Secrets of the City

… and cut jobs.

[via Strib:] Facing a crippling loss of state health care funds, Hennepin County Medical Center plans to stop seeing uninsured, nonemergency patients [emphasis mine] from other counties, cut 150 to 200 jobs and close two clinics on its downtown campus …

… Hospital officials said that the shutdown next spring of a state program for the indigent, General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), could cut reimbursements to HCMC by as much as $40 million next year and another $50 million in 2011.

Way to go, T-Paw. I hope this is remembered between now and 2012.

Are people really committing crimes just to get free dental work? Wadena County Sheriff Mike Carr seems to think so. “There are some people who never go to a doctor or dentist, but as soon as they get to jail they get a toothache.” And Wadena County won’t be their sucker. “Starting next year, inmates at the Wadena County Jail will be charged $20 for every day they’re housed in the jail. They’ll also be responsible for any medical expenses they incur.”

Uhhh… and what if they just can’t afford it? What then? Is this really an effective means of crime prevention. “Uh, sorry, dude, I can’t hold up that liquor store with you; I can’t afford $20/day for the next 5 years. Maybe after I get my raise.”

I Was Told There Would Be Bacon offers a heartfelt (meaning plenty of “fucks” involved) commentary on the House health reform legislation passed last Saturday. Sure, it’s great that “every single DFL candidate for next year’s gubernatorial race is in favor of 100-percent, straight-up full gay marriage.” But the Stupak-Pitts amendment “would be the single largest blow to abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was decided.”

Perhaps the conservative focus on abortion distracted them from the bill’s LGBT provisions. Or so says the Minnesota Family Council, who is now shifting its attention to measures they feel “seek to redefine and thus undermine the basic structure of the natural family.”

See Is That All You’ve Got’s Health Care Round Up for more. And expect to see more of author ShyestViolet on MNSpeak soon.

Also, see MPR’s take on what the House bill means for Minnesota.

The Lion’s Tap in Eden Prairie has won a lawsuit against McDonald’s, crediting them with the “Who’s Your Patty?” phrase.

Thirteen-year-old Daniel Hauser, who gained acclaim for running away to avoid chemotherapy treatment earlier this year, is scheduled for his last round of chemo this morning.

The School Nurses of Minnesota association will be honored today at 4:30 at the Doubletree Hotel in St. Louis Park for 100 years of professional service in the state.

Joyce Preschool — “an independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide children from diverse ethnic, linguistic and economic backgrounds with developmentally and culturally appropriate preparation for success in school and lifelong learning” — just earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

Today is the big day. (Or is it?) In an effort to thwart Democratic leaders’ efforts to lock down votes for the health care reform bill, Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann will be rallying her troops on the steps of the Capitol (Washington) at noon.

In appealing to demonstrators, Ms. Bachmann called the health care vote, tentatively scheduled for this Saturday, the “Super Bowl of freedom.” She has repeatedly accused Democrats of pursuing “socialized medicine” and a “government takeover” of the health care system.

Does this large-scale media moment have anything to do with the recent resignation of Bachmann’s top aide, Michelle Marston? Bachmann’s Mad Hatter reputation may be scaring away staffers.

What kind of support will Bachmann garner today? On Wednesday, Fox News estimated a crowd of 64,000 — but then this is the same Fox News that substantially overestimated (by almost a million) the 9/12 tea party crowd, and the same Fox News that reduced the 1900-page bill to “five pages that matter.” (Still, a quick Internet search shows a fair number of people — primarily East Coast — looking for a ride.)

One person we know will be there for sure is actor Jon Voight, who just left Minnesota last night, after speaking at a fundraiser for Gov. Pawlenty.

Meanwhile, the Stand Up America PAC, an anti-right-wing-extremist organization, has spent the last two days trying to raise $10,000 in order to “ruin Michele Bachmann’s day” by proving they can rally just as much support against her as she can rally against the health care legislation. A noble (or at least peaceful) counter-attack? Or a cheap way of raising much needed funds (that will in no way benefit health care reform)?

United Health Care, the big and very profitable Minnesota health care company, denied coverage to a healthy two-year-old until the national publicity machine kicked in. As the story said, “While both sides of the [health care] debate are employing armies of lobbyists, their powers of persuasion might not always be as great as those of Aislin — blond, blue-eyed and wearing a flowered dress.” Now if we could only get all the people who need health care to dye their hair, wear colored contacts, and shop the cute aisle at Target…

Local bloggers report on their experiences with Obama’s Saturday speech at te Target Center:

Bekiyrah offers a photo. (More)
Aaron also offers a photograph.
Jennifer Larson shows some Obama supporters.
House of Procrastination with photos and observations.
Urban Sketchers draws the protesters.

Obama is coming to Minneapolis to talk about health care, and Pawlenty ain’t having it. He says he might invoke state’s rights to prevent Minnesota from participating in a plan passed by Congress.

Blogger Dusty Trice offers up this video of an interaction between Al Franken and a group of Tea Bag Protesters (and others) at the State Fair, which seems like it might be explosive, but instead ends up civil and quite informative.

MinnIndy reports on Bachmann’s latest proclaimation: “[I]t is not within our power as members of Congress, it’s not within the enumerated powers of the Constitution for us to design and create a national takeover of health care. Nor is it within our ability to be able to delegate that responsibility to the executive.”