It seems to me, year after year, that the medical profession is trying harder and harder to force a show down.

Bad enough that costs have sky rocketed, forcing many who need certain care to have to opt to go without it.

But now we have doctors at war with insurance providers. One well-known Dallas doctor refuses to accept any health insurance underwritten by Aetna.

Aetna will make payments to Baylor Hospital but refuses to acknowledge bills from Baylor Imaging.

Dental insurance covers 50%, so the dentist uses that as a reason to increase the amount of his regular billing. The patient saved nothing by having a dental policy.

It seems to me that anyone who was trained in a state supported medical school and hospital, has an honor-bound duty to make certain he/she serves the citizens of that state.

A significant part of that doctor's education and the facilities for him/her to work in while learning were paid for by the people of the state.

If, on the other hand, the doctor was educated at a private medical school, say Harvard, then if the doctor wants to practice patient elitism, then so be it.

What's my point? It is absurd that getting medical care has required sick people to go to war with the people who are suppose to cure them, and the insurance companies who contracted with the patient to pay them.

While I was previously somewhat sympathetic to the doctors' position, from what I've observed, I'm not anymore.

1,  Require credit card banks to reduce interest rates on all existing and future credit extensions to 200 basis points above their cost of Fed Funds, regardless of the perceived risk of the cardholder. 

2.  Immediately and for the next 18 months, cut income tax withholding on individual taxpayers by 50% and adjust personal income taxes accordingly.

3.  Immediately discontinue taxing income generated by unemployment benefits, Social Security benefits and other qualified retirement plan disbursement for one year.

4.  Any bailout funds given financial institutions must be used for third-party loans and the loans secured by the appropriate amount of 1st position preferred stock of the bank, issued in the name of the US.

Each of these immediately puts spendable income in the hands of the consumer.  That is the only efficient way to 1) turn the economy around and 2) know whether or not its working without having to wait for two or more years.

DALLAS SYMPHONY SCORES BIG UNDER THE GREAT LEONARD SALATKIN Four times this weekend, with the last concert to begin Sunday at 2:30 PM at the Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas residents and visitors have had a perfect opportunity to see and hear a musical package that is as close to an anomaly as I have experienced since my childhood. The Dallas Symphony, augmented with so many additional musicians that there was only room on the stage for the back quarter of the 9 foot Steinway grand, totally blew its symphonic guts out, bringing the audience to its feet at the end of the Dvorak finale, with hoops and hollers of praise of a kind and quality last experienced at a Texas-OU football game. The occasion was very special.  One of the world's greatest conductors, Leonard Salatkin, was the guest maestro.  One of the world's greatest harpists, Yolanda Kondonassis, pulled the Lyon & Healy Salzedo harp strings almost to their breaking point. - And the audience heard the premiere of the two-time-winning Pulitzer Prize Chinese composer, Bright Sheng's new concerto for harp and orchestra.  It's titled "Never Far Away for Harp and Orchestra."  And Mr. Sheng was there to explain the composition to us before it began. The program started with Maestro Salatkin's interpretation of an interesting piece by Rossini.  It's known to Americans as "Overture to the Thieving Magpie."  It was followed by Ms. Kondonassis twenty minute harp solo, backed by the full symphony, of Mr. Sheng's composition.  "Never..." is a fascinatingly complex mixture of sounds, music styles and cords and discords.  Mr. Sheng's purpose was to integrate Chinese-style music with European romantic-style music.  There is little question in my mind that this composition will live as a classic for generations. And finally, we heard "Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Opus 95" by Dvorak.  This is the symphony that everyone knows and is commonly called "The New World Symphony." Maestro Salatkin normally conducts entire performances without a score in front of him, and he did this time as well.  I have probably heard most major American symphonic orchestras and a  bunch of civic ones, play this Dvorak piece, either in the concert hall or on record. Never have I heard --- never of all of them have I heard --- a performance that was anywhere near as well interpreted, conducted and executed as it was by Maestro Salatkin and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. The Meyerson for the Friday night performance was, perhaps, one-half full.  I absolutely couldn't imagine couples sitting in all of the Dallas "in" places, dropping hundreds for a scant dinner, horribly overpriced wine and $20 cocktails, when for less than fifty bucks they could have had this magnificant Dallas Symphony experience.  And they would have it to remember for a lifetime.   BILL CHERRY, REALTORS DALLAS Our 44th Year Selling America! 214 503-8563 1 800-314-7110   Copyright 2009 - William S. Cherry

The financial industry -- especially the major commercial banks -- continues to take huge write-offs for under collateralized loans, and it is expected that the next serious hit to them will come from haircuts they'll take from business bankruptcies that are sure to multiply this year.

Money that has been all but given them, and Fed interest rates at a rate probably lower than they have ever been in my lifetime, don't seem to be helping them or the consumer. 

Rather than revitalize their loan portfolios where there is still life, the common mentality seems to be 1) purchase the assets of smaller banks and 2) continue to squeeze every dime of interest out of borrowers.

For years, there have been two and only two rules of banking that were both common and necessary for them to have very low risks and to be very profitable.  Here they are:

1.  Make loans to people and companies that can and will pay them back.

2.  Make your spread 2 points higher than the rate you are paying for money.

That's it.  The whole shebang. 

The rates banks are charging credit card users, for an example, bump federal usury laws.  We're talking about 20% in most cases.  Yet, the banks overall cost of money is less than 5%.  So customers who should be paying 7% are paying 20%.

And as the public's personal economies lessen, they are far more likely to default on loans than they would otherwise.  Consequently, it appears that the federal government will need to institute some rules and tests to keep banks from continuing to provide a major reason for the failing of the US economy.

How many of your friends are beginning to show signs of their net worths tanking?  It doesn't have to be that way, and shouldn't be especially when it's the public's money that's keeping financial institutions solvent.  Banks need to be required to readjust rates on existing credit to match the proper spread on the price they are paying for funds.

And funds the federal government has pumped into to the banks' capital accounts needs to be used to make loans, not buy other banks.  That was never the deal.

Copyright 2009 - William S. Cherry

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS

Our 44th Year Selling America

214 503-8563

800 314-7110

ELVIS - 25TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAM & ELVIS LIVES AND PERFORMS AT 75

Tonight our Dallas PBS station broadcasted an extremely well-done documentary showing performances of Elvis, primarily in Las Vegas.  It was titled the 25th Anniversary.

In addition to the actual performances, it is an interesting montage of the show's work throughout those years, many of the back up people with him for years.  You'll see the Stamps, for an example, who were one of the nation's finest gospel groups, backing Elvis.  J.D. Sumner, the best bass singer ever, there to glissando down the scale to the final note.

My friend, Buzzy Hart, has been known for years as the world's best Elvis impersonator.  And for years he performed throughout the U.S., although his real-life job was as a butcher in a big meat packing plant in Chicago.

I have two CDs of Buzzy's work.  One is a compilation of Elvis' most famous tunes.  The other is as Elvis singing gospel songs.  They show Buzzy's outstanding talent.

As I was watching the real Elvis performances this evening, it occurred to me that a good producer could recreate those Las Vegas Elvis spectaculars with Buzzy playing Elvis.  I wonder if this will ever happen?

It would very definitely be a big drawing money-maker.

<<---Buzzy Hart Playing Elvis at 75

BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS

Selling America for 44 Years

214 503-8563

Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Obama.

So as you can imagine, by now I would have thought I'd perfected the ability to select winning Christmas, birthday, Valentine, and "Because I Love You" gifts. 

Around summertime this year, Patty got to where she enjoyed Vince the Shamwow TV pitchman so much that she wasn't going to give me any rest until I bought her a package of Shamwows. 

I told her that I expected him to throw in a set of knives or two free flashlights if I was going to buy a package. ("You got that, cameraman?")

Well, Vince never got around to offering the bonus knives, and Patty didn't forget that she wanted Shamwows.  So I bought her a package for Christmas.  When she opened it and saw what it was, she became euphoric.

What a thrill.  For the first time in my adult life, a 20 buck gift did the trick.  ("We can't do this all day!")

But let me quickly add that I figured I'd better have some of the old standbys for her under the tree as well and I did.  And they were a hit, too, but not as much as the Shamwows.        

So you can imagine how happy I was to see that Vince is back; this time with a vegetable chopper.  Hope Patty wants one for Valentine's.  If she mentions wanting one, I'm going to try leaving out buying the jewelry.

                          BILL CHERRY, REALTORS

DALLAS

Our 44th Year Selling America

214 503-8563

800 314-7110