The Next Step In Health-Care Legislation

The U.S. Senate and House passed health-care legislation that will be taken up after the new year to reconcile the two bills into one. The out come of their deliberations should be a health-care bill that truly brings about health-care reform for the better of all concerned and that enhances the quality of life for the people. The country will see if congress is able to discharge their responsibility.

The democrats who control both houses of congress have to move away from the republicans as they have shown they will oppose every thing coming out of the Obama administration. They also have to move away from the extremes on both sides concerning abortion language in the health-care legislation. This is a health-care bill not an abortion bill. The language that bans using federal funds for abortion does not have to be changed or altered as some of the so called blue dogs and republicans insist on. The leaders in the senate and house have to show leadership, courage and not be intimidated.

The final bill should not add to the federal deficit and should in fact reduce future deficits. The prescription drug benefit that was passed by the republican controlled congress during Bush's administration was paid for by deficit spending at a cost of $2 trillion over a 10 year period. The democrats can not repeat that mistake in their health-care bill. The republicans also gave the American people the donut hole that the present health-care bill will close.

President Obama and the democrats have a historic opportunity here. The President should urge the democrats to refuse any campaign funds from any special interest group during the upcoming merger debate of the two bills and the democrats should be willing to do so and devote their time to producing a good health-care final bill. Let the republicans take all the money they want. Too much special interest money has already been accepted by both sides of the isle. The democrats can set an example if they would announce this as their position and stick with it. Elected officials can not deny anyone free speech, but there is no law that says they have to accept campaign contributions.

The President should also ride herd over congress concerning the merger of the two bills to insure that the final bill will provide in the long run results that prove it was the right thing to do for the American people and the country.

Federal Stimulus At Work In Louisiana

The Times Picayune carried a story dated December 26 concerning the rebuilding of a section of Earhart Blvd., in New Orleans that will last one year. The section was originally a part of the State Economic and Development program which financed 4 other sections of
Earhart since 1999 and ran out of money in 2006.

The total cost is $12.4 million and all but $1.8 million will come from the stimulus and other federal funds. Jeff Roesel of the New Orleans Planning Commission said the "stimulus" was like manna from heaven. Jobs will be created for at least a year for the project and bring in added revenue for the city, state and private industry.

This is just another example how states are being helped by the stimulus regardless what the negative voices of state officials have been saying. The work created by the federal dollars will create jobs and help make the mayor and governor look good. The people who use this section of Earhart can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel which was snuffed out in 2006 by the lack of funds from the city and state.