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ObamaCare Violates rights of Americans
The new Obama care health plan is quickly becoming unpopular in the minds of many Americans. By the year 2014, Americans will be required to have a health care plan, which Obama Care is attempting to make possible; so what happens to those who don’t have a plan by then?
The consequence is one that some are willing to take, but hurts citizens in the process. While Obama care is designed to be more affordable than previous plans, some people still cannot afford to sign up for it. Similarly, some people think that they simply don't need health care if it is just an extra expense. According to this new rollout, those people are then fined. For adults without a plan, a fine could be given of up to 95 dollars per person. The alternative to this is one percent of the family income, which often adds up to even more than the original fine. These charges don’t make much sense to those people who cannot afford health care in the first place.
One woman expresses her troubles to a reporter, "I would love to have insurance, but we just don't have the money," said Sandra Czop, 58, of Bloomingdale, Ill. "We need that $100 to put food on the table. We have no money to put gas in the car.” Czop shares the mindset and situation of many other Americans living just under being able to afford health care. However, with 2014 growing ever closer, she soon may not have health care or what she needs to provide in the first place.
The health care plan does mean to do well for Americans who have lived without affordable care. It has helped thousands of Americans who have not been able to afford this kind of care prior to the affordable care act. That being said, the plan in general has come a long way through opposition which threatened it even being possible. That being said, the system is far from perfect.
Americans being forced into buying what they cannot afford simply doesn’t make sense. Different people have very different needs, and this can be seen even by looking at states independently. Some states, such as New York or California, have upwards of 40,000 people signed up for the health care act while others, such as North Dakota, have as fewer than one hundred in the entire state signed up. This shows that the states themselves need more say in the actions being taken to their people. The reality is this simply isn't happening when numbers clearly show that it should.
Ohio Road Project Steals
Money From Schools
State Taxes that were set aside to benefit school systems in Ohio are in danger of being diverted to widen an Akron Ohio road. The tax dollars are at risk due to trustees fighting for the need to widen this road, Route 619, instead of giving it to school; the reason this money was set aside in the first place.
State Route 619 is a small, two lane road which is located near Akron. It is somewhat of a major road, and while many people agree that it needs to be widened, it simply cannot be done with funds meant to benefit students. Estimates have been made as to how this decision would affect lake schools. If the money were to be used, it is estimated that the schools could lose up to 2 million dollars within the next ten years. when this number is broken down into individuals, it means that the schools lose 550 dollars per student at the school. Other notable effects are expected to take place as a result of this road expansion.
Should the road be expanded, more than 200 acres of land would need to be improved to increase in property value, which would in turn raise the amount of tax collected along the adjacent properties. With the additional tax collected, it would be the trustees job to determine how this money will be spent.
No one disagrees that route 619 needs to be improved. The road is narrow and very often congested during daytime traveling hours. This can be dangerous for drivers as they don’t have use the route. Investing money in the road project would be a wise idea, but there needs to be an alternative to using money that “...says specifically on the ballot it is to be used to educate students, not to fund road projects,” (Lake Superintendent Jeff Wendorf).
One possible solution to this road controversy is called a Tax Increment Financing Plan, or TIF. The purpose of this TIF is to determine how to spend additional tax revenue, revenue being created by the improvement of the land near route 619. The plan is to use this additional tax collected to fund the nearly 2 million dollars needed for the project over the next ten years. In addition to this, the property value increase is expected to generate up to 25% more than what is required to improve the road; this extra money would then be invested into Lake Schools. This would be the best possible solution for route 619 and for Lake Schools, as they both would eventually benefit from it.
Homelessness Reaches a Record High in Massachusetts
Homelessness has affected a substantial amount of people in Massachusetts. The increasing number is having an astounding effect on the state’s shelter system. There are programs that assist those who are need but these programs are short term. The Senate should move towards creating more long-term programs to assist those in need as well as put an end to homelessness.
According to the state Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development, averages of nearly 2,100 families were temporarily housed in motel rooms in October. These actions are going to cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars a year.
The need for housing is so tremendously high that the state has been temporarily sending families from Boston to motels in Western Massachusetts. Aaron Gornstein, the undersecretary for housing, proclaimed that federal budget cuts have made the situation worse. The rent in Greater Boston is ascending while there are still high rates of unemployment and underemployment.
A recent report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development displayed that the number of homeless people in shelters and living on the streets in Massachusetts has risen 14 percent since 2010.
For three weeks this fall, Felicita Diaz and her family moved to an EconoLodge in Northborough after the housing subsidy for their Dorchester apartment ended. Felicita revealed that she had to take a commuter rail to get to her first day at UMass. She stayed with friends so she could attend classes and keep her job in the admissions office. Her eleven year old brother brother on the other hand, had to miss about three weeks of school. The family could not afford the daily nine dollar fare to and from Boston on the commuter rail. Her mother had to give up on English as a second language classes because of the distance as well. It has been very difficult for the family.
Massachusetts has one of the most extensive shelter systems in the country. In the past five years, state spending on motels has increased from about $1 million to more than $46 million. Unlike most states, Massachusetts offers emergency housing to anyone who qualifies.
Every action counts! We may not be able to provide each family with a home but we can provide them with the daily necessities. The next time you are cleaning, keep an eye out for the clothing and shoes that you no longer wear. If they are in good condition, donate them to local organizations. Food donations are a great contribution as well.
The Feds. Decide on the streetcar
The Federal Transit Administration will give Cincinnati until Dec. 19 to decide on the streetcar before taking away the $45 million that was given for the project away, said by Mayor John Cranley on friday.
Cranley said he received a call from the FTA stating that all funding that was being used to support the cost of the street cars will be revoked if the process does not start on the 19th of december. the FTA stated that the delay put forth on the street car project was a breach in the agreement made by the city and the organization and the obligations made will be terminated and the FTA will immediately creative a debt recovery program to collect the money.
The street car in cincinnati will create many jobs, from higher officials, employees, and construction workers. the streetcar will also make lives easier for civilians who are less fortunate and cannot afford taxis and bus service. it will also be using less pollution in the city of cincinnati and create safer living conditions because of the lesser need for metros in the designated areas.
The city of cincinnati have decided to hire KPMG to inspect and review costs, times, and other needs for the street cars. the end of the review will conclude on the 18th december with the final decision whether to cancel or continue the streetcar project.
The streetcar project will be a great amount of money and could raise taxes and other expenses in the city of cincinnati. If the project is put in motion we will automatically get help with 45 million dollars, this may not be all of the cost but a great deal of it. in the end the streetcar will better lives and companies maybe even tourism in the city of cincinnati which could create another way for funding for the streetcar.
Wisconsin union dispute heads toward Supreme Court
In the year 2012 a Wisconsin judge declared the state's controversial collective bargaining law unconstitutional. We believe this issue should be refused until the Wisconsin Supreme Court casts a deciding vote on the matter which should occur next year.
Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas has ruled in favor of multiple unions. These unions include Madison Teachers Inc. which is a public union and another union representing Milwaukee employees. The law signed by Governor Scott Walker (R) in 2011 eliminates collective bargaining for most public workers. This violates worker rights to free speech, free association, and equal representation under the law.
In the summer of 2013 the state Supreme Court announced it will take the case in the fall. We personally believe the law should be appealed until the Supreme Court casts its verdict. A constitutional law professor at Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee named Edward Fallone stated, “Where Judge Colas was novel in his ruling was in the distinction he made between unionized workers in general and non-unionized workers. So [Act 10] is not favoring one union over another but rather is favoring non-unionized workers against unionized in general - that went further than existing case law.”.
As a result of Act 10 becoming a law there has been numerous lawsuits on the county, state, and federal level. The state Supreme Court decision is expected to end to the legal skirmishes Since this act the union membership has dropped in Wisconsin. Union membership data has been collected by Unionstats.com. The reports state that government union membership in Wisconsin fell from 50% in 2011 to 37% last year.
Some feel this issue doesn’t violate worker rights to free speech, free association, and equal representation under the law. They also feel the law should still stand while the Supreme Court makes their decision. Many say this is a direct result of Act 10. There is a requirement that increases the chances for unions to lose the right to continue.
Rhode Island's Rightful Stand Against the Federal Government
Rhode Island’s disappointment with a federal court’s decision was announced last week. The court overturned the governor Lincoln Chafee’s efforts to prevent the federal death penalty charges against Jason Wayne Pleau.
Pleau was charged with robbing and murdering a gas station store manager while making a bank deposit. The state of Rhode island has laws put forth to punish crimes as a state but since the manager was in the process of making a bank deposit the situation has to be dealt with by the federal courts.
The issue is a big deal in most states concerning the ideals of the death penalty. While the governor of Rhode island is against the subject, some may feel that the death penalty is the best choice for convicts such as these. With the increase of people committing crimes,the rising volume of jails are increasing making less space available and rises in taxes on the public for the great demand for food, clothing and other activities for the inmates.
The state of Rhode Island was the second state in all of the U.S. to abolish the death penalty. With this being, the state is prepared to imprison Pleau for live without parole in exchange for a guilty plea. Rhode Island should be able to prosecute Pleau with the criminal justice policy and imprison him for life.
While this may be for the state of Rhode Island, the federal government wants to win the opportunity to execute Pleau and went through great lengths to bring him into custody. When the request to transfer him to federal custody of the case Gov. Chafee declined it after the refusal of the request sent by the federal court . They took Chafee to court. In the end the state does not violate fundamental rights when it decides to impose the death penalty nor does it threaten the public safety by imprisoning someone for life. Leaving the state of Rhode Island’s decision final on the life imprisonment of Pleau.
