basic tenets of”Dave’s Plan” is to make the vast majority of healthcare transactions for cash by individuals.  Today the incomprehensible 3rd party maze of  drug companies, pharmacy-benefit managers (PBMs), discounts, rebates and insurance companies have resulted in Americans in many cases are paying much more for patented and other drugs than they should.  Yet Americans also have the most access to the advanced and in many cases life saving drugs in the world which of course is the real meaning of medicine.  After all, leaches may be cheap but are hardly crest of the medical wave. So what is the best way to balance price and the best medicines.  Scott W. Atlas of the Hoover Institution writing in the Wall Street Journal asked “so how can policy makers bring drug prices down?  By empowering consumers not insurers  or other intermediaries.”  That is exactly what Dave’s Plan does by allowing transactions to be made at the first dollar for cash.

We know this works even today.  With deductibles getting ever higher, shopping around can mean real savings.  Use pricing apps such as GoodRX.com or RXSaver.  Shop online at Blink Health.com or HealthWarehouse.com. Rather than using your insurance, just asking what the drug price would be if you pay cash at the pharmacy might result in major savings. New rules allow pharmacists to quot e direct prices,but only if you ask. If cash does better in many cases now, imagine what the price pressure would be from virtually all Americans paying cash and looking for the best deal? Could Amazon, Walmart or new entrants ignore such a vast market? That would be the case under Dave’s Plan.

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Howard Small

Dave Davis Commentary, Dave's Healthcare Plan, The Future Party, Uncategorized

Howard Schultz is on the verge of running for president as an independent.  The billionaire former Starbucks’s chief surely has the money to self finance a run, but we think this would be going small.  His reasons for making a run outside the Democratic party center on the party’s inability to face reality.   Entitlements about to swallow the national budget with  huge deficits as far as the eye can see if left unaddressed The hot ideas in the party are Medicare for All, free college tuition and a guaranteed job and/or income for all among other expensive things. As a successful businessperson, he asks the simple question, how do we pay for all this?  The answer given is “make the rich pay their fair share.”  While Mr. Schultz might be willing to pay more in taxes, he is well aware a 70%+ top bracket and/or a wealth tax wouldn’t come close to covering all this but it would do irreparable harm. Obviously, he concluded there was no way forward for a candidate for the Democratic nomination who throws cold water on the party’s fantasies.  We came to the same conclusion about both major parties, so even though we don’t agree with him on every issue, we applaud his courage in facing the facts. However, we question a singular independent run is the way to go.

An independent run to our mind is a small solution probably doomed to costly failure.  In essence he would be running in a party of one. That’s why we proposed a new party. We laid this out in our series on”The Future Party” on this Blog.  The people actually building the party would pick the delegates to the conventions and they would  determine the candidates and platforms. Across the country there are people from both parties being forced out  by those on the extremes.  For instance, take Arizona where the Republican elected Kelli Ward a total Trump partisan twice overwhelmingly rejected  by Republican voters in runs for the senate to the Party’s  chairperson.  A state John McCain won handily numerous times has no room in the Republican party for his supporters.  This has been repeated across  the country in both major parties. These homeless are more informed, moderate and realistic than those that have replaced them.  They feel just as orphaned as Howard Schultz but they’re party workers looking for their party not a one-off.  Howard Schultz is going to spend a fortune establishing an organization in every state.  After all, if he can’t get on the ballot in almost every  state he as no chance to win. Even if he wins, he’ll be alone in Washington in a sea of Democrats and /Republicans.  What will he accomplish?  If he loses it all goes away probably without a trace.

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The Primary Wall

Dave Davis Commentary, The Future Party, Uncategorized

So here we are, with all our major problems the government has come to a screeching halt over spending less than 6 billion dollars out of over 4 trillion dollars.  Could anything better show the dysfunction of our two-party system?  This should not surprise anyone who had read  our series on the “Future Party” (Available on this site).  Due in no small measure to our two major parties primary systems, the extremes in both party’s have obtained a veto power over their actions.  President Trump made building a great wall across our southern border paid for by Mexico the cornerstone of his 2016 campaign.  However, in his first two years did little on this monumental building project.  It was only when the last continuing resolution to fund the government before the Democrats took control of the house was agreed on by everyone including the president without funds for the wall was about to approved that the populist wing of the Republican party woke up.  If they didn’t get the funds now they may never their great wall.  Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter and indeed most of talk radio suddenly rose up and informed Trump this wasn’t acceptable.  They represent the base and without his base he’s  finished.  They are his power.  We warned  in our 1/30/17 post AND THEN THE REPUBLICANS and even the 8/29/16 post Questions. Do the Libertarians want to win? Do Republicans want to exist? of exactly this happening.  Up to this point, the Trump administration no matter how it appeared has actually worked towards conventional Republican ends, lower taxes, less regulation, conservative judges and a continued world presence. No wall, repeal of Obama Care or a pullback from the rest of the world left the base asking “when do you give us our stuff?” Predictably, agreement or not Trump abruptly changed his mind and dug in.  He had no choice.

One might think the Democratic congressional leadership eager to show their governing chops, would toss Trump a bone for his wall and move on to more substantial things.  Yet, here they are just as dug in as Trump.  Turns out to a great swath of the party, giving  Trump his great wall isn’t what they elected the new house majority to do.  For their populist wing, you can’t fund a monumental wall for someone you hope to impeach.  Pelosi only got the nod to regain her Speakership by promising her left-wing to be tough on the President.  Further the multitude of Democrats running for the right to oppose Trump 2020 simply can’t be seen as giving in to Trump.  One scathing internet attack by  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could leave  your campaign stillborn. If the number of possible candidates on the Senate Judiciary committee during the Kavanaugh hearings are any indication these aren’t people known for their character. Remember they were ready to destroy a fine man on absolutely no evidence to curry the favor of the party base.  Remember all those Democratic congressional candidates touting their ability to work across the aisle?  Where are they when you need them?

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