Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (June 19, 2003)
Page 2 The INDEPENDENT, June 19, 2003 The INDEPENDENT y/hcT hiidu/uhû fi* Serving the upper Nehalem River valley. Published twice monthly, on the first and third Thursdays of each month, by Public Opinion Laboratory Ltd., 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064, as a free newspaper. Publishers, Dirk & Noni An dersen. Editor, Noni Andersen. Phone/Fax: 503-429-9410, e-mail: noni@vernonia.com Display Advertising, Clark Mc- Gaugh, 503-429-9410, e-mail: clark@vernonia.com The INDEPENDENT rarely uses guest editorials, but we did it last is sue and will again in this edition. The topic in this editorial could not be made more clear or concise than it is presented here. 9-1-1 tax should not go to fund Poison Control Center By Sally J. Jones, Administrator Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District It is clear that the Oregon Poison Control Center (OPCC) has set their sights on the 9-1-1 excise tax as the source to fund their operations by proposing HB2709. Dr. B. Zane Horowitz, the medical director of the OPCC has been circulating a letter requesting sup port of HB2709. His letter highlights the value of the OPCC and promotes the use of the 9-1-1 excise tax for replacement funding since OHSU dropped their fund ing for OPCC. No one disputes the value of OPCC. But, Dr. Horowitz letter contains flagrant false informa tion about the 9-1-1 excise tax. Dr. Horowitz is promot ing the false concept that there is excess money in the 9-1-1 excise tax revenue. There is no excess revenue. The 9-1-1 tax collections are only enough to pay for what is needed. As you may be aware, the 9-1-1 excise tax is a ded icated tax that should be used to fund 9-1-1 service— the public expects that it will be used for its intended purpose; this includes providing 9-1-1 centers with the ability to locate wireless calls. The number of telephone access lines have in creased significantly with the popularity and availability of wireless technologies (ie: cell phones) — this has not come without a cost to the existing 9-1-1 system. More access lines = more 9-1-1 calls = more net work and services cost. There are added complications involved in process ing cell phone calls to 9-1-1. For example, there is no location information, and sometimes not even a phone number for reference. Connections are often not con stant and clear, and "phantom" or accidental 9-1-1 calls from cellular phones add to processing and network activity. Additional network connections and services are necessary to carry those calls through the system as call volume rises. Oregon also faces implementation costs of the next phase of wireless technology, which will provide loca tion information for cellular telephones, just as we have with wireline 9-1-1 calls, only the location is provided and mapped showing the location within approximate ly 100 yards. Diverting 9-1-1 funds reduces money that is expected to fund this Federal Mandate. j_r T .» T» Lack of health care does harm to small businesses By Noni Andersen Last week, the Congressional Budget Of fice, a non-partisan fiscal watchdog for Con- gess, reported that nearly 60 million Ameri cans lack health insurance at some point in the year. An estimate released earlier this year by the Census Bureau reported that 41 million had no insurance. The numbers, whether 60 million or 40 million, are alarming. If the United States, the richest nation in the world, chooses to deny health care for 40, 50 or 60 million cit izens, its elected representatives should at least pass the Small Business Health Fair ness Act (S.545), introduced March 6, by U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), to of fer small businesses the same market- based advantages enjoyed by large compa nies and unions. The Small Business Health Fairness Act would significantly expand access to health coverage for millions of Americans working for small businesses, by creating Associa tion Health Plans (AHPs). These health in surance plans would allow small businesses to pool resources and leverage their bar gaining power to negotiate affordable health insurance rates for employees through a bona fide trade or professional organization. There is a desperate need to pass legis lation providing affordable healthcare plans for small business owners and employees. Small businesses employ half of America’s workforce and, according to the Census Bu reau, almost two-thirds of Americans re ceive health insurance coverage from their employer. But most small businesses either can’t afford health insurance for employees, or have had to reduce coverage because of 12 to 72 percent increases in their health in surance premiums. The Small Business Health Fairness Act, would allow AHPs to operate under the same uniform rules that currently govern Fortune 500 companies and unions. In the House, the Employer-Employee Relations Subcommittee forwarded the Act (HR 660) on April 8 to the Committee on Ed ucation and the Workforce. The Act has bi partisan congressional support, plus en dorsements from a broad and diverse coali tion of more than 100 groups. Americans are asking for the opportunity to BUY their own health care, they are not seeking a handout, but it must be affordable. It is truly reprehensible that a nation as wealthy as the U.S. fails to provide ade quate health care for its citizens. But it is tru ly criminal that our elected officials will put no brakes on runaway health care costs, nor even put health care within the realm of af fordability for the millions of people who earn their living in small businesses. Unfortunately, the Republican leadership in Congress rarely considers a fiscal posi tion that actually helps small businesses and their employees. They already have great health care — and we pay for it.
