Yay For Learning!

Tim Kaine, head of the Democratic National Committee, said "There could not be a better example of the difference in priorities between Republicans and Democrats than this legislation." He said this in response to a $26 Billion state-aid bill that the House passed on Tuesday this week. This bill has been approved to aid states in funding for teachers and public employees in order to prevent layoffs. In a blog titled "Where Do Government Bailouts End?", the blogger, who goes by Jd1502, creates an argument against such bill.

In the blog, it is expressed that the bill,or bailout, will cause an inflation in taxes and that these states are looking for short lived remedies to their financial problems. The blogger also sides with an opinion that the bill is "a giveaway to teacher's unions." Although Jd1502 does not consider himself a Republican, he or she does have very conservative thoughts when it comes to government spending and tends to side on the side of the Republican party. Therefore, I believe that this blog is geared towards people who are more to the right side of the spectrum.

I believe that education is an important thing and I can't think of anything I would rather spend tax dollars on than health care and education. This will allow states to keep teachers on their payroll and rehire teachers who may have already been laid-off thus preventing overcrowded classrooms and more individual attention. The bill is not only aiding school districts, $16 billion is going towards state Medicaid reimbursement which will help the health care industry and also possibly allow for more individuals to qualify for Medicaid. It is predicted that some of this funding will help keep law enforcement officials and public employees on the payroll.

In a time where the economy is being hit hard it is very imperative that we pay close attention to these necessities. The Democrats see this but the Republicans...well not so much. In order for the American citizens to get the best education, health care, and safety our government needs to step in, help the states if needed, and not slap them on the wrist and tell them to fend for themselves. This bill is offering them that help and for the majority, I give a thumbs up!

Hospitals Cutting Corners at the Expense of Employees

In the midst of a health care renovation, it is not only the patients who are feeling the pressures of today's economy. The Obama administration is seeking an investigation into several hospitals and their overtime pay practices.

Nurses tend to be the primary victims of these pay practices. They are being classified as exempt employees and are expected for work 50+ hours a week without being paid for that extra time. Throughout hospitals many workers are working through their lunch time but since the time is automatically deducted from their daily hours they are essentially working for no pay.

I believe that this practice is not only happening in health care. Many employers have developed a system which deducts meal times from daily hours under the assumption that said employees are taking their lunch. This problem is becoming more apparent within the hospital systems because major systems are losing law suits in this area and are having to pay back the money that is owed to the employees. Kaiser Permanente of California will have to pay 7.25 million if they decide to settle on a lawsuit which claims that many workers were wrongfully classified as exempt and denied any overtime pay.

With the economy how it is, it is no surprise that everyone is trying to cut costs in several areas. Even the health care industry, which is in constant demand, needs ways to conserve. This does not mean that it needs to come at the expense of their employees. It seems that they are working their employees to the extremes but are not willing to compensate for their time. I have seen a lot of waste within the health care industry so maybe they should hire employees who can analyze these areas and develop some efficient and cost conscious processes.

Regulations need to be put in place to make sure that employees aren't being taken advantage of. Health care workers aren't typically a part of a union and it takes maintenance on a federal level. There is The Joint Commission who creates regulations for hospital practices but there needs something similar for hospital personnel. With the law suits that are arising from this maybe a commission will be instituted to maintain pay and employment practices in health care.

Oh Arizona...Have You No Hope?

It is not new news that Arizona is attempting to pass their Immigration Law to protect their borders. Recently Judge Susan Bolt of Federal District Court ruled against major provisions of the law. This ruling sent outrage to both sides of the argument, those opposed were upset because the whole law wasn't rejected and those for are upset for obvious reasons. On the blog "From My Point of View..." blogger Andrea Van Cleave voices her opinion on the court ruling in a blog titled "Attacks on Arizona."

In this blog, Van Cleave argues that Arizona is "just carrying out the law." She cites this through the everyday border laws that are being broken by immigrants and Arizona's attempts at enforcing those laws. Van Cleave reflects over the violence that has occurred since the judgment. Through her words she is appealing an audience that is in support of the Arizona Immigration Law.

I disagree with this stance. To say that Arizona is only upholding a law that already exists is incorrect. One of the provisions of the Immigration Law was to allow law enforcement to approached citizens and non-citizens and request documentation, which is a form of racial profiling. The result would thus be that people will be wrongfully detained due to lack of documentation and according to the law they will be detained until they are able to prove they have a legal right to be here.

Judge Susan Bolt's argument was that border laws are the responsibility of the Federal government and not that of the states. The whole border should be enforced the same. This law has created a lot of controversy but I stand on the side of opposition. Does Arizona really have the authority to execute racial profiling? I think not.

Is Rick Perry Losing His Mind?

The state of Texas is headed to the mad house! Unfortunately there is no one to care for us due to an order by Governor Rick Perry for the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) to cut their budget by 10 percent for the 2012 -2013 budget year,resulting in an estimated 134 million cut. Non profit mental health centers across the state, such as Mental Health Mental Retardation (MHMR) centers, will have to limit their client intake and will possibly result in a more selective intake process.

As someone who has worked in the behavioral health field over the course of the past 3 1/2 years, I feel that this is a huge, HUGE mistake. According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the year of 2005-2006 there were approximately 55.7 million ambulatory care visits with a primary mental health diagnosis and 2.4 million inpatient mental health discharges. The need is there and it is not a need that will go away anytime soon.

It is difficult enough that the insurance companies don't accept mental health treatment as an everyday doctor's visit. Mental health has a stigma attached to it and everyone needs to open their eyes and realize that mental health treatment is not a privilege but a necessity. Rick Perry is doing a disservice to the citizens of Texas by ordering these cuts.

I have worked at Austin Travis County Integral Care (formerly MHMR) and know first hand the troubles it faces currently. There are several hundred people in need of care that are on the waiting list to be treated. It is no secret that the indigent population is going to suffer the most. With lack of finances and insurance, mental health providers will be more willing to see financially stable citizens who carry insurance with higher reimbursement rates.

Aside from those who are in need of care there are also those who will now have to work harder. The members of law enforcement and hospital staff will see an influx of calls and people entering the emergency rooms. The cost of of the results of this cut will outweigh the cost saved. Hopefully this is not a look of what's to come nationally.

Mental health treatment is necessary for the well-being of all regardless if someone is treating schizophrenia, depression, or just in need of an ear to listen. I think that everyone has issues that need to be worked on from the mild to the major. Without access to this type of care there will be a far worse population with untreated conditions. So much for health care for all.

Red Light on Green Fight

Last week the Senate made a decision to halt a climate change and energy bill. Actor and environmental activist, Robert Redford, expressed his disappointment in his blog titled "It's the Opportunity, Stupid!" on HuffingtonPost.com today.

Robert Redford argued that the decision to turn a blind eye to the energy bill is to turn a blind eye to economic growth. According to him, passing this bill would lead to a cleaner air, increases in renewable energy, and creation of jobs. He references polls that were taken by the Wall Street Journal and CNN which show support for reducing oil use and limiting pollution.

He is making his argument towards fellow environmental conscious citizens and I also believe that he is trying to appeal to those who are looking towards economic growth. Robert Redford makes an irrefutable argument by illustrating that the bill would not only provide the world with cleaner energy but it would also stimulate jobs and lessen the hold oil has on our government.

The cleaner climate and energy bill would have provided a cap on greenhouse emissions and transition us towards the use of more renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. There was also a proposal to enact carbon credits but it was evident that no GOP would sign on to a bill that would put a price on carbon.

I agree with the environmental fight. I feel as though there is some lobbying going on with regards to the big oil companies. The energy bill is really only a loss for them and now the focus seems to be turning towards off shore drilling rather than environmentally conscious issues. We have a large reliance on oil and they have a great control over our democracy.

Not Everything is Black and White

I came across an article in the New York Times by Op-Ed Columnist Ross Douthat called The Roots of White Anxiety. In this article, Mr Douthat addresses issues regarding racial divide, mainly in the higher education system.

According to Mr. Douthat, whites, white Christians, and the white working class aren't viewed equally to minorities in the college admissions process. He states that income plays a factor as well, the lower the income for minority families then the greater the chance to be admitted and with white Americans it is the higher the income that increases chances of being admitted. He also argues that even though most extracurricular activities will help you get into these schools, if the extracurricular activities show a likeness to conservatism or being rural, such as ROTC, your chances are affected negatively.

In this article, the author is addressing the argument to the middle class working white Americans and also called out specifically white Christians. His claims are based on a study performed by two Princeton sociologists that examined the inter-workings of elite college admissions. The author also challenges admissions officers to adjust their admission criteria.

I agree with some points of the author's argument. Mainly that minorities are favored by college admissions. Not that they necessarily get in easier the poorer they are but that with the right criteria(i.e. extracurricular activities and grades) they are more likely to be accepted. I really think that criteria is a big part of the selection process. A college, an elite college at that, is not going to select a poor black young women who couldn't get a passing grade in high school just to meet a quota.

I think you have to work hard during your high school career in order to stand out during the college application process and that anybody can get accepted as long as their hard work shines through. The material from the Princeton study was taken from 1980 to the late 1990's. A lot has happened within the last decade such as economic turmoils which has probably decreased the number of young adults attending college. The price of higher education is going up and I am sure that recruitment efforts within the colleges are also going up. There may be some slight differences in the admissions process amongst races but I hardly think that there is really one group that is truly being victimized or having a very difficult time getting in.

America: Two Steps Forward or Two Steps Back?

It's official! Argentina has became the first country in Latin America to rule that gay marriage is not only legal but that gay couples are entitled to the same legal rights as heterosexual couples. This legalization occurred Thursday, according to National Public Radio(NPR).

Argentina, who has primarily Roman Catholic citizens, has passed a bill that grants gay couples adoption and inheritance rights. So how is it that a vastly religious culture is able to vote in favor for gay marriage legalization and rights? So is America a step behind modern times and seeing the world through Brady Bunch rose colored glasses?

Here in America, there is supposed to be separation of state and religion...does that mean it is a moral issue? To me morality is relative. For a country as ours to have made much progress over the past decade with equality and discrimination, we are having a hard time accepting life and how it has progressed throughout the times. And don't get me started on the reproduction argument. Honestly, do human beings in these modern times have any trouble procreating? I think in our current overpopulated world, we as a human race will be all right.

Currently there are five states in the US that have legalized gay marriage. I invite you to listen to the following NPR broadcast on a Boston federal court ruling that will hopefully be taking us steps closer to becoming more modern and realistic.