FW Mayor Buys Conflict of Interest…or Condo

From the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette:

Mayor Tom Henry might become one of Harrison Square’s first tenants.

Henry handed over a $1,000 refundable deposit Wednesday, making him No. 55 on the list interested in buying one of the 62 condominiums at The Harrison.

Henry said he and his wife, Cindy, are interested in downsizing from their 3,800-square-foot home and it made sense to look at a project where the city will invest millions of dollars. He said he was unsure whether the couple would move to the building but said this wasn’t just a publicity stunt.

Um hmmmmm, and it’s not a conflict of interest either.  For those not in Fort Wayne, this project is highly controversial and, as the Blogmeister understands it, is some form of city-private development started by the former administration and inherited by Mayor Henry.  Still, does this really look so good to opponents?

Black Marriage Amendment?

Not really, but I betcha that got your attention.  Now before you start sending the blogmeister hate mail, read this story over at the Indy Star.  Which makes more sense, the nonsense about the real marriage amendment currently going on over at the statehouse, or doing something to help a portion of our population that really, really needs it.  From the story:

About eight in 10 black children in Indiana are born to unwed parents — a start to life that sets them up for problems during adolescence and beyond, according to an Indiana Black Expo report.

Indiana’s black youths fare significantly worse than Hoosier youths in general across 18 indicators of well-being, such as graduation rates and poverty levels, and do worse than black youths in the U.S, according to the report being released Friday.

…

The explosion of births to unwed parents is driving many of the state’s social problems, such as increases in poverty and child abuse and the growing cost of public aid, said Bill Stanczykiewicz, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute.

He added that the problem is not exclusive to any one race.

Indiana’s out-of-wedlock birthrate is at an all-time high, with unwed mothers accounting for nearly 40 percent of all births, he said. Nationally, about 36 percent of all births are to unwed mothers.

Wellpoint Cherry Picking

In a follow up to my post from yesterday regarding and increase in profits (by 7%) by Wellpoint, Anthem’s parent company, comes this news from the Indianapolis Star.  Apparently increasing profit by 7% isnt good enough and executives with the company continue to want more, more, and more…

However, the company also reported that during the quarter, it paid out 82.9 percent of each premium dollar for care — a measure called the “medical loss ratio” in industry jargon — up from 81 percent a year ago.

The increased medical spending came from WellPoint’s commercial business and higher-than-expected medical claims in the company’s Medicaid contracts in Ohio and Connecticut. WellPoint said it is terminating its contract with the Ohio Medicaid program because it was unable to reach an agreement with the state that would allow the company to participate in a “financially responsible manner.”

Just as a reminder, Anthem was one of the companies chosen by the Indiana Department of Family and Social Services Administration to administer Indiana’s Medicaid Program.

Charity Bailey Appealling Release of Records

As most will recall, Charity Bailey, along with Lawrence Green, is accused of beating her daughter, Tajanay Bailey to death back in November.  The case shook the Department of Family Services to it’s core, mostly because Juvenile Court Judge Marilyn Moores ordered the release of records pertaining, not just to TaJanay, but older records of Charity Bailey.  Now, according to the Indianapolis Star, Charity Bailey is appealing that, as well as other decisions, made by Moore.

An attorney representing the mother of TaJanay Bailey has notified the court she will appeal two court decisions releasing juvenile records in the case.

On Jan. 3, juvenile court Judge Marilyn Moores granted The Indianapolis Star’s request to release records in the earlier of two child-welfare cases involving TaJanay. The judge also released the juvenile records of the girl’s mother, Charity Bailey.

TaJanay, 3, died Nov. 27 of apparent abuse. Bailey and her boyfriend, Lawrence Green, both 20, face murder and neglect charges.

Attorney Frances L. Ashton filed a notice last week that Bailey would ask the Indiana Court of Appeals to review Moores’ decision. She also notified the court that she would appeal a Jan. 11 decision by Moores granting The Star’s request for a transcript of the last court hearing before TaJanay’s death.

Lilly Settles 900 Suits Involving Zyprexa

Here is a blurb buried deep in the business page of the Indianapolis Star:

INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly and Co.has settled another 900 personal-injury claims against its antipscyhotic drug Zyprexa, including five set to go to court next month, thus avoiding what would have been the first trial in the U.S. The Indianapolis drug maker confirmed the settlement Wednesday but declined to reveal the amount. With the latest agreements, Lilly has settled more than 25,000 claims, leaving about 1,100 unsettled. Many of the plaintiffs have claimed Lilly underplayed the drug’s side effects, including weight gain and elevated blood sugar. Lilly has set aside $1.2 billion to pay claims.

What Healthcare Crisis? Wellpoint Cashes In

According to 4th quarter results just released, Anthem’s parent company, Wellpoint, continues to rake in huge amounts of cash.  From the Indianapolis Star:

The Indianapolis-based company, which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans, reported net income rose to $859.1 million, or $1.51 per share, from $801.1 million, or $1.28 per share, in the 2006 quarter. Results included investment gains of about a penny per share in each period.Revenue climbed 7 percent to $15.56 billion from $14.58 billion a year ago, helped by a 7 percent rise in premiums.

“We are pleased that WellPoint achieved its earnings per share expectations during 2007 and continued its strong organic membership growth. We view this as an excellent indication that customers continue to find great value in the products and services we are providing to the marketplace,” said Angela F. Braly, president and chief executive officer of WellPoint.