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	<title>Policy Wonk</title>
	<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org</link>
	<description>Let's talk about where we're headed...</description>
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		<title>Cutting the Budget’s Gordian Knot</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The financial problems of the nation and many large states—California, Illinois, New Jersey and certainly New York—present a problem that is challenging economically and hazardous politically. Since it’s impossible to separate the economics from the politics, it is truly a Gordian knot – rather than untying the knot, Alexander the Great sliced the Gordian knot [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/cutting-the-budget%e2%80%99s-gordian-knot/</link>
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		<title>Empowerment &amp; Accountability: The Rochester Schools Strategic Plan</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The Center for Governmental Research has begun a partnership with the Rochester City School District. We’ve been invited to support implementation of Superintendent Jean-Claude Brizard’s Five Year Strategic Plan.
I’m a planning skeptic. Often the process of planning is so exhausting that we declare, “It’s done!” when the ink is dry. We forget that the plan [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/empowerment-accountability-the-rochester-schools-strategic-plan/</link>
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		<title>Status Report: High Deductible Health Plan</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Early this year I wrote about the high deductible health plan (HDHP) and health savings account (HSA) being offered to CGR by Excellus. A look-back seems timely.
Five of us at CGR signed up for the HDHP and HSA combination. With our experience as background, nearly the entire staff selected this option for the coming year. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/status-report-high-deductible-health-plan/</link>
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		<title>Citizens Have the Power to Reduce Fire District Costs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[The December 8 election for fire district commissioners is a date to remember for taxpayers who are interested in reducing local property taxes.  By state law, fire districts are separate and independent units of local government, typically governed by five to seven commissioners who are elected by voters within each fire district.  Terms are staggered [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/charles-zettek-jr/citizens-have-the-power-to-reduce-fire-district-costs/</link>
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		<title>Health Care Legislation: Only Half a Reform</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Congress is edging closer to passing legislation that restructures health insurance. The Senate and the House are debating compromise bills within their houses, after which a conference committee will seek to reconcile differences between them. With these details still under debate, we conclude our six part series on health reform with a few observations.
Public Option. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/health-care-legislation-only-half-a-reform/</link>
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		<title>Expanding Health Insurance Coverage</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In this column, we address the challenge of expanding health insurance coverage. First, we explore why our employer-based system leaves gaps in coverage, even for people with jobs. Second, we discuss the challenge of relying on the individual insurance market, which has to fill these gaps.

Employer-based system leaves many without insurance. Sixty percent of the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/expanding-health-insurance-coverage/</link>
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		<title>Bending the Cost Curve: Changing the Incentives</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
In April, Kent wrote of a woman who had signed up for a “consumer-directed health plan.” While the plan saved her money, she yearned for days when she didn’t have to think about the cost of a doctor’s visit or a prescription.
Traditional health insurance insulates us from the visit-by-visit, script-by-script cost of care. That’s a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/bending-the-cost-curve-changing-the-incentives/</link>
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		<title>Bending the Cost Curve: Regulatory Solutions</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
There is a speechwriter in Washington who smiles each time someone says “bending the cost curve.” “Cutting health care costs” may be unattainable but “bending the curve” is essential.
To summarize our first two columns: Cost lies at the heart of the health care problem. Health care insurance masks the price signals that guide buyers and [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/bending-the-cost-curve-regulatory-solutions/</link>
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		<title>When Will We Slow Health Care Cost Growth?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Welcome to the second in our series on health care. (If you missed the first one, check it out at www.policy-wonk.org.) Today we discuss the growth in health care cost, both how much and how fast it has grown, and the reasons. Next week&#8217;s column will focus on ways to reduce health care costs—or, more [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/when-will-we-slow-health-care-cost-growth/</link>
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		<title>You, Too, Can Speak Health Care</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
You, too, can be fluent in Health Care! In only 10 easy audio lessons, you can amaze your friends with your command of phrases like single payer, health co-operative and rescission, plus acronyms like ERISA, LOS, IPA and HIPAA. Available on CD or by MP3 download for 10 easy payments of only $29.95.
Tempted? We’ll be [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://www.policy-wonk.org/kent-gardner/you-too-can-speak-health-care/</link>
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