TN Lawmaker Pushing to Discontinue CON
Cites Feds warning that protectionist regs "undercut consumer choice, stifle innovation and weaken markets' ability to contain costs"
By Mark Todd Engler
About Me
- ...
- Business, Free Enterprise and Constitutional Issues; Pro-Life and Pro Second Amendment. Susan Lynn is a member of the Tennessee General Assembly. She serves as Chairman of the Consumer and Human Resources subcommittee, a member of the Finance Ways and Means Committee and the Ethics Committee. She holds a BS in economics and a minor in history.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
DOJ and FTC issue joint statement on CON
Agencies Say CON Laws Undercut Consumer Choice, Stifle Innovation andWeaken Markets' Ability to Contain Health Care Costs
WASHINGTON — In a joint statement to the Illinois Task Force on Health Planning Reform, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stated the agencies' position regarding certificate-of-need (CON) laws, saying that the laws undercut consumer choice, stifle innovation and weaken markets' ability to contain health care costs. Today's statement reiterates the agencies' ongoing efforts to promote competition in health care.
State CON programs generally prevent firms from entering certain areas of the health care market unless they can demonstrate to state authorities that there is an unmet need for their services...
WASHINGTON — In a joint statement to the Illinois Task Force on Health Planning Reform, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stated the agencies' position regarding certificate-of-need (CON) laws, saying that the laws undercut consumer choice, stifle innovation and weaken markets' ability to contain health care costs. Today's statement reiterates the agencies' ongoing efforts to promote competition in health care.
State CON programs generally prevent firms from entering certain areas of the health care market unless they can demonstrate to state authorities that there is an unmet need for their services...
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
First posted information about Kent Williams in 2007
The Tennessee Politics Blog posted an item about Kent Williams' comments which received a lot of comments on April 2, 2007.
Jama Oliver posted on April 2, 2007.
TOPIX Posted a number of items on April 12, 2007 and after.
Jama Oliver posted on April 2, 2007.
TOPIX Posted a number of items on April 12, 2007 and after.
The first media contact about Kent Williams 2009
This morning Jason Mumpower misspoke and stated that I contacted the the media.
That is not true.
The first media contact that I received was by email below. Days later when I spoke to Mr. Kleinheider I told him that I didn't want to talk about it.
This is all exactly why women don't come forward with such complaints. It is very difficult for me to understand why if a woman requests to be treated professionally, and needs assistance to make that happen, she is later condemned as though she was the perpetrator.
That is not true.
The first media contact that I received was by email below. Days later when I spoke to Mr. Kleinheider I told him that I didn't want to talk about it.
This is all exactly why women don't come forward with such complaints. It is very difficult for me to understand why if a woman requests to be treated professionally, and needs assistance to make that happen, she is later condemned as though she was the perpetrator.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Thank you Chris Clem
Thank you to former State Representative Chris Clem who writes in response to a public letter from Speaker Williams' sister;
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/01/22/chris-clem-on-the-kent-williams-sexual-harassment-allegations/
http://politics.nashvillepost.com/2009/01/22/chris-clem-on-the-kent-williams-sexual-harassment-allegations/
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Comment on media access to member complaint
What follows is a timeline for the recent events of this week and before.
Nearly two years ago, an incident occurred which was witnessed by a few. It has been well documented so I will not go into further detail except to say that I sought assistance from my leadership because I did not feel that I was being taken seriously in my request to be treated with professional courtesy.
At that time, a group of Nashville bloggers found out about the incident; they recounted the events on their blogs. The Nashville media observed the discourse and contacted me for comment. I declined to comment on the incident and so did my leadership.
After the election last week, I was contacted by a Nashville blogger that had knowledge of the incident two years earlier. He asked me if I would like to comment on his blog. I declined once more and immediately called my caucus leader to inform him that I was contacted by the blogger. We agreed to remain firm in our position not to comment on the incident.
On Sunday night the press started calling me. I refused to comment. Their phone calls persisted all day on Monday at which time I still refused to comment. In addition, they repeatedly contacted my leadership. In the early evening on Monday some media informed our press secretary that they intended to issue a public records request to our leadership for any information pertaining to the incident. When leadership arrived at the office on Tuesday morning members of the media were waiting with their requests for public information.
Until this time I was unaware that a file existed. However, in retrospect, it does make sense that the leader would document a serious incident even if only to safeguard his own actions. Although he has received much criticism, I can only imagine the critique if he had refused to hand over the file. Considering all that the leader has been through, I think that he has been very professional about everything.
I hope you will understand if I do not wish to comment any further on the incident. I believe that the information that has already been made public speaks for itself.
Thank you for the many kind words of support. I know that I have done nothing wrong. It is a difficult situation that one cannot ever win. That is why I sought to handle it privately.
Nearly two years ago, an incident occurred which was witnessed by a few. It has been well documented so I will not go into further detail except to say that I sought assistance from my leadership because I did not feel that I was being taken seriously in my request to be treated with professional courtesy.
At that time, a group of Nashville bloggers found out about the incident; they recounted the events on their blogs. The Nashville media observed the discourse and contacted me for comment. I declined to comment on the incident and so did my leadership.
After the election last week, I was contacted by a Nashville blogger that had knowledge of the incident two years earlier. He asked me if I would like to comment on his blog. I declined once more and immediately called my caucus leader to inform him that I was contacted by the blogger. We agreed to remain firm in our position not to comment on the incident.
On Sunday night the press started calling me. I refused to comment. Their phone calls persisted all day on Monday at which time I still refused to comment. In addition, they repeatedly contacted my leadership. In the early evening on Monday some media informed our press secretary that they intended to issue a public records request to our leadership for any information pertaining to the incident. When leadership arrived at the office on Tuesday morning members of the media were waiting with their requests for public information.
Until this time I was unaware that a file existed. However, in retrospect, it does make sense that the leader would document a serious incident even if only to safeguard his own actions. Although he has received much criticism, I can only imagine the critique if he had refused to hand over the file. Considering all that the leader has been through, I think that he has been very professional about everything.
I hope you will understand if I do not wish to comment any further on the incident. I believe that the information that has already been made public speaks for itself.
Thank you for the many kind words of support. I know that I have done nothing wrong. It is a difficult situation that one cannot ever win. That is why I sought to handle it privately.
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