“TASTE OF LA MESA” JULY 20: RESTAURANTS SERVE UP FARE TO COMMUNITY
Printer-friendly versionJune 16, 2009 (La Mesa) — Gio Bistro Wine Bar and the La Mesa Chamber of Commerce invite area residents to savor the first annual "Taste of La Mesa" event. Sample fare from many of the La Mesa area’s finest restaurants and food while savoring an East County evening complete with music, food and drinks. The event will to be held at the La Mesa Community Center 4975 Memorial Drive in La Mesa from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available at the Chamber office or by faxing or mailing in the Taste of La Mesa Ticket Order Form at: https://secure.chambermaster.com/FCKeditor/UserFiles/chambers/460/File/taste%20order%20form.pdf. Tickets will also be available at select Participating Restaurants and Merchants. Only 500 tickets will be sold. When sold out, no walk-ins or at the door tickets will be available. Vendor tables will also be available on a first come, first served basis to Chamber Member Businesses for $50. Advertising Sponsorships to the event are also available. If interested, contact Mary England at 619-465-7700 x1. Printer-friendly version
VACANCY ON COLLEGE DISTRICT’S CITIZENS BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
Printer-friendly versionJune 15, 2009 (El Cajon) – A community member who is active in a senior citizen’s organization is sought to fill a vacancy on the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District’s Proposition R Citizens Bond Oversight Committee. A form to apply or to nominate a member for appointment by the governing board is posted at http://www.gcccd.edu under “Construction News.” Forms are to be submitted to the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District Chancellor’s Office by July 10, 2009. Members of the community who are interested are invited to call the CBOC office at (619) 644-7762 for further information. The vacancy on the 11-member committee is due to the retirement of Lu-Gray Hill, who has completed two consecutive terms of two years each. CBOC members must reside within the boundaries of the college district, which encompasses an area of 1,138 square miles from the eastern edge of the city of San Diego to Imperial County to the east and the Mexican border to the south. The next meeting of the CBOC will be at Grossmont College, Griffin Gate, 8800 Grossmont College Drive, El Cajon. The meeting notice with the confirmed date, time, agenda and other materials for CBOC consideration will be posted on the Web site at www.gcccd.edu under “Construction News” prior to the meeting. The public is welcome, and anyone interested is serving on the CBOC is particularly encouraged to attend. “It is very important to have representation from all segments of the community,” said GCCCD Governing Board President Bill Garrett, a former member of the CBOC prior to his election to the governing board. “After all, the voters who supported the bond measure and the taxpayers who have funded all of the projects play an important role in ensuring that the District implements the bond measure as promised.” “We appreciate the dedication to community service shown by the representatives,” said Chancellor Cindy L. Miles. “The Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District CBOC is well-known for its service as an excellent model for other CBOC regionally and throughout the state.” The CBOC is charged with ensuring that revenues from Proposition R, the $207 million general obligation bond measure for college facilities, will be spent as promised to voters in 2002. The committee’s role is to review and report on district spending of taxpayers’ money for the Proposition R projects and to provide a public accounting of the district’s compliance with all legal requirements. Proposition R was approved by 60 percent of the East County electorate in response to the overcrowding and widespread repair needs at Grossmont and Cuyamaca colleges at a time of decreasing state support. One of the provisions of Proposition R was the appointment of an independent oversight committee. As specified by the governing board, the committee includes students and college foundation representatives, community members with expertise in construction, procurement and finance; and representatives from business, senior and taxpayer organizations. Printer-friendly version
CONGRESSMAN FILNER ANNOUNCES NEW SMALL BUSINESSES LENDING PROGRAM
Printer-friendly versionJune 15, 2009 (Washington D.C.) – Many local small businesses will soon be eligible for interest-free loans under a new program created by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Congressman Bob Filner (D-San Diego) announced today. The newly launched “America’s Recovery Capital” (ARC) program allows small firms to take out loans of $35,000 to pay down existing business debts. Borrowers pay no interest on the ARC loans and repayment does not begin for one year. The loan program was established through the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which the President signed into law in February. Rep. Filner said the new loans are part of Democrats’ ongoing work to help rebuild the economy. “There are many businesses throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties that would be viable in the long term if they could just make it through this rough patch,” said Rep. Filner. “That’s why we created this initiative. The ARC program gives entrepreneurs the breathing room they need, so they can pay their bills, retain employees and play their traditional role as job creators in our economic recovery.” To qualify for the ARC loans, small firms must demonstrate they are experiencing immediate financial hardship due to the economic downturn, but are otherwise deemed viable by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The loans will be made by commercial lenders and can be used for payments of principal and interest for existing, qualifying small business debts like credit card obligations, mortgages, lines of credit, and balances due to suppliers, vendors, and utilities. Rep. Filner said that in addition to the ARC loan program, the ARRA contained other measures aimed at helping small firms access credit. For instance, the new law increases the percentage of a loan that the SBA can guarantee, makes SBA-backed loans more affordable and provides tools to unfreeze the small business credit markets, helping small companies access capital at affordable rates. “Small businesses are our nation’s most reliable job creators, generating seven out of ten new jobs,” Rep. Filner said. “If our nation is going to lift itself out of this recession, we need entrepreneurs to start growing again. The ARC loan program is one element in a whole series of initiatives in the Recovery Act aimed at giving small firms the tools they need to lead our nation back to prosperity.” To apply for ARC loans, businesses should visit their local SBA-approved small business lenders. The loans will be available through Sept. 30, 2010, or until appropriated funding runs out. Additional information about the ARC loan program is available online at: http://www.sba.gov/recovery/arcloanprogram/index.html Local representatives split votes on the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, with Congressional members Filner and Susan Davis (D-San Diego) voting for the measure, while Republican representatives Brian Bilbray, Duncan Hunter, and Darrell Issa voted against it. Printer-friendly version
EDITORIAL: THE TRUTH ABOUT HEALTHCARE REFORM: WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW CAN KILL YOU
Printer-friendly version“Single-payer is the health system that works for every other industrialized nation on earth.” By Sylvia Hampton Supporters of real health care reform want a national expansion of the popular Medicare single payer program now covering every American over age 65. But they are being told that it is just not “politically feasible.” When one asks “Why?” there is double talk and a run-around. The facts are clear. Oxen will be gored–and the industry and some in Congress are circling the wagons to protect their own self interests. We have some blatant conflicts of interest here that would make an eight-year-old blush: Congress members who have stock holdings in the industry and get large campaign contributions from insurers. Imagine that. The insurance industry competes by selling large group insurance to businesses employing young healthy people. Ca-ching! They get those contracts by promising low cost to the employer, so the employee “contribution” becomes a pay deduction. Then if an employee gets sick or in an accident, his co-pays can become so large as to cause him to go bankrupt. But hey—no skin off the insurance company’s nose! Ca-ching. If the sickness or injury is bad enough to lose your job they don’t have to mess with you anymore. They just drop you if you live long enough (after they do everything in their power to deny the claims.) After all, they have stockholders to think about—they must, by law, make a profit. Ca-ching. And because the drug companies don’t want to have to negotiate with the big bad government on prices, they stick with the captains of this industry like two peas in a private money pot. That’s what makes health insurance hooked to employment so darn great–for insurers. The result is that they have so much money they can scare the pants off everyone in government. They will run an ad campaign so slick a good guy will look like Satan when they are done. Who gets the money for all those campaigns to sell insurance, sell drugs, sell the negative campaign ads? The Media. Ca-ching. So don’t ask them to help you gore that ox. That money talks—big time. Single-payer is the health system that works for every other industrialized nation on Earth. Single-payer results in health statistics better than ours, costs the people far less than ours, and at the same time covers everyone in their country. But it was not given consideration in Congress and is deemed an evil communist plot by 30% of our population. The other 70% have caught on after hard knocks in our system and now support single payer/Medicare for all. But that is not even what the president is asking for; he just wants a “public option” in addition to the private plans. But no, the industry says that is not fair. Why? Too many employers and workers will grab it in a heartbeat. Why? Better, cheaper, faster, nicer and more complete—like what all of us over 65 have and love: Medicare. The modern robber barons are throwing so much money and weight around Washington D.C. right now that you ordinary people out here in the real world don’t have a chance. There is only one way you young ‘uns will get what I have–and that is to take to the streets and demand it. Call your congressman, demonstrate in the street by his office, call the talk shows, and scream bloody murder. Because murder is what is happening to you right now. They are killing you. But as long as insurers, drug companies and legislators make a profit and you don’t pay attention, their life goes on. Sylvia Hampton is the past director of Health Care for All CA and a current board member of San Diegans for Health Care Coverage. The views expressed in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org. Printer-friendly version
EDITORIAL: HEALTHCARE ISSUES—DON’T FIX WHAT ISN’T BROKEN
Printer-friendly version“It would make little sense for the federal government to assume responsibility for the 300 million Americans who are able to fend for themselves.” By Jim Stieringer June 15, 2009 (San Diego’s East County)–Health care in the United States is not “broken”. We need merely address the 15% not currently covered by some form of health insurance. California is both economically and politically “broken”. However its health system currently covers 24 million of its 30 million citizens. This is a remarkable achievement. A new government program need merely address the needs of those 50 million American citizens (6 million of whom reside in California) who are not currently covered by any form of insurance. If only 15% of the population is not currently covered by an existing program (e.g. employer provided insurance, privately purchased insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Military, Tri-Care, etc) why are we planning to throw out all of these systems? “Health Savings Plans” are not the answer. The uninsured population includes many of our most economically disadvantaged citizens. If they were sufficiently affluent as to seek a tax shelter, they wouldn’t likely be amongst the uninsured. “Single Payer” is a clearly discredited concept except among the most socially liberal advocates. Government control of health care is clearly discredited when viewed through the prism of the failed Canadian and United Kingdom models. Health insurance is currently a competitive market with more than 1,000 licensed health insurance companies in the United States. Do we really want the non-competitive “single payer” determining our health care? We should first answer the basic questions: 1. Is health care an entitlement?, and 2. Is the nation’s existing system of providers and insurers “broken”? If health care is an “entitlement”, why not lodging, why not clothing?, why not transportation?, why not entertainment?. I argue that it would be hyperbole to describe a health care system as “broken” when it already covers 85% of the population. Why should we believe in the Obama administration’s ten year $1.5 trillion price estimate when other government estimates have been historically low? Only the Medicare Part “D” prescription drug program is currently being operated at a cost below the initial government estimate. Medicare and Medicaid have been world-class budget busters. Under government health care who will decide on the modality of care, the timing of care and the level of care? Most of us would agree that we should deny a liver transplant to an alcoholic, but what about the thousands of treatment options that fall below that threshold? Why should we agree to allow a government bureaucrat to decide which medical provider will provide our treatment? Why would we want an accountant to determine that the lives of senior citizens are less valuable than those of younger citizens? It would make little sense for the federal government to assume responsibility for the 300 million Americans who are able to fend for themselves. The Obama administration is disingenuous when it argues that 15% of the population currently lacks medical care. There is a difference between a lack of insurance and a lack of medical care. Our nation’s emergency rooms currently treat thousands of the low income uninsured each day. It is not legal to deny such care simply because the patient is indigent. The obvious answer is to provide some sort of government paid charity to those currently uninsured individuals. To do so would be far less expensive than throwing out the existing system that serves us well, even if it does not serve us perfectly. Jim Stieringer Board President Grossmont Healthcare District The opinions expressed in this editorial reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine. Printer-friendly version