Watch the interview, here: http://www.dflsd42.org/get_informed/Thissen.html
Rep. Paul Thissen talks about healthcare and this year’s Legislative Session with Dee Long in this edition of Democratic Visions.
Democratic Visions is a public service program produced by DFL Senate District 42. Programs are shown on Channel 15 on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm and Sundays.
I had the chance to represent Senator Barack Obama’s campaign at an exciting event at General Mills headquarters. Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona headlined the event with a speech focused on public health, prevention and individual responsibility.
The panel discussion focused on the health care plans of Senators McCain and Obama. My primary observations are as follows:
1. The goals identified by both campaigns are similar: make health care more affordable and portable, reduce costs of medical care and improve quality. And many of the ideas are quite similar.
2. Senator Obama’s plan looks very much like the health care reform work we have moved forward in Minnesota in the last 18 months.
3. Senator Obama emphasizes much more the importance of affordable access to care for all Americans. This is a key difference.
4. Another key difference is Sen. McCain’s emphasis on tax credits. A $5000 tax credit for a family is helpful, but with average family costs for health care running $12,000 per year, health care will remain unaffordable for many families in Minnesota and across the country.
A girl newly diagnosed as a diabetic came to the attention of Bemidji school authorities Friday, says Susan Nokleby, Bemidji School District’s sole full-time registered nurse.
“Talking to her dad today, I also found out mom is a Type II diabetic, and (they) have no health insurance,” Nokleby said. “They’re trying to figure out the cheapest way they can do to manage this diabetes for this girl to keep her healthy.
“It’s some decisions people shouldn’t have to face, but it is fairly common that we see kids who aren’t insured,” she said.
This month, my three kids grabbed their backpacks and headed off for another school year. Like thousands of other families across the state, we filled their backpacks with new notebooks, pencils, scissors and the many other school supplies they need for a successful school year.
Our family is fortunate because our kids also carried with them something else that will make a huge difference in their school success.
Our kids have health insurance.
I had the chance to attend the North Star Expo Logging Show with Rep. Frank Moe on September 12. It was a great chance to see some of the new equipment and technology that can transform the industry.
It was also helpful, however, for someone from the metro area to hear first hand about the economic challenges facing the timber industry.
Mill managers told us that some local mills would be shutting down soon due to lack of lumber supply. It is not that lumber is not available; instead, loggers are simply waiting to harvest and sell until timber prices go back up. (Prices are at historic lows due to the housing crisis, credit crisis and related slump in the construction industry.) Ironically, because private loggers are waiting for a price recovery, prices for timber on public lands are above what the market would otherwise support. Plainly,m a difficult stretch for the industry.
Looking ahead, folks at the Expo focused on renewable energy both because it is a cost-driver and because biomass-based energy production is a future important market for wood products. Expo-goers also had concerns about workforce development issues.
RELATED INFORMATION:
Portions of Timber Industry Suffering, Brad Swenson, Bemidji Pioneer, September 12, 2008
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