RE: HEALTH REFORM IN CA. To follow on Sam's post about California's health reforms, it's interesting to note MA governor Deval Patrick ratcheting back expectations for the Massachusetts plan. "For a long time," he told The New York Times, "we thought in Massachusetts that we had only two choices — between a perfect solution and no solution at all. We’ve decided to try something and do it just as we go and be very candid about what does work and very frank about what doesn’t work.” That sounds encouraging. And for reasons I explained in the Prospect way back when, Massachusetts, with its rich, largely insured, mostly-covered population, is uniquely well-suited to try health reform. California, with its large uninsured population, its high immigrant population, and lack of effective health infrastructure, will find it tougher. Indeed, I don't believe it has even a remote chance of working -- for reasons I explain in the coming issue of the Washington Monthly (in short, states lack fiscal stability and the ability to deficit spend, and this is terminal for health reform plans). That said, state efforts can improve the situation and spark movement on the federal level, so I'm glad to see this happening. --Ezra Klein
