MAKE THE DEMOCRATS OWN OBAMACARE

Making Sense by Michael Reagan

At my age I’m pretty sure I don’t need maternity care.
At her age I’m pretty sure my granddaughter doesn’t need health insurance for her end-of-life needs.
But what do I know? I’m just a dumb citizen.

According to the architects of Obamacare – if you can call the Democrats who designed President Obama’s signature failure “architects” – I can’t be trusted to buy my own health insurance.

The architects of Obamacare in Washington, all Democrats, decided six or seven years ago they knew what the best health plan was for everyone, rich or poor, healthy or sick, old or young, Californian or New Yorker.
For them health-care choice was never an option for individual American citizens – it was one-size fits all.
They decided that every American human being, no matter what their sex, age, health or personal needs or desires, deserved Cadillac care for any possible sickness or service.

Just in case you might desire to change your gender someday, for instance, you’d be covered for the necessary surgery —- and get to pay for it in your insurance premium today.

When they drew up their plans the architects of Obamacare promised the moon but they delivered the usual piece of government space junk.

They promised insurance premiums would be low and be subsidized for the poor. Co-pays also would be minimal.  They promised all Americans would have access to affordable quality health care.  But in the real world it turned out many people can’t afford to use their Obamacare insurance cards to actually purchase health care because the deductibles are too expensive, or Obamacare’s architects severely limited the kinds of health care plans insurance companies were allowed to offer customers.

It should surprise no one that Obama’s pie-in-the sky promises have been broken and his plan is on fire and crashing to Earth.

It was cynically designed by his administration and Democrats in Congress to have its inevitable and widely predicted problems emerge after Obama was safely reelected in 2012.

But now even some Democrats are admitting Obamacare has got serious problems.
Of course, no one in the liberal media is pressing Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi to reveal how they’d change Obamacare to make it better.

If the media did ask a Washington Democrat to solve a problem they’ve created with one of their social policies, we all know the answer – throw more federal money and subsidies at it.

Republicans want radical changes that will get the government out of the health care insurance racket.
They want to repeal and replace Obamacare’s mandates so that individuals can buy the health insurance plan they want from insurance companies that want to sell it to them.

What a concept.  They want individuals and small businesses to be able to join together in larger groups or insurance pools to pay lower premiums.

And they want people to be able to buy their health insurance across state lines (like car insurance and a million other things) instead of being forced to buy from their state’s monopoly provider.
What concepts – freedom and choice.

The American people got Obamacare shoved down their throats because of the liberal myth that government knows best about everything.

Republicans in Congress – if they can get their act together and stop fighting each other —- are in a position to radically change things for the better.

But they need to come together, present a patient-based, market-based repeal & replace health care plan to the Senate and then force the Democrats there to explain to the country why they are the ones whose filibusters are preventing it from passing.

Republicans have to make the Democrats own and defend Obamacare, which will soon die a natural death.
If that doesn’t work, President Trump should invite every Republican and Democrat leader from Congress into the White House and lock the doors.

Then he should not allow anyone of either party to eat or pee or leave until they come up with a solution.

Legal Aid Funding Cut From Trump Budget

The Trump Administration’s proposed budget would eliminate funding to the Legal Services Corp., which provides grants to 134 legal aid organizations around the country including Indiana Legal Services Inc.

According to the Washington Post and USA Today, the LSC is among 19 agencies that were cut completely from the White House spending proposal. The LSC, established by Congress in 1974, received $375 million federal appropriation in fiscal year 2015 and $385 million in fiscal year 2016. For fiscal year 2017, the agency had requested $502.7 million.

Rep. Susan Brooks, the Indianapolis Republican who co-founded the Access to Legal Services Caucus in Congress in 2015, is advocating for LSC funding to be retained. Noting Congress will ultimately write the budget, she described access to justice as a national priority.

“The president released his budget today, and now, it is Congress’s responsibility to draft and pass a budget that is focused on our priorities as a nation to provide for the security of our citizens and their families,” Brooks said. “Part of that security must be to protect the rights of citizens to due process and access to legal counsel. As co-chair of the Access to Legal Services Caucus, I will work to protect Americans access to legal services, regardless of income.”

Indiana Legal Services, which has eight offices around the state, receives the bulk of its funding from the LSC. In 2016, ILS reported total revenue of $9.89 million of which $6.63 million came from the Legal Services Corp. Across the state, ILS helped 10,340 clients.

“I don’t believe that we will lose all federal funding,” Laramore said. “If we did, ILS would look very different and, in particular, we would be hard pressed to provide services to rural areas.”

Linda Klein, president of the American Bar Association, released a statement rebuking the administration’s action. She said her organization was “outraged” by the proposed cut to legal services and called upon every member of Congress to restore full funding.

“LSC provides civil legal aid to people who desperately need help to navigate the legal process,” Klein said. “Without this assistance, the court house doors will slam in the faces of millions of Americans, denying them equal access to justice.”

However, the Legal Services Corp. is confident of the bipartisan support in Congress. It pointed out Capitol Hill has funded the agency for 42 years and in each of the last three fiscal year has increased funding by $10 million annually.

“I look forward to working with Congress to continue LSC’s work,” said LSC President James Sandman. “I am optimistic that the bipartisan support we have enjoyed in Congress for more than four decades will continue for years to come.”

Elpers awarded 2017 M. Edward Jones Engagement Award

University of Southern Indiana Outreach and Engagement awarded the 2017 M. Edward Jones Engagement Award to Dr. Kathy Elpers, associate professor of Social Work, at the third annual Celebration of Engagement .

The award is given annually to an individual, group or project for excellence in leadership, commitment to quality, tireless service and dedication to lifelong learning in fulfilling the outreach missions of USI.

Elpers joined the University of Southern Indiana faculty in 1987 Since her arrival, Dr. Elpers has shared her gifts and talents within the community. From her work organizing the first field placements for social work students to her involvement with service learning projects for students in her classes, Dr. Elpers has maintained a passion for lifelong learning.

“Kathy believes in service to her community and having an impact on filling gaps in services for people in her community,” said one award nominator.

An advocate for Outreach and Engagement, Elpers has led several workshops, participated in many community boards and even created the inaugural Social Work Spring Festival still held annually through Outreach and Engagement.

Elpers received the Sidney Berger Award for community service in 2005. She has received the Social Worker of the Year Award once in 1991 and again in 2015. She also received the Sagamore of the Wabash and Kentucky Colonel recognition from the State of Indiana and Kentucky. Elpers has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Joseph’s College, a master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University and a doctorate in leadership education from Spaulding University.

The Celebration of Engagement is an annual event held to celebrate the University’s community partnerships. This year’s event featured talks by Dr. Linda L. M. Bennett, USI President, heads of Outreach and Engagement programs and a keynote address from Amy Word-Smith, CEO of Lamasco and Dapper Pig and founder of the Franklin Street Events Association.

For more information about the Celebration of Engagement and the M. Edward Jones Engagement Award, visit USI.edu/Celebration.