Obama Provides Health-Insurance Plan
By: Ashley Freije
President Obama released his own health insurance reform proposal on February 22. Unlike previous attempts, his proposal is not an actual bill. Rather, it is a list of points divided into ten sections. The proposal preceded his meeting with republican and democratic lawmakers on February 24.
As with previous bills, people may keep their current insurance. “Nothing in the proposal forces anyone to change the insurance they have. Period,” reads the White House website. The proposal aims to create a “health insurance exchange” which will consist of private insurance companies that will compete for business and will have to “follow common-sense rules of the road that rein in the worst insurance industry abuses.“
In a new move, though, the proposal requires members of congress to purchase their health insurance from this same exchange.
The proposal will punish those who do not have health insurance, saying those who can afford insurance have “the responsibility to purchase it.” There are waivers: if premiums exceed 8 percent of one’s income, if one has a religious objection, makes less than the amount required to file taxes, or is a member of an Indian tribe, they are not required to purchase health insurance. If they are under the age of 30, however, they can purchase a “low-cost catastrophic plan” to cover serious injury or illness.
When it comes to funding, the proposal lacks details. It says the government will save money by increasing rebates on Medicare prescription drugs. All the website says is that “when enacted” health insurance reform will be completely paid for, and that it will reduce the deficit by more than $100-billion. It will enact excise taxes on insurance premiums costing $27,500 for families and $10,200 for singles in 2018.
The website devotes an entire section to republican ideas that the president incorporated into the bill as well, including expanding the dependency age to 26, and advancing medical liability reform.
The president also proposed “hundreds of billions of dollars” in tax credits to help middle-class families pay for insurance. The plan proposes tax credits for families making less than $250,000 There will also be financial assistance for low-income families. It also claims “tens of billions” of dollars in tax credits for small businesses to purchase insurance for their employees.
The proposal does, however, set many restrictions on insurance companies. New plans must offer preventative care, such as immunizations, for free. Current plans will be prevented from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, having different premiums based on gender or salary, and from dropping coverage when someone becomes sick. The act also limits the amount insurance companies can charge based on age.
The bill devotes an entire section to Medicare. The proposal will give incentives to doctors to improve care, and it will provide seniors with $250 to offset prescription costs when they reach the gap in Medicare coverage. The website says, “Medicare is a sacred trust with America’s seniors, and this Act preserves it.”
Like other proposed legislation, the president’s plan calls for an increased health care workforce, and provides ways to increase it, such as student loan repayment programs and greater scholarship programs.
The entire proposal can be read at whitehouse.gov
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Let's Set the Record Straight Once Again
I stumbled upon a blog today. It picks apart my friend and I's appearance last week on Fox and Friends to discuss Baron Hill. Many blogs have written about the incident and its fallout, but with this blog, I feel it is time to set the record completely straight.
My "class project" was for J-210 Visual Communications. I was to create a photo slideshow using still photographs and natural sound. I knew that the school newspaper would have an audio recording of the town hall that I could use, and I gathered sounds from outside of the event.
Once inside the event, I saw that no audio or video recording was allowed. Not wanting to break the rules, I went to the woman handing out press passes and explained my project. I gladly gave her my contact information, assured her that I would not use flash or be a problem, and she gave me the press sticker.
After we were pulled aside and told to start filming, I was ready to let it go. I wanted an answer though, and asked my friend to ask the congressman why we couldn't film. I did not want to become a part of the story, just report on it. Ask any of my professors, they will tell you every piece of mine has been fair and objective.
I never had any ill-intentions or want to make a hit-piece on the congressman. I only wanted a few photographs of him speaking at the event for my project.
Was I a republican? Yes. Am I now? No, I am a libertarian. Yes, I have donated to republican candidates. Yes, I admire Bill O'Reilly. However, when reporting, I keep my views out of it. It is not my place to frame a story to meet my needs.
Since when did having a dream and a political ideology become a crime? Would this blog have mentioned either if I said being on CNN was a dream come true or if I was liberal? I doubt it. I feel they are non issues, and I will apologize for neither.
Yes, the story is 6 months old, but it is completely relevant if Congressman Hill is running for office, no matter what it is. All constituents, not just Congressman HIll's, have a right to question their leaders. They are the ones employing them. They are the boss.
At least my name is out there. I may need to retool this blog to be more news oriented and create a new opinion one, as this blog has been linked too in the article. But I will keep doing what I love to do: reporting the news and providing analysis and opinion. I hope you will stick around for the ride.
My "class project" was for J-210 Visual Communications. I was to create a photo slideshow using still photographs and natural sound. I knew that the school newspaper would have an audio recording of the town hall that I could use, and I gathered sounds from outside of the event.
Once inside the event, I saw that no audio or video recording was allowed. Not wanting to break the rules, I went to the woman handing out press passes and explained my project. I gladly gave her my contact information, assured her that I would not use flash or be a problem, and she gave me the press sticker.
After we were pulled aside and told to start filming, I was ready to let it go. I wanted an answer though, and asked my friend to ask the congressman why we couldn't film. I did not want to become a part of the story, just report on it. Ask any of my professors, they will tell you every piece of mine has been fair and objective.
I never had any ill-intentions or want to make a hit-piece on the congressman. I only wanted a few photographs of him speaking at the event for my project.
Was I a republican? Yes. Am I now? No, I am a libertarian. Yes, I have donated to republican candidates. Yes, I admire Bill O'Reilly. However, when reporting, I keep my views out of it. It is not my place to frame a story to meet my needs.
Since when did having a dream and a political ideology become a crime? Would this blog have mentioned either if I said being on CNN was a dream come true or if I was liberal? I doubt it. I feel they are non issues, and I will apologize for neither.
Yes, the story is 6 months old, but it is completely relevant if Congressman Hill is running for office, no matter what it is. All constituents, not just Congressman HIll's, have a right to question their leaders. They are the ones employing them. They are the boss.
At least my name is out there. I may need to retool this blog to be more news oriented and create a new opinion one, as this blog has been linked too in the article. But I will keep doing what I love to do: reporting the news and providing analysis and opinion. I hope you will stick around for the ride.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Bayh Leaves Indiana Up For Grabs in 2010
Bayh Leaves Indiana Up For Grabs in 2010
By: Ashley Freije
Evan Bayh took the political world by surprise on February 15 by announcing he would no longer seek reelection for the Indiana senate seat he has held for two-terms.
It was a move no one saw coming. Reports say that even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was unaware of Bayh’s intention to step out of the race. Most polls had Bayh beating any challenger by large margins (in polls against Representative Mike Pence, Bayh looses, but Pence has said he will not run for the senate).
The Bayhs in Indiana can be equated to the Kennedys in Masachusettes. Bayh was Secretary of State before serving two-terms as governor, then moving to his two-terms in senate. His father, Birch Bayh, was an Indiana Senator from 1963-1981. Both enjoy huge popularity in the state.
Bayh’s announcement came the day before the filing deadline to get on the ballot for the May primary. This short notice meant that no candidate was able to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Bloomington restaurant owner Tamyra d'Ippolito was thought to be a possible replacement, but she failed to garner enough signatures.
Since there are no official candidates, the state democratic committee will be given the task of choosing a nominee for the seat. According to The Indianapolis Star, the committee can pick a nominee as early as next week, or as late as August. Bayh told the Star he would rather not get involved with choosing his successor, but hopes the party will choose someone that is a “consensus candidate.” He believes that at least two or three serious candidates will emerge.
The lack of Bayh, a strong force in Indiana politics for over two-decades, leaves the field wide open for a large field of republican candidates. Five republicans received enough signatures by filing time to get on the primary ballot, including Dan Coats, the man from whom Bayh won his senate seat in 1998.
The US Senate seat is not the only heated primary in Indiana. 4th district US Representative Steve Buyer, republican, announced that he would not be seeking reelection due to his wife’s illness. This lead current Secretary of State Todd Rokita to announce that he would seek the seat. He faces off against eight other republicans in the primary.
Then there is Indiana’s 9th district, a congressional race that has been very heated in recent elections. Incumbent Baron Hill, democrat, will face off against three other democrats in the primary. The republicans have four candidates in the primary, including Mike Sodrel, who took the seat from Hill in 2004, but lost to hill in 2006. Many factors could influence this race, including the possibility of Hill becoming the democrat nominee for senate, or possibly running for governor in 2012.
All of this puts Indiana very much in play for 2010.
After many years of reliable republican presidential votes, the state gave its electoral votes to Barack Obama in 2008. Bayh’s absence makes Indiana another state that is up for grabs in 2010.
By: Ashley Freije
Evan Bayh took the political world by surprise on February 15 by announcing he would no longer seek reelection for the Indiana senate seat he has held for two-terms.
It was a move no one saw coming. Reports say that even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was unaware of Bayh’s intention to step out of the race. Most polls had Bayh beating any challenger by large margins (in polls against Representative Mike Pence, Bayh looses, but Pence has said he will not run for the senate).
The Bayhs in Indiana can be equated to the Kennedys in Masachusettes. Bayh was Secretary of State before serving two-terms as governor, then moving to his two-terms in senate. His father, Birch Bayh, was an Indiana Senator from 1963-1981. Both enjoy huge popularity in the state.
Bayh’s announcement came the day before the filing deadline to get on the ballot for the May primary. This short notice meant that no candidate was able to get enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Bloomington restaurant owner Tamyra d'Ippolito was thought to be a possible replacement, but she failed to garner enough signatures.
Since there are no official candidates, the state democratic committee will be given the task of choosing a nominee for the seat. According to The Indianapolis Star, the committee can pick a nominee as early as next week, or as late as August. Bayh told the Star he would rather not get involved with choosing his successor, but hopes the party will choose someone that is a “consensus candidate.” He believes that at least two or three serious candidates will emerge.
The lack of Bayh, a strong force in Indiana politics for over two-decades, leaves the field wide open for a large field of republican candidates. Five republicans received enough signatures by filing time to get on the primary ballot, including Dan Coats, the man from whom Bayh won his senate seat in 1998.
The US Senate seat is not the only heated primary in Indiana. 4th district US Representative Steve Buyer, republican, announced that he would not be seeking reelection due to his wife’s illness. This lead current Secretary of State Todd Rokita to announce that he would seek the seat. He faces off against eight other republicans in the primary.
Then there is Indiana’s 9th district, a congressional race that has been very heated in recent elections. Incumbent Baron Hill, democrat, will face off against three other democrats in the primary. The republicans have four candidates in the primary, including Mike Sodrel, who took the seat from Hill in 2004, but lost to hill in 2006. Many factors could influence this race, including the possibility of Hill becoming the democrat nominee for senate, or possibly running for governor in 2012.
All of this puts Indiana very much in play for 2010.
After many years of reliable republican presidential votes, the state gave its electoral votes to Barack Obama in 2008. Bayh’s absence makes Indiana another state that is up for grabs in 2010.
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