The Owatonna People's Press reports U.S. Rep. Tim Walz visits SeniorPlace to discuss the struggling economy's impact on senior care. Some excerpts:
With talks of the U.S. possibly heading into one of the worst recessions since the 1930s, one of the areas believed to be hit most is senior care.
Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat, met with senior and elder care providers at SeniorPlace on Monday to discuss the impact of the economic downturn and rising costs of health care prices for senior citizens. . . .One of the cuts, proposed by President Bush, is $556 billion in Medicare and Medicaid over the next 10 years.
"That's going to be totally rejected by the budget committees by both the House and the Senate," Walz said.
A letter writer in the Post Bulletin observes
Clean energy tax incentives will create growth:
I want to say how proud I am of Rep. Tim Walz's vote for extending critical clean energy and energy efficiency tax incentives last week. His vote was a vote for a healthy economy, and I want to thank him for it.
The Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008 will help to build a clean energy economy for America by creating thousands of new jobs in the clean energy industry and preventing the loss of thousands of existing ones. In the long term, new energy sources and more efficient technology promote environmental and public health benefits, as well as lower costs, for the American middle class.
The renewable energy industry is growing fast in Minnesota and across the country, and providing the new industry with reliable incentives is critical to maintaining that growth.
To truly set the nation on the path to a clean energy future, the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act is the logical next step. This bill caps carbon emissions and establishes a renewable electricity standard, both vital steps towards reducing the risk of global warming.
Both Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Norm Coleman have supported these policies in the past and I'm sure they will keep doing so.
The GOP contenders in the First? If this is any indication, one is a global warming denier. Fortunately, not all of Walz's challengers are so extreme; Day and Demmer have voted in favor of renewable energy standards in the Minnesota state legislature, however silly their rhetoric may be in Republican candidate forums.
Today's education summit will include a discussion of the need for training people for the new "green jobs." The PB provides a preview in Panel discussion will focus on work force. On the other end of the district, a Fulda man writes to the Worthington Globe to say Alternative energy investment would boost economy.
The discussion about energy and the environment looks to be an important one in the First. One signal that that people will be talking is the move by the Minnesota Environmental Partnership to set up three field office in the district for organizing people on state-level issues. The coalition group is lead by former state senator Steve Morse.
A moving Easter message from Jared Stene's family is up at his Caring Bridge site.
We agree with the letter writer that Old bridge doesn't need to be replaced near Amboy. This is a waste of money; our friends in the vicinity have worked hard to prevent the squandering of their tax dollars. What are the Blue Earth County commissioners thinking? The writer notes:
Highway 147 is a dead-end road between Highway 169 and Highway 40 — 1.9 miles in length.
Better a park than a bridge to nowhere.
The Pipestone Star reports St. Patrick's Day parade cancelled in the southwestern Minnesota city.
Yesterday, Congressman Walz held a vets' forum in Waseca. Today's Waseca County News writes of the next generation of vets in Army bound: Waseca seniors choose service over college. Interesting material.
It's good that Congressman Walz is talking about President Bush's budget that cuts Medicare and other entitlement programs. Cuts may not be necessary if everyone supported the system. There are documented cases where companies are using offshore entities to avoid paying into Social Security and Medicare. I would encourage your readers to contact Congressman Walz requesting that he become a co-sponsor or H.R. 5602 - The Fair Share Act of 2008. It was just introduced last week and quick action is appropriate.
Posted by: MinnesotaCentral | March 18, 2008 at 05:25 PM