Health Care Video
Here is one of the 20 finalists in the health care video contest run
by President Barack Obama's campaign arm.
According to the Organizing for American Web site, the 20
finalists in the “Health Reform Video Challenge” were chosen by a
panel of “qualified” Democratic National Committee “employee
judges.”
One of the contestants whose video didn’t make the final cut
thinks that a video “defacing the flag” won’t do much to help
President Barack Obama or the Democrats sell health care reform.
I would have to agree.
09/29/09 Tonya Schuitmaker on the MI Budget Crisis
Warrior Ride 2009
Shaun Willis comes by and Ron Patti visits by phone to talk about Warrior Ride 2009. The Ride is to benefit the Corporal Christopher Kelly Willis Foundation (www.cckwf.org) started by Shaun in memory of his late brother. The Ride and Foundation fund scholarships for children of military vets lost or injured in battle.
09/24/09 - Mary Balkema and Ragan Savara
Kalamazoo County Treasurer Mary Balkema and attorney Ragan Savara talk about some resources available for people facing foreclosure.
Curse you elevator jumpers!
Health-Care Bill, Sebelius has the power
The Senate
version of the
Health-Care Bill was
released this
morning, absent is
the much debated
"Public Option". In
it's place is an
CO-OP that will use
federal funds
"distributed as
loans and grants.
Loans would be
provided to assist
with start-up costs,
and grants would be
provided to meet
state solvency
requirements." The
bill will authorize
a total of 6 billion
in funding. Grant
and loan awards will
be decided by the
HHS director and an
advisory board.
If approved Kathy
Sebelius will be a
very powerful person
in D.C. She will be
the "sugar momma"
for all of these
CO-OP's. While not
the lone decision
maker, "In making
awards, the
Secretary of HHS, in
consultation with
the advisory board,
shall ensure there
is sufficient
funding for at least
one co-op in all 50
States and the
District of
Columbia." I would
be surprised if
Secretary Sebelius
hasn't had a couple
of hundred
conversations with
special interest
groups already
today.
Is it just me, or
does it seem
dangerous to give
one person this much
authority to
dispense 6 billion
dollars?
I Couldn't Have Graduated from High School Today
I am always
telling my four
daughters how they
have things so much
easier today, then
back in my day. I
have to admit, the
new high school
requirements of
having to take four
full of math in high
school would have
killed me.
I was a terrible
student in high
school. I was young,
dumb and did just
enough to get by. I
took Business Math
and Algebra 1, and I
was done with math
courses. I was on to
my favorite social
studies classes. My
daughters are in for
a full four year
math curriculum, and
I wish them luck.
But wait new
legislation, is
being introduced
this week in Lansing
by Rep. Joel
Sheltrown, of West
Branch.It would
allow students to
bypass the tougher
math requirement by
taking three years
of math, with the
only mandated
courses being
algebra I and
geometry. The third
math credit could be
in a course like
financial literacy,
which teaches
students money
management skills.
It sounds like
business math might
be back, which means
I'll be able to
understand my
daughters homework,
at least for that
class.
I believe in high
standards for our
children, but what
about the law of
diminishing returns.
We can have too much
of a good thing. Are
we raising
mathematicians, or
giving these
children the ability
to balance their
checkbook? I'll take
the latter of the
two.
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