The LuLac Edition #1436, Jan. 13th, 2011

PHOTO INDEX: HEALTH CARE REFORM LOGO, OUR 1972 LOGO.

HEALTH CARE REFORM

As the Congress recovers from the Tucson Tragedy the expected vote on Health Care defunding was postponed. But it is important to see what economic impact getting rid of the bill would have on the country.
The House Republican Health Care Plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act and take away all the new freedom and control it gives the American people over their health care and gives it back to insurance companies will not only raise costs for individuals and businesses, but it will hurt our economy.
Since the President signed the Affordable Care Act into law last March, the economy has created over 1 million private sector jobs, including the 113,000 private sector jobs created in December announced today. So, at a time when our economy is getting stronger, repealing the law would hamper that important economic progress by increasing costs on individuals and businesses, weakening the benefits and protections that Americans with private insurance are already enjoying, and adding more than a trillion dollars to our deficits.
Opponents’ claim that the law is “job-killing” is in direct contradiction to what has actually been happening in the economy since enactment. In fact, repealing the law would likely slow down the growth of our economy. Here are the facts:
Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, the economy has created over 1 million private sector jobs. The unemployment rate is 9.4%, lower than it was in March 2010—9.7%.
In the period during and right after the enactment of the law, the economy grew by 2.7%. Consumer confidence in a range of areas have improved, including retail and food sales by 4%, and auto sales by 7% since the enactment of the law. Slowing the growth of health care costs—as the Affordable Care Act does—will have the likely impact of creating more jobs since businesses will have to spend less on health care for their employees. This reduction could create more than 300,000 additional jobs. The law widely expands coverage to Americans, thereby reducing the hidden tax of about $1,000 that families with insurance pay each year in additional premium costs to cover the uncompensated costs of the uninsured.
The law reduces small businesses’ health care expenses by giving them $40 billion worth of tax credits and through the creation of new, competitive state-based insurance Exchanges. Exchanges will enable individuals and small businesses to pool together and use their market strength to buy coverage at a lower cost, the same way large employers do today, giving them the freedom to launch their own companies without worrying whether health care will be available when they need it.
The law will lower the deficit by over $100 billion this decade and by over $1 trillion in the following decade.
Repealing the Affordable Care Act would have a devastating impact on our economy. In addition to hurting some of the economic progress that has been made over the past ten months the Congressional Budget Office found that repealing the law would add over a quarter of a trillion dollars--$230 billion—to the deficit in the first decade, and more than a trillion dollars in the second decade; increase the number of uninsured to 32 million Americans; increase premiums for large employers; and will force consumers who buy coverage on the individual market to pay more out of pocket for fewer benefits.
In addition, Harvard Economist David Cutler found in a report released today by the Center for American that repealing the law would significantly increase costs and reduce job growth. It will “…revert us back to the old system for financing and delivering health care and lead to substantial increases in total medical spending” by:
Adding up to $2,000 annually to family premiums and increasing overall medical spending $125 billion by the end of this decade.
Preventing 250,000 to 400,000 jobs from being created annually over the next decade.
Suppressing entrepreneurship among workers who may have started new businesses, or sought new opportunities in the economy since they will no longer be free from worrying whether affordable coverage would be available to them in the new Exchanges, when they need it the most.
Again, these facts speak for themselves. “Repealing the Affordable Care Act would hurt families, businesses, and our economy” concluded Stephanie Cutter.

ADULT BASIC BYE BYE

The Harrisburg Patriot News Reports that Pennsylvania appears headed for the largest one-day loss of health insurance in its history. The state-subsidized Adult Basic program, which covers 42,000 low-income people, will run out of money at the end of February. Gov.-elect Tom Corbett plans to let it end. He’ll offer Adult Basic users a different program — one that advocates for the uninsured say costs four times more and isn’t nearly as good. Corbett, a Republican, says the state can’t afford to continue Adult Basic with an expected $4 billion deficit in the next budget. For the last six years, much Adult Basic funding has come from the state’s four Blue Cross-Blue Shield plans. The agreement expired at the end of 2010. Advocates for the uninsured want Corbett to require the Blues to kick in money to at least temporarily continue Adult Basic. They say the Blues have a combined surplus of $5.6 billion that’s substantially bigger than in 2005. The Adult Basic program was created under Republican Gov. Tom Ridge. It’s limited to people who earn less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. It was originally funded with money from the federal tobacco settlement. In 2005, Blues plans faced heavy criticism for their surpluses. They agreed to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars toward Adult Basic. Beyond the 41,953 people covered by Adult Basic, the program had a waiting list of 478,785 in December, up from 448,515 in October. Given those numbers on the waiting list, it was clear to see how little a dent the Adult Basic program put in Health Care in the Commonwealth. It will be interesting to see how Governor Elect Corbett will respond to the planned protest on Friday and after he becomes Governor.

MARINO’S # 3

Congressman Tom Marino garnered still another committee assignment last week. Marino received a third U.S. House Committee assignment next week. The House Steering Committee on Friday recommended Marino, a freshman Republican from Lycoming Township, be assigned to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Marino was previously named to the House Judiciary and Homeland Security committees. The Foreign Affairs Committee is involved with the oversight and legislation relating to foreign assistance, national security developments affecting foreign policy, strategic planning and agreements, war powers, treaties, arms control and the deployment and use of the U.S. Armed Forces. The panel also deals with international law-enforcement issues including narcotics control programs and activities.

A CRYING SHAME

According to a recent study by Israeli scientists men are turned off when women cry. The researchers found that female tears led to a drop in men's testosterone levels, which in turn caused a dip in their sex drive."This study reinforces the idea that human chemical signals -- even ones we're not conscious of -- affect the behavior of others," lead author Noam Sobel, professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science and Wolfson Hospital in Tel Aviv, said in a statement. Sobel and his team found a previously unknown chemical in tears from women that triggered a physiological response in men. A group of men who participated in the study were told to sniff tears that had been collected by women who watched sad movies. Another group was told to breathe in saline solution. A pad with either tears or saline was attached under the men's noses. Then were then asked to rate the faces of women shown to them in photographs. Whatever. All I know is this, women in business sometimes use tears to manipulate situations. Even in these liberated times, I have seen first hand women cry to get out of work situations, to gain sympathy over other co workers and to steer a situation away from their incompetence in an area and divert attention from the real problem. As performance art it is incredible and something to behold. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen men cry but rarely professionally. In the 90s I competed against a guy (a media rep) who would cry if he didn’t get a sale from his cold call. The guy was masterful. Usually he never had any return business but he did get initial sales. I don’t know where he is now but I’m sure he wasn’t a participant in the study.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT


SPLIT ON WB COUNCIL?

Wilkes Barre’s 5 City Council members are going to be asked to take sides in the upcoming race for District Magistrate. This was the seat held by Bill Amesbury. Reports are that Jeff Thomas brother of Council member Tony Thomas will be running against Rick Cronauer a current Council member. Sources say that Thomas is lining up support for his son and is trying to shore up the votes to edge out Cronaurer.

THE OTHER BROTHER

How would you like to have been David Nelson in the 50s? Your little brother was the star and you were just the director of the wildly successful sitcom “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”. David Nelson, died after battling complications of colon cancer, a family spokesman told the Associated Press.He was 74. Nelson died Tuesday at his home in the Century City area of Los Angeles.Nelson was born in New York City and moved to Los Angeles with his parents, where he attended Hollywood High School and the University of Southern California. When 'The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet' moved from radio to TV, he and Rick convinced their parents to be on the show. 'The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet' aired on ABC from 1952 to 1966; many of the episodes were directed by Nelson, who was the last surviving member of the TV family.


MARGARET WHITING

She was a little bit before my time but thanks to Talk Shows like Merv Griffen, Mike Douglas and Joey Bishop, I knew what a talent Margaret Whiting was. She was a 40s era vocalist who wasn’t the prettiest, sexiest or best known. But could she sing. Here’s one of her best.


MEDIA MATTERS

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

Shadoe Steele’s guest this week on Saturday Night Live At the Oldies is Lyn Paul from the New Seekers. The program is heard from 7pm to midnight with ABC News on the hour on WILK AM and FM radio. Since we are featuring 1972, this was one of the chart constants on Top 40 radio that year.


SUNDAY MAGAZINE

Join Brian Hughes for Sunday Magazine on WARM Radio 9:30AM on 590 AM.
This Weekend on Sunday Magazine:
Brian Hughes interviews Monica Thomas from Parents Advocating for Safe Schools, about school bullying, and her Second Annual Candlelight Vigil coming up on Monday at 6pm on Public Square in Wilkes Barre.
An encore of Brian's interview with medical expert Mark Underwood about the rising costs of dementia and whether our health care system is prepared for it. And Magic 93's Frankie in the Morning speaks with Tayna Olivanti from Big Brothers/Big Sisters about their Bowl For Kids sake fundraiser coming up in March, and Frankie interviews Christine and Paul about the Rock On Judi H event to benefit the Northeast Regional Cancer Center, coming up Feb 11th at the Country Club of Scranton. Sunday Magazine, Sunday morrning at 5:30am on JR 93.7, 6am on 97BHT & 97.9X, 6:30am on Magic 93, and 9:30am on WARM 590 AM.

1972

Howard Hughes speaks by telephone to denounce Clifford Irving's supposed biography of him………… Queen Margaret II of Denmark succeeds her father, King Frederick IX, on the throne of Denmark………..Super Bowl VI: The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Miami Dolphins 24–3…….Pennsylvania Auditor General Robert P. Casey Senior announces that he will seek another term in the statewide office. Casey was expected to have no primary opposition in his race in the upcoming Pennsylvania primary………Meanwhile in Luzerne County Congressman Dan Flood announces that he will indeed seek another term for office in Congress. Rumors of a health scare by Flood are quickly dispelled as he embarks on a multi nation tour of Latin America with his wife Catherine and 39 years ago. In Scranton Mayor Eugene Peters indicates he will run for another term as Mayor, ending sperculation that he might make the race for Statewide Office with an eye to the Treasurer’s post. the number 1 song in America and LuLac land was “Got To Be There”, a solo hit by Michael Jackson.