College Basketball Player Ruled Ineligible For Trying to Feed Family

Jamar Samuels, a senior Kansas State basketball player, had to sit out a 3rd round NCAA Tournament game as his school held him out over eligibility concerns, which resulted from a $200 wire transfer that a former coach, Curtis Malone, sent to him.  Kansas State lost this game to Syracuse, 75-59, and Samuels' career ended without him getting another chance to play.  Malone said of Samuels, "The kid's family doesn't have anything and he called me for money to eat."  Kansas State held him out because of concerns about rigid NCAA rules regarding handouts from non-family members.  Kansas State Coach Frank Martin said Samuels was "our toughest kid," having gone from someone who almost quit the team to a highly respected player on and off the court. 

This story should have people asking lots of questions about the exploitation of college athletes, especially in football and basketball.  The thousands of college basketball and football players across the nation may get full scholarships to play their sports and get an education for free, but they are actually getting ripped off.  They take on very demanding schedules with high expectations in their sports and that they will graduate with a degree.  Their schedules usually mean they cannot take tough courses to get certain in-demand degrees.  They cannot take a part-time job in the off-seasons.  But, if their family has been hit the economic recession, they may have to risk their eligibility at a moment's notice to lift their family out of poverty, as Samuels as had to do. 

Meanwhile, winning schools and the NCAA corporate sponsors are getting rich off of the players, who are the ones doing the hard work while not getting compensated for it.  At a bare minimum, they should get some form of lifetime healthcare coverage as injuries from these sports, especially football, can hurt them permanently.  Too often, the money made from these games ends up fattening the salaries of the University presdients and the most successful coaches.   These sports widen income inequality as the most successful athletes go on to professional sports, where the most successful athletes there become part of the Top 1% before they fully know how to handle money.  And the athletes who do not make it may face disabling injuries like concussions that hamper their ability to work.

http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/2012/3/17/2880980/jamar-samuels-ineligible-curtis-malone-wire-transfer

Wealthy Setting Up Own Emergency Rooms As Others Cannot Afford Care (for 3/18/12)

The wealth divide is affecting how healthcare is delivered in the U.S.  Some wealthy families are opting for "concierge medicine," a type of healthcare system that gives them access to their physicians anytime at anyplace for $3,000 per month.  Nearly two of every three doctors currently believe this type of medicine is the most financially viable practice.  These type of medical practices limit the number of patients they take on.  With a potential physician shortage looming due to the aging of the population, more physicians who opt for this practice may further exacerbate the problem of access to healthcare.

Meanwhile, millions of Americans still lack access to quality, affordable healthcare.  While healthcare reform passed in 2010 addressed serious problems such as denial of health insurance due to pre-exsiting conditions, dropping people who get sick, and spending too much insurance revenue from patients on non-healthcare items, it has not yet contained overall healthcare costs.  Single-payer healthcare is probably the only system that would bring affordable healthcare to every American.  Medicare has a cost ratio of 3% and is something that every American 65 and older that is on will not let go without a fight.  Chances are those senior citizens on "concierge medicine" like their Medicare too.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/16/concierge-medicine_n_1353155.html?ref=business

In Idaho: Spending Cuts for Healthcare, Education; Tax Cuts for Wealthy, Corporations

Over the past three years, Idaho has cut its budget for both teaching students and keeping people healthy in the wake of the economic downturn.  In 2001, Idaho spent more on healthcare and education than it does now.  Yet, Idaho legislators strongly support, with Governor Butch Otter's backing, top rate tax cuts from 7.8% to 7.4% for its wealthiest individuals and 7.6% to 7.4% for corporations.  These tax cuts would increase the deficit by almost $36 million.  What is important to notice here is that many workers in healthcare and education belong to unions.  When state budgets experience deficits, their legislators may seek to force unions into concessions or even bust the unions.  They seek to do this to make it easier to lower salaries for teachers and nurses.  But, that hurts the economy as they have less money to spend.  This has also happened in Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states headed by Republican governors.

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/03/02/436525/idaho-tax-cuts/?tw_p=twt