Help Coming for Treece

Roberts, Brownback and Jenkins announced yesterday that Congress has approved legislation to provide the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to buyout Treece, Kansas. The legislation will allow the EPA to protect and improve the lives of residents living with the daily threat of contamination and health related risks from long abandoned lead and zinc mining should a federal buyout be initiated. The bill now heads to the President’s desk where it is expected to be signed into law by Saturday.

“With this important first step, I look forward to working with Administrator Jackson and her team on a long term solution for residents of Treece,” Roberts said. “I applaud the EPA for going the extra mile, sending representatives to the area to listen to residents firsthand, and then understanding their special hardships. Together, I think we can now give these folks a little hope.”

Kudos to the Kansas crew for getting this accomplished. Speaking of Senator Roberts - he's launched a new official website. Check it out HERE He's also joined the cool kids club and is now on Facebook. Add him as a friend today!

AFP - Kansas Health Forum

Americans for Prosperity - Kansas is holding a health care forum this Sunday, Nov. 1st

Memorial Auditorium
101 S Lincoln, Chanute, KS
6:00 - 9:00 PM

The forum will feature AFP-Kansas state director Derrick Sontag, Topeka business owner Ken Daniel and state senator Jeff Colyer.

As a small business owner, Daniel has dealt with healthcare in terms of providing coverage for his employees. He also is the executive director of the Topeka Independent Business Association. Colyer, a physician, has been in the Kansas Legislature for three years and has also served on a number of health-related committees.

Register for the Chanute Healthcare Forum at no cost today at info@afpks.org or by calling 785-354-4237.

Happy Friday

If you're trying to get through te 1,990 pages of the new House health care bill - check out this reading guide the Republican Conference put together.

Some of our favorites:

Page 94 - Section 202(c) prohibits the sale of private individual health insurance policies, beginning in 2013, forcing individuals to purchase coverage through the federal government

Page 297 - Section 501 imposes a 2.5 percent tax on all individuals who do not purchase “bureaucrat-approved” health insurance - the tax would apply on individuals with incomes under $250,000, thus breaking a central promise of then-Senator Obama’s presidential campaign

Page 520 - Section 1161 cuts more than $150 billion from Medicare Advantage plans, potentially jeopardizing millions of seniors’ existing coverage (Remember Obama's promise not to make any cuts to Medicare??)

***Still waiting to hear from Team Goyle or Kelly on whether they're supporting this massive take-over of the health care system

Cash for Clunkers - a real lemon

"There can be no doubt that this program drummed up more business, for more people, in more places at a time when our economy needed help the most," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood

The Cash for Clunkers program helped consumers who turned in gas guzzlers buy nearly 700,000 more fuel efficient vehicles in fewer than 30 days. Sounds good right?

WRONG! A report by automotive Web site Edmunds.com says the program actually cost taxpayers $24,000 per car sold. Only 18%, of the sales were additonal to normal car buying trends -- the remaining 82% of sales would have happened regardless of the program.

Obama and the Democrats chose to add another $3 billion to their spending spree to help out 125,000 people. $24,600 per car = the average $4,000 rebate the customer got? Sounds like fuzzy math to us

House Dems Keep Pushing

House Democrats unveiled their comprehensive health care package today. What will be the new catch phrase - Medicare Part E, the Competitive Choice? No matter what, the plan will still involve a government-run option that will compete unfairly. Check out this video for a quick reminder on the door this 'option' could be opening. The real kicker is that the bill, the comprehensive version of HR 3200 - somehow doubled in size - 1,990 pages. HERE

**Be sure to catch Queen Kathy's quote at 1:55 - "I'm all for a single-payer system....eventually"


When will Raj Goyle and Laura Kelly break their silence and announce they'd be voting right in lockstep with Liberal Democrats for this unfunded expansion of government?

The Change We Deserve

CBS' Mark Knoller tweeted yesterday that President Obama has tied President Bush for the number of rounds of golf played while in office: 24. Only troubling thing, President Bush took 2 years and 10 months while Obama has managed to find the time in just 10 months.

What happened to the current health care crisis in America, the H1N1 National Emergency, the less than 3 months he's given himself to close Gitmo and move its dangerous detainees to our backyards. What about his pledge to end the war - instead he's decided to simply leave our troops in harms way in Afghanistan, delaying a decision on the requested troop surge.

Perhaps he thinks since he's already won the Noble Peace Prize his work is finished. Any other ideas on a better way for Obama to spend his time? Playing with his kids, fundraising for ACORN, appointing CZARS, campaigning for Democrats in NJ and VA?

Democrats Confident...citizens beware

Democrats leaders today came out in strong support of their health reform proposals. Speaker Pelosi reassured - "At the end of the day we will have a public option" in the House bill. Senate Majority Leader Hoyer confirmed that the Senate too will have a public option. However, it will contain an 'opt out' clause for States. Good thing since the low reimbursement levels of Medicare and the proposed cuts to the program in both Chambers' versions will further bankrupt our states - at least this will allow for states to be smart enough to avoid this government-run option.

Luck for us in Kansas - some of our leaders in the State Legislature are already on top of it. Sen. Mary Pilcher Cook and Reps. Brenda Landwehr and Peggy Mast will hold a series of press conferences Tuesday to announce their sponsorship of bills to exempt Kansas from any federal health reform legislation.

SCHEDULE
Wichita: 9AM at Wichita Independent Business Assocation, 445 N. Waco
Emporia: 11:30AM at 6th & Merchant
Topeka: 2PM in the Kansas Senate chamber
Johnson County: 4PM at 10600 Mastin, Entrance A, the waiting room of the College Park Family Care Center's Specialty Office in OP

We're still waiting to hear if Laura Kelly and Raj Goyle will be supportive of this legislation in the state House. And since they're aspirint to high office - we'd love to hear if they would be joining Dennis Moore in support of a government-run public option. Considering Raj's liberal background and previous work for the ACLU, we're sure he's on board - unless he's holding out for a single-payer universal system? Nothing on their websites at this point suggest they wouldn't be voting in lock step with Liberal San Francisco leadership.