Libertarians remind Obama of his “firm pledge” not to tax health care benefits

America’s third largest party Tuesday reminded President Barack Obama that supporting a proposed $246 billion tax on employer-provided health care benefits – a proposal he opposed as “the biggest middle-class tax increase in history” in campaign ads – would break his promise to oppose any form of tax increase on families making less than $250,000 a year.

“In September of 2008, candidate Barack Obama asked Americans to read his lips and that he would oppose any tax increase whatsoever on families making less than $250,000 a year, or any proposal to tax employer-provided health care benefits” said Donny Ferguson, Libertarian National Committee Communications Director. “Now President Obama is prepared to once again break that tax promise by considering a new tax on health benefits, which he admitted last year would be ‘the largest middle-class tax increase in history.’”

Obama has already embraced tax hikes on the middle class through his $1.9 trillion “cap and trade” energy tax and new tobacco taxes and is now considering a proposed European-style “value-added” national sales tax. According to The New York Times, the Congressional Budget Office finds including health benefits in taxable income could mean $246 billion in additional revenue for a single year.

In a Sunday appearance on ABC’s This Week, hosted by former Clinton adviser George Stephanopoulos, White House adviser David Axelrod admitted Obama was considering supporting new taxes on families’ employer-provided benefits. Obama attacked the idea as “the largest middle-class tax increase in history” when it was proposed by Senator John McCain during the 2008 campaign.

“I can make a firm pledge,” then-candidate Obama told a Dover, N.H. crowd, on Sept. 12, 2008. “Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”

The Obama campaign repeated the pledge at other forums. “No one making less than $250,000 under Barack Obama's plan will see one single penny of their tax raised,” vice-presidential nominee Joe Biden said in the Oct. 2, 2008 vice-presidential debate, “whether it's their capital gains tax, their income tax, investment tax, any tax.”

“Libertarians unequivocally oppose any tax on employer-provided health benefits, and we’ll hold accountable any candidate who supports such a tax hike on families,” said Ferguson. “Once again, the Libertarian Party is the only party standing up for working families. Our health care system needs reform, but massive tax hikes and Obama’s proposed government takeover would simply take the worst aspects of the current system and magnify them.”

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President Obama Calls on Americans to Serve

/PRNewswire/ -- President Obama called on all Americans to help in our nation's recovery by volunteering in their communities this summer in a video message released today by the White House and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The President's call to summer service launches United We Serve, a sustained effort to expand the size and impact of volunteer efforts in addressing tough challenges facing the nation. The United We Serve initiative kicks off on June 22, and runs for 81 days through a new National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11.

"This summer, I'm calling on all of you to make volunteerism and community service part of your daily life and the life of this nation," said President Obama in the video. "And when I say 'all,' I mean everyone - young and old, from every background, all across this country. We need individuals, community organizations, corporations, foundations, and our government to be part of this effort."

To make it easy for Americans to get involved, the President is urging Americans to visit Serve.gov, a website managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Visitors to Serve.gov can type in their zip code to find local volunteer opportunities, recruit volunteers by posting their organization's projects, or get ideas for creating their own projects with friends, families and neighbors.

"The President has made a bold call to service at a time of great need and Americans are ready to respond," said Nicola Goren, the Corporation's Acting CEO. "Through United We Serve and Serve.gov, we hope to engage millions of Americans in service this summer and beyond."

The initiative officially kicks off on June 22 at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco, where 4,000 service and volunteer leaders are meeting to map out strategies to increase the impact of service in solving community problems.

The United We Serve initiative was conceived as a way to directly involve Americans in tackling problems in their communities. While any kind of volunteer service is encouraged, the effort focuses on four key areas education, health, energy and the environment, and community renewal.

"The challenges we face are unprecedented in their size and scope, and we cannot rely on quick fixes or easy answers to put us on the road to recovery," said President Obama. "Economic recovery is as much about what you're doing in your communities as what we're doing in Washington - and it's going to take all of us, working together."

The effort comes at a time of strong need and momentum for service, as the economic downturn puts more Americans at risk and increases the demand for social services. At the same time, many nonprofit groups are experiencing a 'compassion boom' of increasing volunteers as Americans reach out to help their neighbors. United We Serve aims to tap this growing interest and focus it on addressing specific community needs.

The initiative builds on recent bipartisan efforts to expand service opportunities and invest in the civic infrastructure including the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act signed by President Obama on April 21. This landmark legislation reauthorizes and expands national service programs and strengthens social innovation and volunteer management in the nonprofit sector.

Recognizing that some organizations are stretched in their capacity to take on new volunteers, United We Serve also encourages individuals to organize their friends, families and neighbors to develop their own service projects to meet pressing local needs. The Serve.gov website includes easy-to-use toolkits on projects such as organizing a book drive, creating a community garden, or conducting a home energy audit.

The initiative will culminate on September 11 in a National Day of Service and Remembrance. This will mark the first time the nation has observed 9/11 as a national day of service, an effort started several years ago by 9/11 family members that was included in the Serve America Act. The day will be marked by volunteer service, remembrance activities, and pledges to make service an ongoing commitment throughout the year.

To encourage participation in service this summer and beyond, the Serve.gov website features a new All for Good volunteer matching platform that allows people to search for volunteer opportunities based on location and interests. The site allows users to sign in with their primary social network and includes social media applications to share volunteer opportunities with friends and see what activities they are participating in.

Corporation for National and Community Service outreach for United We Serve is supported by a grant from Target.

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Symposium to examine immigration policy and human rights

“Immigration Policy and Human Rights” symposium
8 a.m. June 17
Room 460/465 University Center
404-413-6159

Georgia State University’s Center for Human Rights and Democracy will host a symposium addressing immigration policies and the protection of human rights in the United States and abroad at 8 a.m. June 17 in room 460 of the University Center.

“Immigration policy ranks atop the challenges facing many economically advanced democratic states,” said William Downs, co-director of the Center for Human Rights and Democracy. “The lowering of barriers to the free movement of peoples has host country implications for national security, employment, housing, education and health care. Governments at all levels now confront these challenges in environments of severe budgetary contraction and voter suspicion.”

More than 15 panelists will address political, economic, social and legal issues related to immigration policy, as well as promising policy alternatives. The symposium also will acknowledge the transition from the Bush to the Obama Administration and the recent 60-year anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Deepa Iyer, executive director of South Asian Americans Leading Together, will be the keynote speaker discussing “Charting a Path Forward—The Post 9/11 Backlash Against Immigrants and Human Rights Responses.” Iyer is an immigrant who moved to the United States from India when she was twelve years old. Iyer served as a trial attorney at the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice where she worked closely on initiatives to address post 9/11 backlash discrimination. She also was the executive producer of a documentary about hate crimes in the post 9/11 environment.

“The post 9/11 atmosphere in America and Europe means renewed difficulties in protecting the fundamental rights of immigrants,” Downs said. “Democracies struggle to address the intolerance that often confronts immigrants, and issues of detention, denial of legal due process, deportation and hate crimes persist.”

Adelina Nicholls, of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, and Azadeh Shahshahani, of ACLU of Georgia are among the panelists who will examine “Immigration as a Human Rights Issue.” Other panel topics during the symposium include, “Immigration and Belonging: Divergent Perspectives on Latinos and Human Rights in the United States”; “Immigration Detention”; and “Citizenship and Human Rights Challenges in Europe.”

“Immigrants and refugees seeking a better life and fleeing poverty, hunger, civil war and persecution are among society’s most vulnerable groups,” Downs said. “Research endeavors that explain immigration trends, critically evaluate alternatives for policy reform, and compare the effectiveness of efforts to defend immigrants’ human rights are both timely and necessary.”

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The United States Conference of Mayors Celebrates Earth Day with Historic Energy Efficiency Block Grants for Cities

/PRNewswire / -- On Earth Day, The United State Conference of Mayors highly commended a new Administration for setting Climate Change as a top policy priority, including new funding for first-ever energy efficiency grants specifically for cities, counties and states.

"This Earth Day we are proud to announce close to 1,000 mayors committed to reducing carbon emissions in their cities. We are fortunate to have the support of President Obama, who is dedicated to protecting our environment against climate change," said U.S. Conference of Mayors President Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.

"Cities on every coast and in between are taking advantage of every resource to focus on protecting the environment and creating a surge of green jobs during a weakened economy. These green initiatives are a win-win situation for everyone involved, all while protecting our planet," said Tom Cochran, CEO & Executive Director of The U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Last month, the Obama Administration acted to distribute $2.8 billion in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) in the Recovery Package, which will benefit hundreds of cities throughout the U.S. This is the first time in the history of the U.S. that green grants for cities are available to specifically fund energy-efficiency projects in cities.

The EECBG program was "conceived" by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and was a top priority of the Mayors' 10-Point Plan and the Mayors' MainStreet Recovery Program.

So far, more than 944 U.S. mayors have pledged support for The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.

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Georgia to Receive 28 Grants for Community Health Center

Georgia is set to receive $6,964,291 for an anticipated 45,191 new patients at Community Health Centers.

HHS Releases $338 Million to Expand Community Health Centers,
Serve More Patients

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced
the release of $338 million to expand services offered at the nation's
community health centers. The money was made available by the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act and comes as more Americans join the ranks
of the uninsured.

"More Americans are losing their health insurance and turning to health
centers for care," said Health Resources and Services Administrator
(HRSA) Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N. "These grants will aid centers in
their efforts to provide care to an increasing number of patients during
the economic downturn."

The grants -- titled Increased Demand for Services (IDS) grants -- will
be distributed to 1,128 federally qualified health center grantees.
Health centers will use the funds over the next two years to create or
retain approximately 6,400 health center jobs.

Grantees submitted plans explaining how the IDS funds would be used.
Strategies to expand services may include, but are not limited to,
adding new providers, expanding hours of operations or expanding
services. The funds will provide care to an additional 2.1 million
patients over the next two years, including approximately 1 million
uninsured people.

Health centers deliver preventive and primary care services to patients
regardless of their ability to pay; charges for services are set
according to income. Health centers served more than 16 million
patients in 2007, about 40 percent of whom had no health insurance.

The IDS awards are the second set of health center grants provided
through the Recovery Act. On March 2, President Obama announced grants
worth $155 million to establish 126 new health centers. Those grants
will provide access to health center care for 750,000 people in 39
states and two territories.

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New Report: Obama Budget Proposes Direct College Aid for 8,722 More Students in Georgia

/PRNewswire / -- An additional 8,722 students in Georgia would receive Pell Grants if excessive lender subsidies are cut, according to a new report released today by the Campaign for America's Future. Today's report shows that this simple change would provide an average Pell Grant of $3,010 to about 181,580 students across the state.

With the average cost of tuition at a public college in Georgia increasing by 19 percent between 2000 and 2007 and up 6 percent in the last year alone, President Obama's budget calls for a cut in lender subsidies to make the financial aid system more efficient.

Campaign for America's Future co-director Robert Borosage said the president's budget proposals would make major changes to the federal financial aid system so more families can pay for college.

"Family incomes and college grants haven't kept pace with soaring tuition costs," said Borosage. "No student should be priced out of the college they need to succeed in the modern economy. With more and more high school graduates putting off higher education because they can't afford it, the president's budget would help provide the change students and families need."

The college affordability proposals in the president's budget would increase and expand Pell Grants and Perkins loans, make the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent, broaden the U.S. Department of Education Direct Loan program, phase out bank loan subsidies and create state and federal partnerships to help students complete their college education.

**NOTE: An electronic copy of the Georgia college aid report is available at www.ourfuture.org/collegeaid2010.**

BACKGROUND ON COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY PROVISIONS IN PRESIDENT OBAMA'S BUDGET

President Obama's budget addresses both the immediate economic concerns as they relate to higher education as well as sets the stage for future higher education investment and success.

INCREASES THE MAXIMUM PELL GRANT TO $5,550, MAKES PELL GRANT FUNDING MANDATORY, AND KEEPS FUTURE INCREASES TIED TO INFLATION.

Nearly 5.6 million students from low and moderate income households are able to attend college this year due in part to Pell grants. Originally designed to cover 80% of the cost of college, Pell grants currently cover just 1/3 of the cost. Presently, Pell grant funding is discretionary and determined by the annual budget process. The budget will make Pell grant funding mandatory to help eliminate uncertainty and prevent funding shortfalls. The budget also increases the Pell grant maximum to $5,550 for the 2010-11 school year and indexes the maximum grant to grow with inflation in the future.

MAKES THE PARTIALLY REFUNDABLE $2,500 AMERICAN OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT PERMANENT

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created a new partially refundable $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit over the next two years to provide a tax break to millions of families, including low-income families who don't pay taxes and therefore currently get no tax relief for college. Up to $1,000 of the credit is refundable for low-income families, and the credit itself is phased-out for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is in excess of $80,000 ($160,000 for married couples filing jointly.) The budget proposal makes the American Opportunity Tax Credit permanent.

BROADENS THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM AND PHASES OUT THE FFEL PROGRAM

There are two federal student loan programs -- the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) program and the Direct Loan program. FFEL loans are federally guaranteed loans issued by banks and other lenders, who are provided subsidies by the federal government for providing the loans. The tightening of credit markets essentially made the FFEL program untenable on its own last year prior to the passage of the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act. The proposed budget would end the FFEL program and subsidies to lenders on all federal student loans beginning in July 2010. The Direct Loan program, which has operated successfully since 1994, issues loans directly from the U.S. Department of Education. Transitioning entirely to the Direct Loan program is projected to save taxpayers $4 billion a year that can be used for increased student aid, rather than lender subsidies.

EXPANDS AND MODERNIZES THE PERKINS LOAN PROGRAM.

Perkins Loans are low-interest federal loans available to students enrolled in a participating college or university with a demonstrated exceptional financial need not met by Pell grants or other federal loans. Currently, only 1,800 out of 4,400 institutions participate in the Perkins loan program. The budget proposal would seek to make Perkins Loans available to more than double the number of institutions it currently serves. The budget would also increase funding for Perkins Loans by $5 billion -- up from the current $1 billion available in Perkins Loan aid. President Obama also proposes restructuring the program to provide an estimated 2.7 million additional students with the average Perkins Loan each year -- a five-fold increase over the current 500,000 students receiving Perkins Loans.

IMPROVES COLLEGE COMPLETION THROUGH STATE-FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP

The budget provides for a five-year, $2.5 billion fund available to states for innovative programs and research aimed at improving college success and completion rates, particularly among students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

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Georgia Residents go Door-to-Door in Support of President Obama's Budget

/PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, Organizing for America (OFA), the grassroots and volunteer network which came together to help elect President Obama in November, will launch a nationwide canvassing effort in support of President Obama's proposed budget plan. Citizens across Georgia will canvass their communities to let their friends and neighbors know about the President's plan to invest in America's future, improve health care and education, create green jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and cut the deficit in half over the next four years. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have already signaled their support for the Organizing for America Pledge Project - part of an OFA project to identify and mobilize support for the economic vision President Obama outlined in his budget. OFA is also encouraging Americans to call their Members of Congress and urge them to support the plan.

"Across the nation, people are suffering," said Mitch Stewart, Director of Organizing for America which is a project of the Democratic National Committee. "The President has a bold plan to invest in America's future and get our economy moving again, and now he needs our help to turn his budget into law. That's why it's so important for Americans on Saturday to go door-to-door and talk to their neighbors about the President's plan and ask them for their support. The President has made great strides in turning the economy around with passage of his jobs and economic recovery package. However, to ensure long term economic growth, we must make health care more affordable, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and improve education - all priorities the President has outlined in his budget plan and which are part of the change he promised to bring to Washington. The vast majority of Americans support the President on these issues because they know they are critical to long term economic growth and to creating jobs. The canvasses on Saturday, the pledge drive and the calls to Congress are all designed to put our elected officials in Washington on notice that Americans expect that the change President Obama campaigned for becomes reality."

Suggested canvasses to attend below:

WHAT: Organizing for America's Pledge Project Canvass Kick Off in Support of President Obama's Budget

SATURDAY MARCH 21st
10:00 AM
Decatur Square
Decatur, GA 30034

10:00 AM
109 W. Victory Dr
Savannah, GA 31405

12:00 PM
4 Depot Street
Marietta, GA 30060

4:00 PM
The I G A on Deans Bridge
Augusta, GA 30815

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Former U.S. career diplomats offer perspectives on Obama's foreign policy

Recently retired U.S. Foreign Service officers Earle St. A. Scarlett and Barbara A.H. Scarlett, who have a combined 50-plus years of global diplomatic experience, will share their personal views on President Obama’s foreign policy plans at an event sponsored by the University of Georgia School of Law’s Dean Rusk Center in cooperation with the Department of International Affairs and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. The March 19 joint lecture featuring the Scarletts will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Larry Walker Room of Dean Rusk Hall located on North Campus. A question and answer session on careers in foreign affairs will follow.

The Scarletts had joint overseas diplomatic assignments in Cameroon, Brazil (twice, during the transition from military to civilian rule and subsequently), the Philippines (during the overthrow of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos), the former Yugoslavia (during its dissolution) and Ireland (implementing the Good Friday Agreement). Earle also served in Bosnia on the international diplomatic teamimplementing the Dayton Peace Accords.

Earle’s domestic assignments have included serving on the China Desk and Task Force during the Tiananmen Square incident and on the Somalia Desk. He was a U.S. State Department Dean Rusk Fellow at Georgetown University, director of political training at the Foreign Service Institute anda Foreign Service examiner.Healso served asa State Department senior adviser to the Commandant ofthe Air War College, Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Ala.

Barbara is a graduate in strategic studies of the National Defense University and was aForeign Service examiner.A specialist in public diplomacy, Barbara also worked on diplomatic strategy for the Kyoto Protocol and on television and teleconference programmingon diplomatic issues in Latin America.She was policy adviser on the Middle East and desk officer for East Africa andAnglophone West Africa. In addition, in Washington, D.C., she had responsibilities for counterterrorism, infectious diseases and climate change.

Earle and Barbara both have been honored for their public service.Barbara received a Superior Honor Award for her work on the Kyoto Protocol and the Order of Chivalry from the Brazilian government for her work on U.S.-Brazil labor relations. Earle is a recipient of the Secretary's Career Achievement Award and the Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs Awardfor Excellence in Political-Military Strategy.

The Scarletts have proficiency in French, Portuguese, Spanish and Serbo-Croatian. They teach Balkans Affairs and international relations periodically at a university in Italy.

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Georgia Legislature Blasts O'Hare Modernization Program as Wasteful Project

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A resolution has been introduced in the Georgia Legislature calling Chicago's O'Hare Modernization Program, or OMP, a "Runway to Nowhere" and describing the project as "ill-conceived and premature." House Resolution 535 was introduced by Representative Joe Wilkinson, Chairman of the House Ethics Committee. It calls on Georgia Congressional delegation to stop all wasteful federal spending in relation to President Obama's recently approved stimulus package. The cost of OMP, which would add a third terminal to Chicago's O'Hare Airport, is currently estimated at approximately $20 billion.

"President Obama was right to warn the nation's mayors that he would call them out for spending federal tax dollars on pork. He should start with his hometown mayor," said Representative Wilkinson. "Here is a public works project that's riddled with allegations of corruption. As an extension of the Rod Blagojevich investigation, crony contractors are being charged with fraudulent bid-rigging schemes, and Chicago's mayor wants upwards of $20 billion from the American taxpayers to pay for it? If that's not pork, I don't know what is."

No one in Illinois is publicly acknowledging where the stimulus funds for the state will be used but there has been speculation that a significant portion will be used for the O'Hare Modernization Program. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has yet to reveal how and where he would like stimulus funds to be used. Given that the state of Illinois will not invest in the project, and the city of Chicago does not have the resources, it's likely the mayor will go around state government and take his case directly to Washington.

"Why should the people of Georgia and the rest of the nation cough up $20 billion to build an airport in Chicago, when their own state won't even pay for it?" continued Wilkinson. "Compare Chicago's project to Atlanta's request of $500 million for the new Hartsfield-Jackson international terminal. Atlanta and Chicago have virtually identical airports with identical traffic volume, yet Chicago's terminal will cost more than $19 billion more the proposed Atlanta project, and the airlines have affirmed that it will do very little to alleviate flight delays. The American people were right to stand up against the 'bridge to nowhere,' and it's time to do the same with the 'runway to nowhere.'"

Work on the next phase of the O'Hare expansion has not begun and funding for the $20 billion Program has not been secured. FAA studies show that the expansion will not provide any significant improvement of airline delays or alleviate congestion at O'Hare. Aviation experts say that OMP will instead produce massive delays and increase costs for both consumers and airlines during and after initial construction. In addition, the airlines, including United Airlines and American Airlines, have also called the OMP plan "ill-conceived" and "premature."

www.stop-omp.org is dedicated to stopping the senseless, ill advised and flawed O'Hare Modernization Program (OMP) and preventing further unnecessary displacement of families and the wasting of taxpayer dollars. Community leaders, concerned citizens, aviation industry leaders and economic experts continue to urge the FAA to adopt viable alternatives. These include runway configurations proposed by the Chicago air traffic controllers, use of congestion management techniques, reliance on other nearby airports, and construction of a third airport.

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House Bill Aims to Stabilize Housing, Addresses Foreclosure and Stimulus

A bill that embraces the need for righting the housing market --- the first big step toward economic recovery --- was introduced Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives.

H.R. 384, The TARP Reform and Accountability Act, was offered by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chair of the House Financial Services Committee. The bill would require the Treasury Department to develop a program, outside the Troubled Asset Relief Program, to stimulate demand for home purchases and lower property inventories, by making affordable mortgages available for qualified buyers through interest rate buydowns, a priority of the National Association of Realtors.

The measure would amend the TARP provisions of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to make significant steps to reduce foreclosures, strengthen accountability and close loopholes. Treasury could consider the impact of areas with the highest inventories of foreclosed properties.

NAR President Charles McMillan was heartened by the legislation that would move the housing market forward. "The bill proposed by Chairman Frank is an important first step toward launching a real estate recovery. Housing has always led this country out of economic downturns, and this bill recognizes that the key to bolstering the overall economy is creating stability in the real estate markets. With foreclosure relief, improving the Hope for Homeowners Plan, and expanding TARP to support commercial real estate loans and commercial mortgage-backed securities, this legislation will help create housing stability."

"By directing the Treasury Department to increase the availability of affordable mortgages rates for qualified home buyers and to offer reduced rate loans designed to stimulate demand for home purchases and clear inventory of properties, Chairman Frank has responded to the most critical issues facing potential homeowners," McMillan said.

Foreclosure relief, using the second half of the $700 billion previously authorized by Congress, would be conditioned on stipulation that $50 billion be used for foreclosure mitigation and calls for a plan to be put into action by March 15. That would allow the Treasury to begin committing the remaining TARP funds for the plan no later than April 1.

The plan would require that foreclosure assistance must apply only to owner-occupied residences. Further, the bill would provide liability protection for loan servicers who engage in loan modifications. Such servicers would have to report regularly to the Treasury.

In addition, the Treasury would be authorized to provide support for commercial real estate loans and commercial mortgage-backed securities, an NAR priority.

NAR has been urging the incoming Obama administration, as well as Congress, to address critical housing needs. "This legislation is a great beginning, but more needs to be done. We must continue to bring potential homebuyers into the market by ensuring low mortgage interest rates, making the higher 2008 conforming loan limits permanent, and applying the $7,500 tax credit to all homebuyers and making it non-repayable," McMillan said.

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GAE Members to Ask Obama for Piece of Stimulus Package for Georgia's Public Schools

The Georgia Association of Educators (GAE), realizing the urgency of the ongoing economic climate and its impact upon Georgia¡¯s families and public education system, has developed a plan to help Georgia obtain a piece of the economic stimulus package being proposed by the incoming Obama Administration. Its members will be asked to lobby their U.S Senators and Representatives on behalf of Georgia's families and public schools.

"Our students, our educators, and their respective families, like all Georgia citizens and their families, are living with the realities of today's economic difficulties," said GAE President Jeff Hubbard. "These difficulties, which are forecast to only worsen, will continue to have an impact upon our state's ability to fulfill its budgetary obligations, which will impact public education both directly and indirectly....More

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Health Care Policy with New Administration, Congress to go Beyond Insurance Debate

President-elect Obama and Congress will undoubtedly wrangle with health care in 2009, but the action will go beyond the debate over health insurance coverage, according to a Georgia State University public health professor.

Reform will also encompass public health measures, prevention efforts, beefed-up regulatory enforcement, and investment in health care technology, said Russ Toal, associate professor and Distinguished Fellow in Health Policy at Georgia State.

“I want to be quick to note that there is much that can be done without expenditure of money. And much of it can be done quickly,” said Toal, who gave his remarks Nov. 5 Public Health Grand Rounds lecture. “Public health is far broader than health insurance matters.”

Even in the face of difficult financial times, the government can take measures to improve health care in the United States, including the improvement of health-related regulatory enforcement by agencies like the Occupational and Safety Hazards Administration, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Peeling back the laws passed in recent years which make it harder for people to declare bankruptcy — an option considered by many who face huge medical debts — would also help, Toal said.

Prevention and education programs are essential in addressing chronic illnesses which run up health care costs, while changing rules which forbid the federal government from negotiating drug prices could reduce increasing costs for prescriptions, he added.

Other public health efforts which might be addressed next year include raising the federal excise tax on tobacco products — which has been done in several states to help discourage tobacco use — as well as improving nutrition labeling laws on food products.

However, parts of the debate will include the discussion of expense — including health insurance for the uninsured, as well as increased military health care expenditures, Toal said.

Health insurance is also a component of the policy debate, and Obama proposes a version of the health care plan enacted by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney that allows those with employer-provided insurance to remain in their plans, while giving those without insurance a chance to purchase subsidized coverage from a pool of private insurers. Proposals also include enacting “re-insurance” for people who face extremely high, catastrophic costs.

Getting any measures passed, though, requires policymakers and politicians to go through intense legislative wrangling.

When the 111th U.S. Congress and President-elect Obama take their oaths of office in January 2009, one party will control both the legislative and executive branches. But this does not mean that a new administration will be able to get all of its proposals through quickly, Toal said.

Not all Democratic senators will agree to certain proposals, and Republicans will maintain enough seats to allow for filibusters — a legislative maneuver which can let a minority party stymie or kill legislation.

And just as with this year, health care was a top campaign issue in the 1992 election, when Democrats took control of both the executive and legislative branches. That led many in public health to believe that reform would happen under the Clinton Administration, but Toal said reform was stymied by a commission that took 10 months to produce a 1,300-page bill that got nowhere.

“I hope that President-elect Obama understands that he needs to strike quickly,” Toal said. “The new administration must move to put people in place quickly, and send a message to those throughout the federal government about what we must do, and that people will be held accountable.”

Overall, Toal said that with a new administration, there could be a new spirit of service not seen since the Kennedy Administration, leading more people — including Georgia State health sciences students — to work for the public good, even though the hours are often long and the pay much lower than in private industry.

“The impact of a revitalized and energized work force cannot be underestimated,” he said.

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Update on NTSB Investigation Involving Midwest Airlines Airplane Carrying Senator Obama

The following is an update on the National Transportation Safety Board's investigation of the incident involving the Midwest Airlines MD-81 airplane carrying Senator Barack Obama on July 7, 2008, in which the tail cone evacuation slide deployed in-flight.

Preliminary findings reveal that the slide was partially inflated and the inflation bottle was empty. Examination of the hardware did not reveal any evidence of missing components, nor any evidence of tampering.

The slide and hardware were removed from the aircraft for examination. There was no evidence of any punctures in the slide; however, there were marks consistent with rubbing of
elevator control cables. Additional evidence was found to indicate that a catwalk railing was broken and impinged upon elevator control cables. The slide and hardware will be sent
to the manufacturer for detailed examinations supervised by the NTSB.

The flight recorders have been removed and are en route to NTSB headquarters for download and analysis. Flight crew statements indicate that the crew did not hear the slide deploy in flight nor did a mechanic who was seated in the rear of the airplane. The flight crew confirmed that they detected elevator control stiffness during the initial level off after departure from Chicago Midway Airport. Maintenance records have been secured for further examination.

Research has been initiated into the certification of the slide, its service history, and its design interface with the airplane.

The NTSB completed the on scene phase of the investigation yesterday.

NTSB to Investigate Incident Involving Midwest Airlines Plane Carrying Senator Obama

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating an incident at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in which a chartered Midwest Airlines airplane carrying Senator
Barack Obama made an uneventful precautionary landing due to a suspected flight control anomaly.

At about 9:30 a.m. CDT this morning, a McDonnell Douglas MD-81 airplane (N804ME), operated by Midwest Airlines as Flight 8663, diverted to St. Louis, Missouri, during a flight from Chicago, Illinois to Charlotte, North Carolina. There were no injuries to the 48 passengers and crew.

NTSB Chairman Mark V. Rosenker has designated Todd Fox as the Investigator-in-Charge for this incident. Fox is expected to arrive on scene this afternoon.

Post-flight inspection of the airplane revealed an in-flight deployment of the aft emergency exit slide within the tail cone.

Preliminary information indicate that the crew disconnected the autopilot during climbout from Chicago, while being vectored around thunderstorms, when they reportedly felt
elevator control forces that were heavier than normal. They therefore elected to make a precautionary landing at St. Louis. After landing, it was learned that the aft emergency exit slide had deployed within the tail cone. The tail cone did not separate from the airplane.

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