The Turner Report

Monday, January 02, 2012

Hartzler: We must stop massive government takeover of health care industry

The new year is here, but in her latest newsletter, Fourth District Congresswoman Vicky Hartzler is still singing her greatest hit from 2011- The Theme from the Job Destroying Health Care Law. Her newsletter is printed below:

As 2011 comes to a close and we move into 2012, the eyes of many Americans will soon zero in on the U.S. Supreme Court as it prepares to hold five-and-a-half hours of hearings over three days to determine the constitutionality of a number of components of the Obama health care takeover law. Among the issues to be determined by the High Court is the law’s individual mandate.

Although it was long known that the individual mandate and other components of the law would eventually end up in the Supreme Court as a result of challenges from the states, the U.S. House has not been idle in addressing the law’s problems. It has passed several bills that have either become law or have stalled in the Senate. Bills signed into law include legislation to repeal the requirement that businesses file IRS Form 1099s whenever they pay vendors more than $600 for goods in a single year.

The House also passed a bill to completely repeal the job-destroying health care law. Republicans had promised to pass legislation to repeal this government takeover of our health care industry, and H.R. 2 was approved only weeks after the 112th Congress was sworn in. Unfortunately, the effort to repeal the law was rejected on a procedural motion in the U.S. Senate.

In April, the House passed the 2012 budget resolution, which proposed to repeal the Obama health care law by budgeting $0 for its implementation over the ten-year budget window. This, of course, fell flat in the Senate as it continued its unacceptable refusal to pass a budget.

The House passed the Protect Life Act, prohibiting funding for abortion and abortion coverage under the health care law. This legislation also protects conscience rights for health care providers by specifying that federal agencies and state or local governments funded by the Obama health care takeover not discriminate against health care providers refusing to be involved in abortion. This bill, like to many others, has gone nowhere in the Senate.

These bills protecting Americans from the new health care law are only some of the steps that are being taken to help make health coverage more accessible and more affordable to the American people. I co-sponsor a number of bills aimed at addressing both access and cost:

- H.R. 5 provides medical malpractice reform to lower costs by decreasing defensive medicine.

- H.R. 371, the Health Care Choice Act, would allow for the buying of insurance across state lines. This legislation would create competition and reduce costs.

- H.R. 1370 would repeal the health insurance excise tax - an annual fee on health insurers. This added cost is not absorbed by the insurer. It is passed on to the patient.

- H.R. 436, the Protect Medical Innovation Act, could pass the House early in the new year. It would repeal Obamacare's $20 billion medical device tax.

Rest assured that while we await the Supreme Court hearings and the ruling or rulings that are expected in late June or early July, the House will continue to champion common sense solutions to address problems created by the law. Your representatives cannot sit on their hands and hope for a good outcome. Congress must take a stand to repeal this massive government takeover of our health care industry.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado available at Always Buying Books in Joplin

Our book 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado, is now available at Always Buying Books, 5357 N. Main, Joplin.

Copies of my earlier books, Small Town News, Devil's Messenger, The Turner Report, and Newspaper Days, are also on sale there.

Some stories to remember from January 2011 up until Joplin Tornado

Obviously, the tornado that hit Joplin May 22 was the focus of this blog for the last six and a half months of 2011, but in the next few posts, I am going to look back and leave links for some memorable posts from Jan. 1 up to May 22:

JANUARY

Majority Leader, Ethics Chairman Accepts $1,200 in lobbyists' gifts in December- This post not only looked at future Speaker of the House Tim Jones' (if the Republicans, as expected, hold on to the House) December 2010 lobbyists' gifts, but also at his history of aceepting gifts. It might be noted that Jones accepted very few gifts in 2011, following the lead of current Speaker Steve Tilley.

FEBRUARY

Kansas City Democrat tops Turner Report Hall of Shame- Rep. Mike Talboy, D-Kansas City, accepted more lobbyists' gifts in 2011 than any other House member, $8,523.41. I broke down the gifts in this post.

First lawsuit filed against Pete Newman, Kanakuk

Suit against Newman, Kanakuk alleges negligence

Federal grand jury indicts Peggy Newton on charges of fraud, forgery

Peggy Newton: Lifestyle of the rich and bankrupt- An examination of bankruptcy court filings

Bankruptcy examination of Peggy Newton led to fraud charges

Peggy Newton pleads not guilty, released on bond

Peggy Newton: What the hell is wrong with me?

MARCH

Winans' guilty plea likely to leave questions about murder of Carthage couple unanswered

Second lawsuit filed against Kanakuk, Pete Newman, Joe White

Joe White,defendant in child sexual abuse lawsuit known nationally for work with Kanakuk, Promise Keepers

The failure of American teachers- My first Huffington Post blog

Gannett CEO; How I doubled my pay and only had to fire 2,400 employees

APRIL

Ron Richard: Why I believe in right to work

Campaign contributors pay Richard's NRA dues

No longer fed up? Special interests, lobbyists account for most of Billy Long's contributions

My wasted hour with Billy Long's telephone town hall meeting

Hanrahan fired; Speck puts the hammer down on the First Amendment

Gutless media fails American public schools

MAY

Billy Long deletes tweet about CIA Director Panetta- Just before the news that Panetta was in good part responsible for the death of Osama bin Laden, Billy Long had tweeted some criticism.

Billy Long's deleted tweet on Leon Panetta recaptured

Promise to dead Lamar soldier kept, his killer, Osama bin Laden, is dead

Globe publisher, Speck, discuss weekly PR section to provide positive news about MSSU

RIP: Joplin Globe buries its integrity with coverage of Hanrahan firing

Relief agency files complaint against California contractor

Families who lost homes in Joplin Tornado looking forward to 2012

New York Times: Volunteers, outside help continue to come to Joplin

The continuing presence of outside help after the Joplin Tornado is chronicled in a feature in today's New York Times Sunday Magazine:

Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, said that the influx of people, money and attention after a major disaster typically fades during the “most vexing and most difficult” phase of recovery, as the drama of disaster gives way to the bureaucracy of rebuilding. “It’s fatigue syndrome,” he said.

Mr. Redlener, who dispatched a three-person team to Joplin last month to study, among other things, why some communities are more resilient post-disaster than others, credited Joplin’s leaders for keeping volunteers, donors and the news media engaged. The members of Mr. Redlener’s team, echoing sentiments expressed by many others here who have visited devastated communities, said the speed of progress has been impressive.

As the new year begins, the signs of recovery are everywhere in Joplin, from the sounds of swinging hammers, to the matchstick profiles of emerging houses, to the unmistakable sense of optimism that infuses conversations about “good coming out of bad.” A place like this feels more manageable when strung up in Christmas lights.

Flat tax, flat earth proposals on tap when Ed Emery, Ed Martin speak at Consent of the Governed rally

The 2012 Missouri legislative session is about to begin and Tea Party members will be there to offer advice.

Former State Rep. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, and former Matt Blunt chief of staff (and currently Congressional candidate) Ed Martin will be among the speakers at a "Consent of the Governed" rally 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in Jefferson City.

This ought to get the legislature headed in the right direction.