Heartfelt – October 2012

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Tim B

Elections Require Some Work Of All Of Us…
it’s not a spectator sport.

By the time you receive this issue of ECHOES, we will be about 30 days away from the next election (November 6th). I really hope that you are paying attention to who is running for office, as well as what their positions are on the issues that are most important to you.

On a related note, we were proud to help co-sponsor the recent Candidate Forum which took place in Ogilvie on September 13th. There was a good public turnout for the event and all but one candidate was able to attend (Rep. Chip Cravaack had to be back in D.C. for a House session). The event went off without a hitch, our moderator Scott McKinney did a fine job of asking the questions of the candidates, the venue had a good sound system (the auditorium), and the volunteers from Seven County, Lakes & Pine and the Ogilvie School District did a great job of hosting. I chatted with a number of you that were able to attend the event. I hope that you are able to take advantage of any future opportunity to hear and speak with your prospective candidates. After all, they’re auditioning for a job and, as the “employer,” you’re the one responsible for conducting the interviews… you’re the boss, you pay their salary. Get and stay involved with your employees. Let them know how you feel about the job you’ve hired them to do for you.

As you know, there are also some Constitutional Amendments proposed for Minnesota, and you will have a chance to add your voice as you vote on these issues this fall.

Voter ID… I’ve devoted space to this issue a number of times and we have discussed it many times during our monthly meetings of Seven County Senior Federation members, as well as at our convention back in April in Braham. The GMHCC (Greater Minnesota Health Care Coalition) monthly meetings have also been a forum for extended review of the proposed amendments, especially Voter ID.

There are three key points that need to be made in any voting change discussion. Number one is the discriminatory nature of the ID proposal when you examine who will be most affected if the amendment passes, namely; Senior Citizens, the disabled population, and students of college age. Those three (3) groups represent a significant block of the voting public and they will be disproportionately affected if the ID Amendment passes in Minnesota.

Number two is the non-existent nature of the alleged voting problem that needs to be solved. Supporters say they are looking for “election integrity” when they describe their support. That indicates that supporters believe that there is a high incidence of voter fraud in Minnesota. The numbers simply do not bear that out, either in Minnesota, nor nationally. A number of independent studies have been done to investigate the supposed problem that is at the center of the debate. These independent, non-partisan studies confirm that election integrity is high in Minnesota, and cross the country, and reinforce our belief that the current system is not broken and doesn’t need to be fixed. Bringing us to…

Number three, which is the cost element. The Taxpayers of Minnesota shouldn’t have to pay to fix a problem that doesn’t exist (we already have enough REAL problems that need our attention). Cost estimates to implement the changes that are being talked about are in the millions. While exact numbers will not be known unless the implementation statute is adopted, a fiscal note for the 2011 voter ID legislation indicated that the cost to local governments to implement the law for state elections would be approximately $8.2 million dollars. Such an expense would be a burden on rural communities (and taxpayers), unless the State were to pay for all implementation and increased ongoing administrative costs should the amendment pass. Of course, whether it’s the state or local government paying the bill initially, it’s going to be us and our tax dollars that will be liable for that expense. If ever there was a time to “just vote NO,” this is it.

Marriage Equality… If you’re looking for an issue that shouldn’t have been drug into the voting booth in the first place, this qualifies. People who continually rally for the separation of church and state should be on their soapboxes about this issue. Instead of advocating for or against this issue, Churches should be on their soapboxes (and pulpits) telling their members that this is a church issue, not a political one. In this item of Civil Rights, there’s a critical decision being made and doing it through a popular referendum is the wrong way. Case in point, if you wanted to make this vote any more confusing by using the wording that’s on the ballot, as well as the decision of what a “YES” or “NO” vote means, you couldn’t have done a better job. I’m sticking with my original assertion that this is an issue that should never have been on the ballot in the first place… this marriage issue is a church issue, not a political one. Just so you know, if you’re thinking of leaving the Marriage Amendment space blank it will be counted as a “NO,” which means you don’t want the government to amend the Minnesota Constitution to define marriage for you. Personally, I’d rather have my church define what marriage is, not the state of Minnesota or the government. That’s what a “NO” vote, or a blank ballot will mean; that you want the decision to belong to your church.

Finally… we continue to get positive feedback and additional coverage of the GMHCC report on your tax dollars and how they are wasted. The report “Who Was Minding The Store” (about Healthcare Accountability in Minnesota and the HMOs) was released during an August 23 rd press conference at the state capitol in St. Paul. KSTP-TV, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the Pioneer Press did pieces on the report and our advocacy efforts. You can find links to those stories on our GMHCC.org website so if you haven’t read or watched the news coverage you can still do so. We’re working to make sure your tax dollars are spent wisely and effectively.

Peace… and good, affordable, accessible healthcare to all!

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Heartfelt – September 2012

Posted on September 1, 2012 by Tim B

It was gratifying to see our GMHCC (Greater Minnesota Health Care Coalition) work be recognized in statewide news coverage of our press conference, held on August 23rd in St. Paul. That was the official release date of a 20 page report from GMHCC and due in large part to the efforts of N.E. Citizens Federation director Buddy Robinson, who compiled the information. The report chronicles nearly 20 years of mismanagement and, in many cases, the gross excesses of taxpayer dollars residing in the bank accounts of Minnesota’s four largest HMOs (UCare, Medica, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Health Partners).

The press coverage of the report’s release drew an immediate response from the MN Council on Health Plans, the statewide lobbying arm of the HMOs, who stated through their spokesperson, that “the GMHCC report was inaccurate.” Their rebuttal did not contain any specifics other than to say that the HMOs, over the past ten years, have only made a 2 percent profit on all state public health programs based on revenue. That does not jive with information tracked over the years by GMHCC and also does not reflect the taxpayer dollars generated (as profit) by the MSHO (MN Senior Health Options) program, which is also administered by these same HMOs. Their response also ignores the fact that these HMOs have socked away four (4) times the amount of cash reserves in the bank that are deemed appropriate by the NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners), the nationwide lobbying group of most all insurance companies. A copy of the entire GMHCC Accountability report can be read or printed online by going to the GMHCC.org website, or the 7countyseniors.com site. If you don’t have internet access we have a number of copies available to be picked up at our office in Mora.

As the 2012 election draws near, there’s another issue that needs to be highlighted. Most notably among items on this November’s ballot is one that seeks to add a Constitutional Amendment in Minnesota regarding mandatory new personal identification procedures for voting.

The Voter ID amendment is of grave concern to senior citizens, especially women, due to the fact that there could be an unmanageable price tag for many people. It may not seem like much of a problem to some to come up with $75 dollars, or $50 dollars, or even $25 dollars. It seems like it shouldn’t be too overwhelming. But… it is if you’re on a fixed income, which is the situation for most all seniors. The working poor would also be adversely affected by this proposal, as most of them have tough decisions to make every day about paying for food, or heat, or just basic medical care. These are not discretionary expenses, they’re survival expenses. Why would you want to deprive any of these people (seniors and the working poor) of their right to vote, or at the very least, place a significant roadblock in their path? It just seems ill-conceived and lacking in common sense to spend tax dollars to fix a non-existent problem.

While we’re on the subject of price tags, the 2012 fiscal note supplied to the legislature for the Voter ID amendment comes in at a whopping $8.2 million dollars for the state. That’s a hefty amount to throw at what amounts to a non-existent problem. Minnesota ranks high in election integrity and always has. For instance, in the last national election year of 2008 there were hundreds of investigations launched on reported complaints of voter irregularities. All bona-fide reports were pursued by the appropriate county attorney offices in their jurisdictions across Minnesota. When the dust cleared and all complaints were vetted, only .00089 % percent of votes cast in 2008* were found to be illegal. That’s less than 1/100th of 1 percent of the 2.9 million votes cast in the 2008 election.

One analysis, by the League of Minnesota Cities, shows that the current language in the Voter ID amendment also has additional impacts on local government units including, but not limited to:

Requiring separate provisional balloting procedures that will require two additional election judges and a separate ballot box in each precinct, new forms, envelopes, and secure storage. Unless the legislature provides language in the proposed constitutional amendment that the State will cover the costs associated with implementation of photo ID, counties, cities, townships, and school districts will have to fund these costs with local property taxes.

Requires election offices to be open for 10 calendar days after an election to allow provisional voters to appear and provide photo identification, which is an additional cost to local governments.

Will delay canvass of election results in order to add results from provisional ballots for which voters have proved their identity during the 10 calendar days after election day.

May require local election officials to notify provisional voters if their ballots are not counted.

Creates barriers for those in nursing homes, hospitals and hospices to be able to vote if they do not have a photo id with the correct address. They would have to be transported to a Deputy Registrar Office to get a new photo ID. Vouching, including for those in care facilities, would no longer be allowed.

Will eliminate vouching for voters seeking to register on Election Day and makes it uncertain if Election Registration will still be available.

Will likely eliminate mail balloting.

Unclear how absentee voters prove their identity when voting absentee ballot by mail and not in person.

To repeat, this seems like this personal voter identification is just a solution in search of a problem. The goal should be to make it easy and convenient for all eligible voters to be able to vote… this amendment accomplishes neither.

Peace, and safe, affordable, accessible healthcare to all!

* Facts About Ineligible Voting and Voter Fraud in Minnesota – Based on data from Minnesota County Attorneys – November 2010 The report can be found at: http://bit.ly/NTYdK3

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Heartfelt – August 2012

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Tim B

It’s nearly State Fair time and you know what that means? Greasy Corn Dogs, Walleye-on-a-stick, deep fried Snickers, Gator bites (?) the World’s Smallest Horse, prize winning animals, endless people watching, and more.

Actually, the “Great Minnesota Get-Together” doesn’t hold the grip on me that it used to, like say, 45 some years ago. At that time we could hop on a Metro Transit bus on Nicollet Avenue in South Minneapolis and take the State Fair Express right to the Fairgrounds on Snelling Avenue. I think the bus fare got as high as .35 cents at the time, maybe. Lawn-mowing and chore money, maybe as much as $8.00, filled our pockets to get us in the gate and take care of our State Fair needs like touring the Midway, sampling the cuisine, and riding enough rides to almost make us sick. It was a much anticipated event and was certainly worthy of our attention, based on the amount of fun we actually had at the Fair.

Nowadays, I can get most of those same “satisfactions and anticipations” from either attending a Senate Hearing in St. Paul (people watching, almost getting sick, and prize winning animals), or from walking downtown during the Hinckley Corn & Clover Carnival (delicious, non-nutritious foods of all kinds). Seems pretty convenient to me… funny how our perspectives change but our needs remain the same.

Speaking of news on the healthcare front, there actually has been news of note during the summer, much of it recent. The announcement from the DHS (MN Dept. of Human Services) headed up by Commissioner Lucinda Jesson announcing the launch of a new, separate, and independent(?) audit that will go back to records from 2003 was a bit of a surprise. It’s speculated that the regular drumbeat from advocate groups like GMHCC and others had a lot to do with getting this new audit created.

On its face it looks good, but there are some less-than-perfect details of the audit that make it seem like it won’t get to the heart of the matter. It targets the rate-setting process done by DHS in deciding what to pay for Medicaid delivered services and whether or not the rates followed Federal Medicaid guidelines for payment. That’s a good thing , but the language in the proposed audit says it’s looking for the “actuarial soundness” of the rates and rate setting process. Unfortunately, no auditor can really answer that question unless they are allowed to audit the HMOs’ books and see what the real numbers were, not the ones that had been given to DHS, which is how the process has been done for many years; HMOs supply numbers to their auditors and the auditors supply those numbers to DHS. No further investigation or independent research has ever happened. According to the parameters of the announced “audit”, that’s what is going to happen this time, also. On a side note, the DHS person in charge of collecting the information and the proposals from those accounting firms wanting to bid on the new audit just happens to be the a direct relative of the chief spokesperson for the MN Council of Health Plans. That group is in charge of all lobbying efforts for Minnesota’s HMOs. The conflict of interest seems obvious… and so it goes. We will monitor the situation and continue to push for real HMO accountability.

Staying on the topic of healthcare accountability, there will be a press conference soon to announce the release of a position paper compiled and produced by GMHCC. The bulk of the work in preparing this report is due to the efforts of Buddy Robinson, staff director in Duluth of the Citizens Federation. Buddy has pulled together a report of the activity related to accountability, or the lack thereof, in Minnesota’s state-funded and HMO- administered healthcare programs. It chronicles all of the activities undertaken by GMHCC members (and allies) over the years in pushing for transparency in delivery of these healthcare services in the state. It also shows the results and reactions by those in state and federal government positions to our efforts. In summary, it also makes recommendations for next steps that we feel would best advance the cause of better healthcare access for all through accountability for our tax dollars. To say it’s worth reading is an understatement.

Hope to see many of you at our Annual Potluck Fundraiser coming up Thursday, August 9th in Hinckley’s Community Center (9:30 am start). Wear your 1950-60s apparel (church-related) as we recreate the Basement of the Church Ladies as the theme for this year’s potluck. Hot dishes are welcome, games will be played, music will be provided and… fun will be had. See you on the 9th and please let me know ahead of time if you would like a copy of the aforementioned GMHCC Position Paper on accountability and I’ll bring along a few copies.

Peace, and good affordable, accessible healthcare to all!

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Heartfelt – June/July 2012

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Tim B

It’s that fun time of the year, again.  Summer is just ready to roll out along with all the seasonal events and activities that go along with it.  Barbecues, vacations, parades, county fairs, POTLUCK FUNDRAISERS, volunteer excursions… all that good stuff.  It gets very busy as we Minnesotans try to take full advantage of our, comparatively speaking, short summer.  Most of us have become pretty good at making the best of the “guaranteed” time allotted to us weather-wise, as we fill our extended daylight hours with as much enjoyment as possible.

In the midst of all the planning that you are probably in the middle of, let me throw out a couple of updates and/or ideas to plug into your calendar.

Thursday, June 21st is a fun day if you’re interested in our healthcare work at Seven County.  Our friends and allies at HCAM (Healthcare Access Minnesota) are sponsoring a special event on that date featuring renowned insurance company insider Wendell Potter.  Mr. Potter will be the featured speaker at the Annual HCAM Summer Celebration event.  It’s a dinner event and takes place starting at 6:30pm at Macalester College in St. Paul (tickets are $60 – it’s a fundraiser).  A number of people have expressed an interest in attending so carpooling will be available if you’re interested.  Contact the Seven County office by June 11th to register.  It will be an enlightening, informative and inspiring evening, so please consider attending.

The other date you should mark down is Thursday, August 9th.  That’s the time set aside for our Annual Seven County Potluck Fundraiser in Hinckley (at the Community Center).  Doors open at 9:00 am and the event gets started at 9:30.  There’s always fun and interesting “stuff” going on at the Potluck, including the great food you bring and the raffle drawings for all of those beautiful handmade quilts and afghans. Mark the date on your calendars now.

Most of you know that we have moved our retail location in Isle to a larger facility.  The move took place in mid to late April and the store is really taking shape. New racks and additional displays were needed to fill up the expanded retail space, which is about 3 times larger than our previous locale, and the store staff is working tirelessly to get the One More Time2 site ready for the Grand Opening.  The date for the Grand Opening is Saturday, June 16th.  Coffee and cookies will be served from 9 until 12 noon and there will be door prize registrations going on throughout the day.  It will be a real “time to shine” and to show off our new store in Isle… it will be fun.

Looking even farther ahead into September and beyond, you can anticipate being bombarded with hours and hours of campaign ads of all kinds because this is an election year.  Here’s hoping that you remember your discussion of the issues at our convention back in April when you overwhelmingly supported Campaign Finance Reform and a Fairer Taxation System as your top two issues.  As you watch the relentless and unregulated onslaught of campaign rhetoric please give thought to the billions of dollars being spent to influence your decision on whom to elect.  It makes no difference what your political preference; the American system of elections is under attack.  PACs and SUPER PACS on both sides have gathered massive amounts of money to buy control of this country.  The scarier side, if there is one, is that most all of those donations, especially the giant ones, can remain anonymous.  We have allowed that to happen.  What happened to transparency and accountability?  We talk about it, we supposedly treasure it (we should), but we allow this openness to be taken away from us by mostly unseen hands?  This ship of state needs a significant course correction as we’re headed for an iceberg and there aren’t enough lifeboats for most of us.  Campaign Finance Reform… public financing of elections is needed, and now.

Peace… and affordable accessible healthcare to all!

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Heartfelt – May 2012

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Tim B

What more can be said about the 2012 Convention?  Words ALMOST fail me.

The planning of our 39th Annual event was even smoother than previous years.  The atmosphere and the space for the convention was very hospitable and functional, the food was great, the coffee was hot, the snacks were fresh and tasty, church staff and the pastor were extremely cordial and helpful, PLUS… the convention crowd was excited and engaged.

A hearty and heartfelt thank you goes to Gladys Shelley and the entire Isanti County Booster Club, who did a terrific job of planning and setting up the event, and securing the facility (Braham Evangelical Lutheran Church).  It was a big job and hard work, but they handled it very well.  Susan Morris Catering did an excellent job as did the Braham National Honor Society volunteers who served the noon meal and bused the dishes afterwards.

All of the business parts of the day went off as planned, from the convention rules, to the delegate count, to selection of county vice-presidents, to the financial reports, the officer elections, and last, but not least, the issue resolution presentations and issue priority voting.   The speakers and presenters did an excellent job of clearly reporting the information needed for the group to consider, and possibly act upon (which they did).

The final tally of the convention day voting is displayed on the front page of this issue.  In somewhat of a surprise, the top two Federal issues turned out to be “Campaign Finance Reform” and “Fairer Taxation Policy.”   What that tells me is that current tax policies are under close scrutiny as more and more people want to have answers to questions about the growing inequities in our Federal Tax System.  With the country still working its way out of the doldrums of the economic collapse of 2007-08, more family’s resources are stretched to the breaking point.  People want to know why American corporations that ship jobs overseas enjoy ever increasing tax breaks, while the real tax paid by working families continue to inch upward.  A quickly disappearing middle-class is looking for fairness.  What most people don’t like is that special treatment is given for those at the top and who have benefited, almost non-stop, through the current economic crisis.  Americans are a funny lot… they are willing to accept shared sacrifice as a means to create a better lifestyle for all, as long as everyone pays their fair share.  Right now that’s not happening.

In Campaign Finance Reform, a closely related issue tied to taxation, people again want to create or restore a governance/election system that puts people back in the picture and removes corporate dollars.  People just want fairness.   I don’t have to remind anyone of the billions upon billions of dollars that have been spent on past elections or that will be spent during this election cycle.  The evolution and creation of “Super Pacs”, aided by the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, has literally opened the floodgates for unidentifiable dollars to flow to campaigns and candidates.  Rocket science isn’t required to figure out that the deepest pockets will now call the shots and dictate policy once candidates assume elected office.  I’ve railed before and I’ll continue to offer my unsolicited opinion that the relationship between government and corporation is nothing less than incestuous and that bond will grow stronger each day that we allow it to continue unabated.   The current campaign system is not healthy for this country or its people, and it needs to be changed and soon.

Finally, near and dear to our hearts is Social Security and Medicare.  A recent post from one of my online allies contained some interesting information that’s worth sharing.  Point one:  As per an April 23, 2012 report, the Medicare trust fund supporting Medicare Part A (hospital coverage) is projected to be depleted by 2024. The good news is that the long-term (75 year) present value shortfall in the trust fund however could be corrected by an immediate 1.35% increase in combined Medicare payroll tax, i.e., from the current 2.9% to 4.25% (source: Medicare Trustees).   So why isn’t that “fix” being actively pursued?  Seems pretty common sense and straight forward.   Is it because there is a move to completely privatize Medicare and go to a voucher system?  You tell me.

Similarly and related to the Social Security Fund depletion there is this point of information:  The estimated Social Security shortfall as of today (i.e., a present value number) between the future taxes anticipated being collected and the future benefits expected to be paid out over the next 75 years is $8.6 trillion. The entire $8.6 trillion deficit could be eliminated by either an immediate 2.61% increase in the combined Social Security payroll tax rate (i.e., from 12.4% to 15.01%) or an immediate 16.2% reduction in Social Security benefits that are paid out. (source: Social Security Trustees).  Why is a slight increase in payroll taxes not talked about as a common sense solution?  Sure seems like it should be.  Are there forces that would much rather see all of our savings and retirement funds land in the private (stock) market?  You tell me.

Peace… and good health(care) for all!

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Heartfelt – April 2012

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Tim B

With all of the attention paid to healthcare legislation in Minnesota the past month, especially on the topic of HMO Accountability, we may have not given due coverage to the Congressional Budget discussions.  The U.S. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (WI) submitted a budget about a week or so ago that really needs to have a bright light shone on it.

Under the proposed House budget, Medicare as we know it would end for new beneficiaries in 2022 under their version. It would be replaced with a government voucher that would be paid directly to private insurance companies.  In reality, this system would double costs to seniors. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, or CBO, concluded that “most elderly people would pay more for their health care than they would pay under the current Medicare system.”  In an attempt to circumvent the entire discussion about going to a voucher system, the budget’s sponsors and supporters have taken to calling the “new” Medicare system voucher “premium support.” Followers of the process have already heard the duck quacking and have seen it walking, so that attempt to disguise the voucher is very weak.  Why not just call it what it is, a plan to privatize Medicare, and then start the discussion and your proposal on its merits?

Back to the budget… under the plan seniors would pay more for two reasons.  First, the House plan forces future beneficiaries out of the traditional Medicare plan into a more expensive private plan.  In 2022 65-year-olds (if you’re 55 years of age right now) would be forced to pay twice as much for care than they would under the current Medicare: $12,500 compared to $6,150. The same holds true for 65-year-olds in 2030 (if you are 47 years of age right now). That group would be forced to pay $20,713, compared to $9,138 under Medicare.

Secondly, the House would force seniors to pay a larger share of their health costs over time since the value of the voucher in the House budget plan increases at a slower rate than medical costs, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The House proposal calls for 65-year-olds to contribute $12,513 of the estimated $20,513 total cost of their health care in 2022, including premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, or 61 percent. They are expected to pay $20,713 of the $30,460 in total costs in 2030, or 68 percent.  In other words, the House budget proposal does not control health care costs. It just shifts them on to seniors. (see the graph)

There is no doubt that some adjustments need to be made to Medicare.  Times have changed, the flood of “baby boomers” will continue to strain the system, and healthcare delivery systems have advanced exponentially.  It’s still a mystery that some seemingly logical changes have not even been discussed, let alone proposed.  For instance, why not increase the amount of contribution from employees and employers to help pay for future beneficiaries?   Even a small increase in contributions would provide a massive influx of much needed revenue for future Medicare beneficiaries.

Funny how things work… as I was writing this piece I received notification of an incoming e-mail message.  Normally not a big deal, but this one was.  The message contained a copy of the just completed and now released report: Economic Analysis of a Unified System of Health Care for Minnesota.  This is the long-awaited cost study project done by the Lewin Group of California, and commissioned by the Growth & Justice Foundation of St. Paul.  GMHCC and Seven County members have both pushed for this report for many years.  It offers unbiased and conclusive evidence of the cost savings of a unified healthcare system.  Some of the findings which we suspected we’d find, like better outcomes and decreased costs, have now been shown to be true based on the study’s conclusions.

As you can imagine, it’s a lengthy report (38 pages) and needs substantial, in depth review.  We’ll do that and be ready to share the report’s findings at the convention and in next month’s ECHOES.   See you in Braham!

Peace and good, affordable, accessible healthcare to all…

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Heartfelt – March 2012

Posted on March 1, 2012 by Tim B

New  lines have been drawn, the wheels are turning, and soon your mailboxes, fax machines, phones , radios and TVs will be plum full of political ads (as if we haven’t had enough already).  New “lines,” of course, refer to the recent release of the newly updated political district maps for Minnesota.   There was wailing and gnashing of teeth within the current ranks of state legislators in the House and the Senate upon release of the updated maps.  That noise won’t last long, as it’s now the new reality and folks will just adapt to the changed landscape.  It will make for mildly entertaining theatre, but it will all be sorted out come November.  What most of us really aren’t looking forward to are the truckloads of dirt being readied for the election season.  Civility and sticking to the issues seem like foreign concepts and just distant memories.  It sure would be a refreshing change of pace for a candidate or two to actually “take the high road” during the campaign in 2012.  I hope my fingers don’t cramp up from keeping them crossed waiting for that change to occur.

As has been discussed countless times during our monthly GMHCC meetings, as well as our Seven County meetings, there are some heavy issues that may appear on this year’s ballot, and we’re not talking about legislators who are looking to shed a few pounds.  Most notably among some items being proposed is one that seeks to add a Constitutional Amendment in Minnesota regarding mandatory Photo IDs for voting.  It appears, unless something drastically changes, that the Voter ID proposal will show up on the November ballot here in Minnesota.  The fact that voter fraud in the state is shown to be less than 1% simply furthers the notion that this is a solution in desperate search of a problem.  It’s an undeniable fact that there were 113 convictions due to felons voting in the 2008 elections.   Before you get too caught up in the numbers, that translates to a “fraud factor” of .004% (way less than 1%).   So in reality, out of the 2.9 million Minnesota voters who voted in 2008, 113 were actually ineligible to vote.   Seems like quite a stretch.

Of even more concern to senior citizens, especially women, is the fact that there could be an unmanageable price tag.  It may not seem like much of a problem to come up with $75 dollars, or $50 dollars, or even $25 dollars.  It seems like it shouldn’t be too overwhelming.   But… it is if you’re on a fixed income, which is the situation for most all seniors.   The working poor would also be adversely affected by this proposal, as most of them have tough decisions to make every day about paying for food, or heat, or just basic medical care.  These are not discretionary expenses, they’re survival expenses.  Why would you want to deprive any of these people (seniors and the working poor) of their right to vote, or at the very least, place a significant roadblock in their path?  It just seems ill-conceived and lacking in common sense to spend tax dollars to fix a non-existent problem.

An analysis, by the League of Minnesota Cities, shows that the current language in the Voter ID amendment also has impacts on local government units including, but not limited to:

  • Requiring separate provisional balloting procedures that will require two additional election judges and a separate ballot box in each precinct, new forms, envelopes, and secure storage. Unless the legislature provides language in the proposed constitutional amendment that the State will cover the costs associated with implementation of photo ID, counties, cities, townships, and school districts will have to fund these costs with local property taxes.
  • Requires election offices to be open for 10 calendar days after an election to allow provisional voters to appear and provide photo identification, which is an additional cost to local governments.
  • Will delay canvass of election results in order to add results from provisional ballots for which voters have proved their identity during the 10 calendar days after election day.
  • May require local election officials to notify provisional voters if their ballots are not counted.
  • Creates barriers for those in nursing homes, hospitals and hospices to be able to vote if they do not have a photo id with the correct address. They would have to be transported to a Deputy Registrar Office to get a new photo ID. Vouching, including for those in care facilities, would no longer be allowed.
  • Will eliminate vouching for voters seeking to register on Election Day and makes it uncertain if Election Registration will still be available.
  • Will likely eliminate mail balloting.
  • Unclear how absentee voters prove their identity when voting absentee ballot by mail and not in person.

Stay informed about this and all the issues being discussed in St. Paul and Washington, D.C.  Our future depends on it.

Peace… and good affordable, accessible healthcare to all!  See you in Braham at the 39th Annual Convention!

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Heartfelt – February 2012

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Tim B

Yes, we made it through another year here at Seven County.   It’s already time to get to work on our priority issues relative to the 2012 Legislative Session, which started on January 24th.  Strategy meetings and issue updates have been flowing more regularly between allies over the past 2 months, so we have a logical and unified starting point for the 2012 session.

Likewise, we have started preparations, via our committee structure, to prepare for our Annual Convention, coming up this year on Thursday, April 19th.  The Budget, Membership, Nominations, By-Laws, Issues and Convention committees have been meeting to pull together all the details needed to successfully conduct business at the convention this year.

From the standpoint of working with our allies this session, things will be mostly normal.  In terms of dealing with legislators, it should be anything but.  Every legislative office is up for grabs this year, so all indicators point to the session ending on time so that election campaigning can begin.  After talking to most legislators in the region I’ve been assured(?) that impending elections will have no effect on whether or not the session ends on time.  Okay then, actions speak louder than words… get ALL your work done without looking at the clock or the calendar.  Many Minnesotans feel like there should be no extra pay (salary or per diem) if the legislative session drags on past the announced closing date.  I would be in that camp.  Doing that would create as much motivation as election year campaigning, in my opinion.

Even though this is a bonding year (even numbered years fall into that category) I would expect and hope that some common sense policy proposals would make real progress this year as well.   The efforts begun last session to push for more transparency and accountability within the state funded, but privately delivered, health programs of the state had lots of early momentum and support.  As it turned out, some of last year’s “accountability” impetus was then sidetracked by Governor Dayton’s executive orders related to healthcare.  The governor had the right idea, but in the world and opinion of healthcare advocates, his actions didn’t go nearly far enough or in great enough detail… but, they were a start, so we’ll pick up the ball from there.

For good or for bad, the talk and much attention in St. Paul will be garnered by the push for a new Vikings stadium.  I’m hoping that the issue will be resolved quickly (and painlessly) for the taxpayers of Minnesota.   This item doesn’t deserve any more space than it just received, so I’ll just leave it at that.  What we should have, and what we all deserve, is the open and honest discussions about the direction our state is headed.  Jobs, healthcare and the economic climate of the state should be the highest priorities for our elected servants in St. Paul.  They can’t afford to waste time in any session, let alone a short session, on issues that are strictly politically driven.  It’s up to us to keep them on task, so pay attention to what is eating up the lion’s share of our legislator’s time while they are on the job.  We’ll be dropping in on many of them during the session to offer reminders and to give them encouragement.  We shouldn’t take their efforts for granted; they have a tough job to do. It’s serious business and what they do affects all of us, sooner or later.

Seven County Update:  Donations from various groups and organizations were down quite a bit last year, which didn’t come as much of a surprise.  The economy is slowly recovering and we anticipate that these same groups likely will offer monetary support at levels equal to last year, or a bit lower.  Having said that I would like to ask that you continue to offer your personal support through donations to Seven County, either by simply making a direct donation, or by purchasing a few of our raffle tickets.  This is part of our Spring Fundraiser and it’s a very important part of our budget.  Your generous support allows us to continue to offer many free services to seniors and low-income families within our Seven County service area.   Whatever you can offer will be greatly appreciated by those we serve, and we offer our thanks in advance for considering us worthy of your support.

Remember to mark April 19th on your calendar for the Convention, and then call and make your reservations as soon as possible in order to beat the rush.

Finally, a quick thank you to those of you who offered me hearfelt birthday wishes this month as I celebrated my 61st.   Yes, I have starting thinking about retirement, and no, a plan has not taken shape quite yet.

Peace… and good, affordable, accessible healthcare to all!

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Heartfelt – December 2011/January 2012

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Tim B

Here we are at the end of another year… it’s amazing how quickly 2011 has come and gone. That likely means that there was plenty of activity within Seven County, because as you know, the busier you are the faster the time seems to go. There have even been some studies done on the individual perception of time passage with a number of factors used for the evaluation. Things like age, climate, gender, location all play a role in how people perceived how fast or slow that time passed for them. Our age seems to be one of the most often cited factors of how our perceptions of time change over the years. Dr. Ronald Riggio (Psychologist) wrote an interesting article on the subject and he noted that: “… the best answer for this phenomenon is that our early years are full of first-time events – your first date, the birth of your first child, that first big vacation, etc. First occasions are novel events and we tend to make more detailed and lasting memories of those first times. When we repeat the event, year after year, it is less likely to make a unique or lasting impression.” He adds a couple of other interesting observations so if you want the entire article you can find it at: http://bit.ly/w0PApC If you don’t have internet access and would like a printed copy of the article, stop by and pick one up… it’s fun reading.

I’ve had multiple conversations, as I’m sure everyone has, about the Occupy Wall Street movement, a phenomena that is growing larger by the day. Since running the Echoes article last month on Occupy Minnesota there has been increasing attention paid to the message eschewed by those who are taking part. It’s rooted in the cause of economic as well as social justice. Citing the trend that focuses on the growing disparity in wage equality and fairness, the Occupy citizens have made a conversation happen that has been avoided for many years. Contributing factors to the wage inequalities discussion include things like the number of jobs that have either disappeared or have been sent out of the country for well over thirty years, as well as stagnant wages in the shrinking middle-class in the U.S. To say it’s timely is an understatement.

It seems like an appropriate time to focus on these discussions with everybody now in Christmas and holiday mode. The spirit of giving and Thanksgiving (just past) really deserves more attention. Those businesses who are accumulating record sales and/or profits should be thinking more about what they could now give back, based on what they have received. To many people the attention paid to “Black Friday” is further obscuring the message of what this season is, or should be, all about. The message of “buy early and save” is surely not the same message that was envisioned when the Christmas *celebration was first created or observed. If you look at all of the different evolutions of the Christmas holiday over the years, it becomes obvious that we have strayed far away from the root idea (intention?) of the observance. A celebration that was originally based in love of God and, by extension, love of our fellow man, has now morphed into a love of material goods. We would all be well advised to assess our own “holiday spirit” when it comes to Christmas. We are all merely temporary residents and caretakers of this beautiful blue orb we live on. According to the original message, we are all caretakers of our fellow man as well.

This is the 13th Christmas I’ve been privileged to celebrate with this unbelievably loving and caring group of people who make up Seven County Senior Federation. Many things have changed over the years and many faces have changed, but the theme continues to be consistently rooted in our mission of caring for senior citizens and people in need. No matter where our discussion take us, we are always drawn back to our priorities of taking care of our neighbors. I love this place… I love Seven County… and I love all of you. Thank you for allowing me to be part of this tremendous human experience.

Have a great Christmas and a love-filled Holiday Season!

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Heartfelt – November 2011

Posted on November 1, 2011 by Tim B

As I begin writing this message it’s the last week of October.  The weather is still unseasonably mild with daytime temps in the low to mid 50’s.  It makes me a bit nervous when we get a break from really cold weather for an extended period of time, and makes me wonder if we’ll be paying for this a bit later.  Well, it’s out of my control so I’m taking it off the radar, for now…

October, surprisingly, has been pretty busy.  In addition to the usual seasonal activity of meetings or workshops, there’s also an abundance of phone calls to the office, there’s planning for our November meetings and our December Volunteer party, truckloads of items being donated to our One More Time Stores and the changeover of retail seasonal offerings, as well as rent rebate questions galore and inquiries about Senior Partners Care.  Not only has it been hectic and  challenging, but also fun.

A flurry of advocacy activities also started mid-month and continued through the end of October.  Phone, e-mail, and in-person strategy sessions have taken place with our Greater MN Health Care (GMHCC) Coalition partners and our statewide allies.  A lot of time, effort and consideration have been given to moving our plans forward for both County Based Purchasing (CBP) development, as well as the Minnesota Health Plan.  CBP Outreach efforts have been slowed a bit recently when our GMHCC Outreach Coordinator Kyle Bozentko accepted another position with the Jefferson Institute in St. Paul.  Even though his position was listed as temporary (because it was funded by a Bremer Grant), we had hoped that we could have use of his talents until at least the end of 2011.  Unfortunately, that didn’t come off as planned, as his talents and ability made him attractive to another non-profit and we knew it wouldn’t be fair to stand in his way.  The good news is that in the ten-plus months Kyle worked for GMHCC he made and maintained a number of vital contacts in the region, so we are thankful for what he accomplished during his tenure with us.   We feel confident that we should be able to build on Kyle’s efforts for GMHCC and CBP education and advancement.

As far as the MN Health Plan goes, and healthcare reform in general, we’ve done a number of things related to that which should yield measurable results.  First of all, a letter has been sent requesting a copy of the Actuarial Rate Certification letter related to the HMO’s delivery of healthcare for bidding for the state’s low-income and subsidized programs.  This is a difficult if not impossible document to obtain, according to all reports, but it’s supposed to be available under the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA).  We are awaiting response to our request for it from Minnesota’s Department of Human Services, where the letter was addressed.  Co-signers to the letter/request include the MN Nurses Association (MNA), Physicians For a National Health Program (PNHP-MN), the Minnesota Chiropractic Association, MN Universal Health Care Coalition (MUHCC), and the Minnesota Podiatric Association.  The response should tell us a lot about how “open and accountable” our administration is (in Minnesota) to common-sense requests for information.

Secondly, we have requested a meeting to compare notes with County Based Purchasing (CBP) representative Michael Scandrett, to get his “take” on what effect the recently passed budget cuts to healthcare will have on their groups in Minnesota.  We have hopes that CBPs, because of their unique and open nature, will be spared some of the drastic cuts targeted at HMOs who deliver the bulk of state healthcare programs.  The meeting should give us a more accurate picture of who will be affected and to what extent.

Finally, we have had numerous information exchanges, via phone and e-mail, with our advocates and allies culminating with a couple of in-person strategy sessions in St. Paul.  No surprise, strategic planing for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012 comprised the bulk of our meetings.  As expected, we will all be continuing a lot of work in pushing for greater transparency and accountability for our tax dollars spent on healthcare.  This bipartisan call for action on healthcare cost transparency is just what’s needed to keep the process moving forward.  We will monitor and report on the activities as they become clearer.

I had the pleasure of taking in the Annual MN Council on Nonprofits (MNCN) workshop in St. Paul in early October.  It’s a great way to network with other non-profits, as well as to take in some updated program and issue training.  The workshops are very well run and the topics are suggested by MNCN members, so they are targeted at specific issues and challenges in the non-profit world.  One workshop on expanding reach with other non-profits, regardless of their mission or location, was a bit of welcome news and opened more than a few eyes in the room.  Another workshop on the challenges faced by non-profits in greater/rural Minnesota was also timely, and provided some good ideas for dealing with rural challenges.   I also took in a workshop on “messaging” for non-profits, which is slightly different than messaging (advertising) for business or social purposes.  There is almost limitless potential for developing and using this rapidly expanding technology and we already have our “toe in the water.” Our goal in 2012 should be to get our entire leg “in the water” so as to take advantage of the communication possibilities available to us with social media technology.  The good news is that, relatively speaking, the cost of doing social media expansion is low in comparison to other forms currently being used.   I’m confident that our 2012 Seven County budget will reflect that shift in communication channels and priorities.

I had the opportunity to be part of a healthcare rally and march in support of healthcare reform.  The rally took place on October 25th with over one hundred (100) people showing up to lend their support on a very cool and drizzly late afternoon in downtown Minneapolis.  Many of the people we work with on the issue of healthcare were there, including folks from MNA, MUHCC, PNHP-MN, and the MN Chiropractic Association, among others.  The march and rally (to the U.S. Appeals/Bankruptcy Court) lasted almost two (2) hours and was a high-energy gathering.  It launched from the Hennepin County Government Center Plaza, which is the site of Occupy Minnesota (spawned by Occupy Wall Street activities).

As a point of fact, there are now well over one hundred (100) “Occupy” sites in cities around the country, with the number of sites growing every day.  A really insightful person has repeatedly said, over the past 2 years, that “…nothing is going to change until the people take to the streets in protest.”   That summary is proving to be prophetic.   Some folks have drawn comparisons to the Occupy movement with the Arab Spring protest movements.  Those protests caused a number of oppressive regimes to topple in the Middle East.  Occupy’ state and national activity is focused much more on business practices than government function.  The relationship between big business and government is intricately intertwined, oftentimes to the detriment of the general public; therefore the focus of Occupy is on big business.   We are glad to see the attention paid to healthcare inadequacies, as well as all issues of social justice, and will always support the cause of common-sense reforms.  Stay informed and get involved in making your world, our world, a better place to live.

Peace, and affordable accessible healthcare to all!

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