Be honest, how many of your brackets look like this on this fine Monday morning? Stupid Kansas.
Obviously, the big news of the day is the passage of health care reform. I watched the debates and voting last night, and caught Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper a few times. She supported the reform package, saying:
Today is a great day for the American people and for the pro-life community. I am proud to support this whole-life legislation that preserves the sanctity of life from conception to natural death. This legislation will help pregnant women choose life by providing affordable care during their maternity and for their children before and after they are born. With the president’s executive order, we can rest assured that no federal funds will be used for abortions. The time is now for health care reform in America, and this legislation will provide the reform we need while maintaining the status quo of the Hyde Amendment
I’ll be honest – I don’t know all the specifics of what’s included in this bill. I have a good job that offers me very affordable, very good health care, so I’m not sure how this all will affect me. According to Rep. Dahlkemper’s office, the benefits for the 3rd district include:
- Improve coverage for 394,000 residents with health insurance.
- Give tax credits and other assistance to up to 172,000 families and 13,200 small businesses to help them afford coverage.
- Improve Medicare for 118,000 beneficiaries, including closing the donut hole.
- Extend coverage to 23,000 uninsured residents.
- Guarantee that 7,600 residents with pre-existing conditions can obtain coverage.
- Protect 900 families from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care costs.
- Allow 51,000 young adults to obtain coverage on their parents’ insurance plans.
- Provide millions of dollars in new funding for 22 community health centers.
- Reduce the cost of uncompensated care for hospitals and other health care providers by $43 million annually.
Please, let me know what I’m missing. I don’t want any discussion to turn into *Insert Party Here* is stupid and is *insert verb here*-ing American People. Give me facts and how this is going to affect me. Here’s the other thing, on either side, this is going to be a MAJOR campaign issue this spring and especially this fall.
Speaking of the 3rd district, our own Dale had a chance this weekend to sit down and talk with Mike Kelly, a Republican running in the primary for the seat currently held by Rep. Dahlkemper. It’s an interesting look at Mr. Kelly. The post is here if you missed it. His response the last night’s vote: “Congresswoman Dahlkemper has turned her back on the people of Northwest Pennsylvania with her support of government run health care.” Them’s fightin’ words.
Interesting story in yesterday’s paper by Jim Martin, who profiled Hero BX (formerly Lake Erie Biofuels). Hero BX is struggling now that a government subsidy has been taken away. I’m not much of a businessman, which is a) why I work in higher education and b) why this website makes no money whatsoever but making a product that costs $3 to produce yet only sells for $2 isn’t a good business model. I want the company to succeed as much as anyone, to create jobs and bring exposure to our area, but relying on government subsidies is scary, since we all know how stable and forward thinking governments are. I hope this works out for them.
Sports
The Mercyhurst College women’s hockey team saw its season come to an end as Cornell’s Catherine White scored the game-winner 13:14 into overtime, lifting Big Red to a stunning 3-2 victory over the top-ranked and No. 1-seeded Lakers at the 2010 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four Friday evening at Ridder Arena.
Few teams have played Windsor Spitfires, the defending Memorial Cup champions, so well in the past two seasons as did Erie Sunday afternoon in Game Two of their best-of-seven Western Conference Ontario Hockey League quarterfinal. Still, the quality of the No. 3 ranked team in the entire CHL came shining through in the end as Taylor Hall scored twice to give the visitors a 3-1 victory and a 2-0 lead in their playoff with Game Three set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at Windsor.
Events
The 54th annual spring cleanup at Presque Isle State Park will be held April 24 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers are needed to remove debris deposited on the peninsula’s beaches during storms. All ages and organizations can participate. Registration will take place at 9 a.m. at the Cookhouse Pavilion at the Waterworks area. Food and prizes will be provided at noon.
The major point missing, Mike, is the source of those billions of dollars of new expense. The Federal Government has one source of income~you and I and millions of people who are expected to pick up the tab for all the extras that were inserted into the bill. As for Dahlkemper’s pro-life platitudes, the Hyde Amendment is a very weak argument, with little actual muscle, plus it must be renewed by vote each year.
I will try to get a guest statement from Tim Broderick, of People for life, as to the effect this bill will have on the abortion situation.
The NY Times has a decent, interactive publication on the impacts for most folks, including those currently employed and who like their current insurance.
I’m glad that my girlfriend (and hundreds of thousands like her) that hit the magical age of 23-24 and were dropped from their parents health insurance (even while still attending school) will be able to get covered again by their parents plan.
I’m pro-choice so the “abortion situation” is not a huge issue for me.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/03/21/us/health-care-reform.html
Mike, in your situation (and mine) with a decent job with decent benefits, here are some of the changes you will see according to the NY times:
If you keep your current plan:
Within six months, the plans will have to stop some practices, like setting lifetime limits on coverage and canceling policy holders who get sick. They will also have to allow children to stay on their parents’ policies through age 26 and cover children with pre-existing conditions, but can still deny adults with medical problems until 2014.
High-value group plans — those in which premiums for families are $27,500 or more, for instance — will have to pay a 40 percent excise tax in 2014.
Starting in 2013, flexible spending accounts, which allow users to escape taxes on many medical expenses now, will be limited. There will be a $2,500 maximum on accounts that typically carry $4,000 or $5,000 limits now, and you will no longer be able to use the accounts for over-the-counter medicines.
High-income earners — families making more than $250,000 – would pay several thousand dollars more in Medicare payroll taxes starting in 2018. Their unearned income, now exempt from the payroll tax, would also be subject to a 3.8 percent levy.