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Thursday, April 15, 2010 • HERITAGE NEWSPAPERS/WESTERN REGION
Schauer focuses on health care at forum Representative discusses his vote on the controversial $940 billion healthcare bill By Daniel Lai Heritage Newspapers
Addressing a packed house Friday, U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer, D-7th District, held an informative question-and-answer session with constituents about the Health Insurance Reform legislation at the Washington Street Education Center in Chelsea. The meeting was one of several Schauer has held throughout the area in the past two weeks. Schauer said he is still combating myths and half-truths. At a town hall in Hillsdale, Schauer said he was asked about the government installing microchips in people. “It’s ridiculous. I have an obligation to my constituents to present the facts,” he said. The facts, Schauer said, are that the new law improves coverage for 442,000 residents in the 7th District, gives tax credits and assistance to 167,000 families and 12,100 small businesses to help them afford coverage, extends coverage to 30,000 insured residents and guarantees 8,600 residents with pre-existing medical conditions can obtain healthcare coverage. With most of the audience at or near retirement age, Schauer spent most of his time focusing on Medicare benefits for seniors. “Under the new legislation, seniors on Medicare will continue to have that program available to them for the foreseeable future,” he said.
When asked why he voted for the healthcare legislation –– which will cost $940 billion over the next 10 years –– Schauer said it was the right thing to do. “Right now we’re paying $2.5 trillion a year on health care in this country,” he said. “This legislation has been part of a very long process. I have spent a lot of time listening to the 600,000 people in my district, and I have heard many stories. “There are a lot of reasons why I voted on the healthcare legislation. The No. 1 reason was purely economical. Health care costs are growing out of control. Health care makes up 16 percent of our country’s gross domestic product. Other countries spend 9 and 10 percent. We’re literally handing them a club, telling them to beat us on the head and take our jobs.” Schauer said he is also happy that the bill extends healthcare coverage on a parent’s plan for children until the child reaches the age of 26. “Fifty-one thousand young people in my district will benefit from this provision,” he said. Another provision eliminates the “doughnut hole” for seniors covered under Medicare Part D by 2020, he said. This year, seniors who fall into the “doughnut hole” of coverage will receive a rebate of $250. Next year, seniors will
receive a 50 percent discount on all brand-name drugs and a 7 percent discount on generics while they are in the so-called doughnut hole. Beginning in 2011, seniors on Medicare can receive free wellness care. Reid McCarthy of Chelsea thanked Schauer for voting on the legislation. “Reforming Medicare Part D will save my clients a lot of money,” McCarthy said. “I just want to say thank you for your vote.” Brooks Cone of Chelsea said he doesn’t agree with the new legislation. “The Democrats have received a lot of criticism on how they railroaded this bill through the system. Congressman Schauer’s own Web site has 43 people voicing their opinion against it,” he said. “I want to know what ultimately factored into his vote.” Chelsea resident Marsha Towne also expressed frustration with Congress. “I’m ashamed of our government. This legislation was partisan, and it was bullied and pushed through by our president,” she said. Schauer acknowledged that voting for the legislation in the face of adversity was not easy. “I have never listened so hard in my life. This healthcare bill was deliberated, analyzed and reanalyzed for 14 months,” he said. “I believe it was Teddy Roosevelt in 1908 that suggested Congress do something to help provide health care for
Photo by Daniel Lai
AARP president Eric Schneidewind and Rep. Mark Schauer, D-7th District, explain the importance of the healthcare reform bill.
Americans. Every president since then, both Republican and Democrat, has pushed for healthcare reform.” One resident, whose 3-yearold daughter has asthma and was denied healthcare coverage because of a pre-existing condition, thanked Schauer for his vote. “For all the young people out there who have pre-existing conditions and cannot get health care, thank you,” she said. “I know that there are wrinkles in the bill and some things still need to be worked out, but it is a step in the right direction.” To learn more about the healthcare bill or to contact Schauer, visit www.schauer. house.gov. Daniel Lai can be reached at 429-7380 or dlai@heritage.com.
Five bridges on repair list County looking for money from MDOT funds By Lisa Allmendinger Heritage Newspapers
The Washtenaw County Road Commission plans to submit applications for five local bridges to the Michigan Department of Transportation local funding program. On the list are: • Ford Boulevard Bridge in Ypsilanti Township. • Klinger Road Bridge in Lima Township. • McGregor Road Bridge in Dexter Township. • Austin Road Bridge over the Saline River in Saline Township. • Austin Road Bridge over the Bauer Drain in Saline Township. Replacement funding is being requested for the Ford Boulevard Bridge over the Norfolk Southern Railroad, the McGregor Road Bridge over Portage Lake Canal and
the two bridges on Austin Road. Removal funding is being requested for the Klinger Road Bridge over Mill Creek. The road commission would like to remove the Lima Township bridge completely, said Steve Puuri, managing director of the road commission. The replacement of the two Austin Road bridges would be done as a pair, said Washtenaw County Road Commissioner Doug Fuller, because of their proximity to each other. Puuri said the road commission is limited to just five requests, and the applications are due June 1. If the applications are chosen by MDOT, 95 percent of the construction costs are paid by the state, while the road commission would be responsible for the design, right-ofway, construction engineering and local match for the construction costs, he said. In a related funding instance, MDOT funding to the road commission for February was 7.54 percent lower than the amount received for the
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same month in 2009. In February 2009, the road commission received about $1.724 in state transportation funding; in February 2010, that amount was about $1.594 million. Puuri said a reduction of 5 percent from last year’s receipts was budgeted and, at this point, the funding is 6 percent short of last year’s level. He told road commissioners that he hopes the receipts for March will be more favorable. To date, the road commission has received about $3 million from the state, which is about $189,877 less than in 2009. Funding for the state’s road commissions is based, in part, on gas tax receipts. Lisa Allmendinger can be reached at 1-877-995-NEWS (6397) or at lallmendinger@heritage.com. Check out her daily blog at www.A2Journal.com.
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