Help us spread the word!An Environmental Assessment (EA) of the Silver Line project is currently underway to meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act. The EA is the process of identifying, evaluating and mitigating the social, economic, transportation, environmental and other relevant effects of development proposals prior to a formal project decision and funding commitments from the federal government. While the ITP Board is reviewing options and listening to the community to determine the future of the Silver Line, this step must be completed if the project is to eventually move forward. Because work on the environmental assessment was already underway, the Board elected to complete work on the EA to keep its options open.A public meeting regarding the environmental assessment study for the Silver Line BRT is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at Tommy Brann’s, 4157 S. Division, Grand Rapids, MI 49507. UPDATE: a second meeting has been added. The presentation content will be the same at both meetings, but this allows an additional opportunity to weigh in. Details: 4:30 p.m., Thursday, October 29, City of Hope Ministries, 1975 Jefferson SE (corner of Jefferson and Burton), Grand Rapids. The public is encouraged to attend. For more information, visitwww.rapidsilverline.org/news/ea
I am very disappointed with some of the talk I have been hearing about the administration backing away from a public option for health care. I did not join the Democratic Party to have it morph into the Republican Party.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said government alternatives to private health insurance are "not the essential element" of the administration's health care overhaul. The White House would be open to co-ops, she said.
I am not buying this.
Obama said the public option is needed to keep the private insurers honest. We need him to stand by his statements and not lose his nerve.
I have been following the health care insurance issues very closely. I am a retired Health Care practice manager and a former RN. I have seen the evolution and downfall of health care over the years.
The major change is in the word Healthcare which exists only in the minds of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. The new word is Insurance Care. The Insurance industry has taken over the healthcare industry. Patients want healthcare but they do not know that it no longer truly exists. Insurance controls the healthcare.
I may be an old retired healthcare worker but I also remember when the medical people decided what a patient needed. I remember the times that when a patient was sick, he was treated according to what the doctor thought he had. Not today --- today a non medical person working in an insurance company decides what he needs. The need is based on how muich profit the insurance company can get. Yes, it is the same insurance company that went out of the way to promote their product over their competitors to woo you or your employer to sign up with them and take your money for an insurance policy that you and/or your employer decided upon. All goes well until you or your co-worker becomes sick. Suddenly, you are a monetary statistic on a chart created by the insurance company. That chart says that you may have had a pre-existing condition or an un-approved condition.
Pre-existing condition is a loop-hole for insurance companies. Many of us are born with something we did not ask for and maybe did not even know about until we were diagnosed but the insurance company stats person pounces because their stats say that we were previously deemed by this disease therefore we are not now eligible for coverage. A worse scenario is that we did know about the disease but we changed jobs or was laid off or our company closed their doors, etc. The Insurance stat person double pounces on us. We have a pre-existing condition and therefore not eligible for insurance. Oh, they can insurance us but the cost will be very prohibative. The wealthy will smile and say okay, the rest will just lay awake nights wondering how they can pay for the prescriptions and doctors appts they need. Many will just give up and no nothing and not fill the prescription or visit the doctor and death will take them. Others will go but take their credit cards to max and remortgage their homes, etc and then have to file bankruptcy or lose their homes.
Okay, these are some facts I have presented. Now I have a question for you - Are you so wealthly you do not need insurance and do not care about others who do or are you a person who cares about your neighbors and believes in the Golden Rule? You choose and I hope you choose the path to Universal Insurance coverage for all.
I am a compassionate Christian who believes in Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself and there is no question how I (if I were a Congressman or Rep) would vote. I could not live with my own conscience if I were to vote for the Insurance companies and the Profits that are made on heathcare. My conscience would not allow me to say that a tax break should be put in place for a citizen for Insurance. A person who cannot afford the premiums for health care would find the tax break worthless. This idea of a tax break is only another example of a loophole tax break for the wealthly. It reminds me of Marie Antoinette who said "Let them Eat Cake" when they could not afford bread.
**Please pass this on to anyone who is in desperate need of healthcare or cannot afford the premiums, copays, etc . I just want you to know that I do really care about you. I have given up on passing it on to the congressmen who can actually make a difference in your lives. If you think they will listen, please pass it on to your powers-that-be in your State.
Patricia Cogswell, Byron Center, MI
I've moved my blog to http://seanmullally.blogspot.com
Check their for my current posts regarding progressive politics in West Michigan.
Thank you,
Sean Mullally
Community organizing has taught me so much and it’s given me a renewed purpose. Leading people is one thing, but learning to empower others to stand themselves is something else entirely. I've been in front of groups of people my whole life. This has been something so much more. It’s more than being a good boss, more than being a good teacher, this is being a good citizen, a steward of the future.
We are at a cross roads in this world. Like all of us I think about the future. I look into the eyes of my beautiful son and I dream about his world. That world could be one of two very different visions. I can see both in front of us. Which will it be?
I remember holding his little toddler body after his spinal surgery. He was fragile and groggy. His arms dangled against me helplessly. I remember his little heart beating in my hands. I felt so clearly then, like I have in other flashes of time, his very life was my responsibility, no, my purpose. That was a feeling of such gravity and powerlessness as he lay so ill.
I think of all the families that don't come through what we did. I think of all the families who don’t have healthcare at all or the transportation to get 70 miles to the best doctors. What if that had been us? What about all the children that don't return helpless and groggy to their parents? Who fights for them? Why hasn't the battle been won? It’s amazing how injustice can be so apparent and yet be so unsolved.
I knew then something had changed. I had all the energy I needed inside of me. All I had to do was stand up. So, I did. Along the way I have learned more than I hoped. Barack is right. We all want basically the same things. We all know that. We just have different ideas about how to get there.
So, as I see it we have two choices. We stand around and discuss, or even argue, about how to make things happen or we step up and we do it. I've always been a do-er. I'm not one to stand around and wait for something to save me. I can do the saving. We all can. You can.
That's just one of the reasons I keep going. Americans deserve Universal Healthcare. I am out supporting the budget because it lays the ground work to accomplish just that.
Timothy Geitner was approved as Sec of Treas today.
He was criticized by many.
Just out of curiosity how many of you claim all the stuff you order on the internet and do not claim your use tax that you should? How many of you fudge deductions? The sec of treas did pay his taxes after he was told it was taxable. This he did pay many years back.
Now that we are into tax season... will you state all the items you bought on the internet tax free to your state? Will you list everything you should pay taxes on? Just a reality check. Maybe he did something that he corrected.
A treasury person needs to know the economical dynamics of budgets to hopefully save us money in what the government spends. We need a bright person today on that issue. Personal taxes are another field not his. How many of you are not good at your own taxes but good at whatever you do in your job? That is what you should think about. He is an expert on money management for our country and that is what we should think about for him.
I watched Sunday's Concert on HBO and a thrill of happiness went down my spine. Later a friend remarked to me about not liking some of the music. I was stunned. I told her that she missed the point. The thrill was not in the musicians but in the crowds listening and reacting to it.
There was such a sense of hope and enthusiasm for our future in the music and the speeches and the responses of the crowds at the Lincoln Memorial center. I was so proud to be an American while watching it at home on my TV. I did not want it to end. I wanted it to go on forever. Maybe it will.
I know Obama will make mistakes because he is human and because he has never been a President before just like all of us have done when we first started out on a new job. We all are human and so is he.
The important part is the feeling transmitted about Hope for our Future. Pessimism has never created a good world but Hope has and always will. A nation of Hopeful people will change the world for the better. He HAVE to continue to have Hope and support our NEW President.
The best thing that could happen for me and all citizens is for all members of the House and Senate to read this and unite and really promote Hope for all of us and support for Obama. It is time for us all to work together to create a better tomorrow for our kids and grandkids and stop throwing road blocks against moving forward to a common cause of a great America and World for generations to come.
Having retired from the Health care field as a manager of a physican office for 23 years and an RN I am torn between wanting what is good for the community and what is good for the healthcare field. I guess I have to say what I saw over 25 years of managing medical offices to maybe help you in what the healthcare really needs:. First I truly believe that we need some kind of universal health insurance to cover all. Second, I believe we need a universal fee schedule for both insurance and private pay. A patient who has insurance is guaranteed a payment according to what insurance they have. The insurance company negotiates a fee and the physician office writes off the agreed upon fee. The patient who does not have insurance pays the full fee at doctors offices and hospitals. That is not fair. The patient without insurance gets clobbered with full price fees yet patients who have insurance do not. Nor do their insurance company. Today that can put them into bankrupcy just because they do not have a job that pays for health insurance. This is wrong. The real winner in todays health care funds is insurance companies and drug companies. To compound matters, the Federal government has told the offices that it is illegal to charge a tier system, which means they cannot discount people who do not have medical insurance. That really needs to be addressed. The next thing I would do for the price of health care of patients is to more closely monitor the drug industry. I could not believe the amount of dollars drug companies put out to attempt to gain physican support of their drugs. Meals at lunch were a common occurance in doctor's offices. Fees for Doctors and Nurse Practitioners to promote their products at seminars were another common thing. The prices of drugs are also all over the sprectrum among drugstores for those who have to pay full price. That really needs government intervention. All pharmacies need to post on a common site on the internet their prices charged for both insurance companies and full pay patients. Too many people are unaware of the differences in prices. They might just drive a distance when they see what truly are the prices and drug stores might just reconsider ripping locals off. Another thing I noticed was the huge difference between the fees for Primary Care physicians who spent a lot of time with patients and the fees that specialty doctors charged yet had no on-going human contact with the patient. Something is wrong here. To compound matters, the government set a "standard on paper" that a doctor had to abide with on coding for procedures to get paid. The coding did not take into account the time some good doctors spent just listening to and caring about patients. The doctors who ended up paid well just did their "bullets", spent minimal time and got paid. That is wrong. Good doctors who really care about their patients lost money. Again, something is wrong here when the government insists all patients are contained in a bullet sytem for diseases, etc. To put this in perspective, in today's job losses many patients come in with vague problems stemming from stress and only have a doctor to confide in. A good doctor will listen and try to be helpful but will not get repaid for his time. On the other end, a money hungry doctor will not listen and get the same pay. Yet the patient can only go to the doctor who honors her or his insurance. Think about this!! I am lucky. I am retired. I do not have to worry about a job. I only have to worry about all the money I lost in my 401K and will i have enough to take care of me in the years to come.. I am okay with this as long as Medicare Plus will insure me and I know I can pay my co-pays and drugs. The Youth do not have this that I had in the past. The new norm is for business to not cover their insurance or make the copays, etc so high that they cannot afford it. The worst to ever hit the medical costs was the Health Savings Account. It was a wonderful cost savings for wealthy employers. It was disaster for the employees. I can only surmise that it was put into place for employers to get their own insurance and leave the employee behind. Please look more closely into this. It was a case of the employer gets wealthier and the employee ends up without affordable insurance.
I wanted to post this on the Healthcare site for comments but it was refused because it too long.
I hope the Obama team reads this because I am a grandma who cares about healthcare for the future..
America and the world hare keeping palestinians in the largest prison in the world.
srael: positioning in israel for elections, Every leader in israel is looking out for the next election and the person who appears to destroy their enemy more will have more votes.
ethnic cleansing and genocide: Israel want to clean Palestine of its tribes and families to annex the palestine.
caving in to settlers. Israel want to clean Palestine of its tribes and families to resettle its own people.
Positioning in America: Israel wants to be the number one subject of america policy, not just policy. They want more tax dollars,and more lobby is out asking for money than they say. Reality is that Even journalists are making the case for more money to isreal. My take is that there is more problem in the world than israel. How about the congos, suddan, zimbabwe, somalia, and every place else in the world where poverty is killing people in silence?
The world has helped israel for centuries. Yet israel remain in the middle of every turn of help, despite the fact that it is the richest nation in that hemisphere.
Obama needs to tell israel that enough is enough. Obama needs to tell israel that it is high time America had other friends in the world and help the countries in the world that need American help enjoy a peaceful life, not a life of war.
America needs to start rewarding countries that exibit peaceful process to progress, to move faster, not those countries that are constantly vie for international and american attention with killings and genocide. WE NEED TO START REWARDING THE GOOD GUYS IN THE WORLD, NOT THE BAD GUYS.
I PROPOSE THAT THE US GOVERNMENT INSTITUTE A PRICE FOR ITS FOREIGN AID: 1ST PLACE GOES TO THE COUNTRY THAT HAS MADE MORE PROGRESS AND IN PEACE. AND SO ON, DOWN TO THE 5TH PLACE. NO COUNTRY WITH HUMAN RIGHT ISSUES WILL WIN, AND NO COUNTRY THAT HAD HAD A WAR IN THE PAST 5 YEARS WILL EVER WIN. EVEN IF THEY BECAME PEACEFUL, THEY WOULD HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE IF THE PEACE HELD FOR 5 YEARS.
We elected Obama for American problems, not for israeli problems.
The people's reaction is slow but steady, like a drop in the stream, or fast like a pouring deluge. Push them hard enough, and there is no stopping the resulting flood and devastation, one election rigging at a time.
I am fully aware the Bush administration is pro-Israel and so am I at times, yet Israel bombed so many civilians in the Gaza strip.
I also was upset when I read that Bush said he will leave it to Obama. I think it was timed to make sure Bush was still in command because (hopefully) Obama will resort to neutral talks and thus hopefully atempt to create Peace. This would not set with their agenda.
I keep thinking about the Hatfields and McCoys whenever I read about this and I then think "is there any win? No, they love conflict.". This thought of mine might send an avalanche of remarks but this is good.
Keep talking and keep giving thoughts to all of us to think, think, think about the situation.
My son is here visiting from another State and he said that the difference about Republicans and Democrats in Youth is that educated young Democrats tend to think through issues and arrive at a conclusion for them on a personal values and educational basis versus Republicans who are either of the super wealthy or just believe what their parents and community believed to belong. (He noted Rednecks at this point since he lives in north Kentucky but works as a senior editor for a NY publishing company and I will not quote this as mine).
Again I say, think, think, think and voice your opinion so all of us can think about and reason and come to a conclusion on this based on our thinking it through with caution and compassion for all involved.
There is a page on facebook that is called "I am Thankful for this Thanksgiving". I created it.
I hope it will encourage others to give thanks for all they are thankful for. It does not have to be just at Thanksgiving. I think 2009 will be a wonderful time to be thankful when Obama gives us hope for a New Year. With him at the helm I hope that all people will have a better llife and jobs and maybe return our country to what it should be which is Peace and Prosperity for all in the New Year. Hope is a wonderful thing but Belief and Support for a new President in a New Year is even better. The new motto for all regardless of political preference should be belief and Support!!
We all in the new year want Peace and Prosperity for all!! We all need to care about those who have lost jobs and those who have had to fight in a war that never should have been. They NEED our support!!
Please post what you are thankful for. Thankful overcomes negative comments.
Blogs are probably done and not read here anymore but I think this is the appropriate site to post what I want to say.
I read today that Obama will use the Lincoln Bible to be sworn in. I think this is very appropriate. Lincoln freed the slaves and because of this Obama could become President. It is a thank you to a great President who served before him. What an awesome circle of life.
I was born 67 years ago on Lincoln's birthday, Feb 12. Because of this I felt an attachment to him. I am white yet all my life felt the touch of Lincoln concerning black people. To me all people are created equal at birth. It is up to them (and the people who mentor them) what they do post birth regardless of their skin color.
Lincoln made a positive impact on History. Now it is Obama's time. We voted for him and now we have to support him. He is wading into a mess like no other messes in History left behind for a President to wade through and attempt to clear up. No matter who won, the mess would be the same. We must make sure we stop all attacks and refuse to pass bad judgement on someone who has to serve after Bush. All we can hope for is that we plug the holes and move forward and gain respect in the Country and World. From there we can go forward and return our Country to what it should be.
Join me in the hope and support Obama all the way.
During the campaign, we went through Hope and then we won Change. Now let the motto be to Believe and Support!!
I am a retired person and not an auto worker nor a Union person but just a Michigan citizen who cares about her neighbors and their jobs and their children.
Has it ever occured to you that the American people wanted the big SUVs and because of this the American auto industry had no choice but to build what the US wanted? Don't blame the auto industry - blame what the american consumer wanted. They tried to build smaller autos but the consumer did not want them. They wanted their SUVs. Now, with gas prices climbing, the consumers still did not want to part with their SUVs. If you were a company - what would you build - what the public wanted is the answer. Now, all of a sudden, the Bush administration with ties to big oil put the price up up and away and suddenly, people wanted more fuel efficient cars. They cannot be built overnight. Can you really see what happened. Big oil bled us and now the auto industry pays!!.
The auto industry is not a big Repub donor such as is the financial industry which got bailouts without questions. I am angry, very, very angry as a citizen who cares about my neighbors and their loss of jobs. Why, why , why should blue collarworkers get the shaft from southern Senators who want to grease the palms of Japansse auto owners yet throw aside the American workers. I think we should renind them who pays their pay and if they are unhappy please move to Japan and let the auto workers there pay their salary. I personally, would love to go to their states and start a recall against them on the grounds of being anti-american.
I wish you would circulate this among the Senators. I want them to know what a real live voter thinks. A real live voter who cares about jobs for our country. A real live voter who is retired yet cares very, very much about the future of our country for my grandchildren and my neighbors.
I sent this to the RNC. Please have others do the same!
Iam appalled that you denied the Auto industry bailout. I am a retired Michigan citizen with no ties to the Auto industry yet you in one fell swoop decided that big financial was more important than the middle class labor citizens. This is exactly why we voted you out across the nation. Why, why , why do you consider the financial sector is more important than the people who pay the taxes and who really vote. Will you never learn that We the people really do count. We have had it up to eyballs for your outdated idea that only big business, big bucks politcal count. We will see that you never, ever rule out contry again. I personally believe that we the People must take back our government and we showed that in the polls. Please, please stop thinking that big business, big peolple rule. Care about the people who will need jobs, etc. to truly will show that our economy can rebound. You are of the old rule, old ways that no longer work. I willl do all I can to return the country and the constiution to the people. You have in your vote decided that we the middle people no longer exist. Can you live with this and honestly say you really care about people and their jobs? I doubt that you do.
I am not an auto worker employee, but has it ever occured to all of you what would really happen here in Michigan if the Autos go. I am a retired health care worker and know that all jobs are impacted by the auto workers here. The auto workers are real people and neighbors as are the small places that make parts for the auto industry. Even in the medical field - those who lose their jobs lose their health insurance. Those who lose their jobs lose the income to purchase from local stores. Those who lose their jobs do not pay income taxes to our state. Those who lose their jobs cannot afford their mortgages and food for their children. We all need to care about all these things and stop throwing stones at people who lose their jobs and income and ability to feed and house their children. We need to reach out and hope for them and not just pass judgement on their condition. When did some of you lose your compassion? How can you truly say you care about people with awful judgmental anti-union comments?
I would like to say that I wrote this in response to people who are anti-union and I think they should consider what really will happen if the auto industry goes under. The Chinese will overtake the autos and we will then increase their revenue and decrease ours and jobs. Think about this very carefully. Do you care for the USA or do you care more about the foreign auto industry? The choice is yours - do you care more about your neighbors or the people in China?
The banking and Insurance industry got free checks with no question asked yet the auto industry has had to jump through hoops for a loan. Why is this? The answer is that those industries has big bucks ties to current administration. Do you like that your tax dollars go to big lobbyists? That is what is happening while these CEO's from the banking and insurance agencies can continue with their lavish lifestyles while the auto industry CEO's have pledged to take a one dollar salary. Something is very wrong here.
Thank God that we have now elected a President that might just believe in We the People, instead of We the big Donors that we Owe!!
Dear President Elect Barack Obama
I just want to thank you for the brillant campaign for change that you ran over the past 22 months. Never could the pundits and naysayers could have imagined that not only did the voice of the people prevail by electing you President, but we on by almost 80 electoral votes.
I really believe in this campaign for change and like you said we must all work together to bring about that change on all levels of government and in all of our lives individually. Please Mr. President Elect, do not allow the crimes against the people of the United States of America to go unnoticed. Crimes were commited by the Bush Administration, and now that the democrats are in control, we really need to start those hearings on day of your term. We need to reintroduce legislation like the childrens health care bill, and stop bailing out wall street or the financial institution. How about giving 700 billion to the American people, that would really stimulate our economies personally.
Please continue to have a we the people type government and administration and let us all work to right the wrongs of the Bush Administration.
Signed,
Christopher
