Roundup: August 13, 2012

• Medicare and Medicaid spending per beneficiary has grown less rapidly than costs for private health insurance recently.

• Three state parks executives received disciplinary notices, highest ranking gets reprimand while lowest get pay cut.

• Which is a higher priority: the constitutional right to an education or a collective bargaining agreement?

• With the pension reforms, will "air time" and "golden handshake" get eliminated? Are they abuses? Or do payments cover?