Opinion Sharing with my U.S. Senators on Climate Bill

Dear Senator (Bond & McCaskill):

Information from news sources suggests that a clean energy and climate bill is ahead of immigration on the Senate agenda.

My suggestion is that the bill for our future environment be passed with stringent controls on air pollution that are enforceable. Hopefully this Administration and the Congress of the United States will continue to favor sustainable and passive energy sources rather than fossil fuels. Even biofuels will not be as welcome to the citizens as wind and solar are. Carbon based fuels will continue to be a threat to the atmosphere and climate change, while passive energy ultimately decreases that difficulty. This is my impression from many informed sources as well as friendly opinion. Missouri in fact could be gradually served by a combination of solar and wind sources as fossil fuels are phased out.

Let me remind you that the small town of Rockport, Missouri has been fully powered by wind for the past year or two, as an NPR story features.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93208355

That small town is also thriving on the income generated by this plan. In Europe such systems as plugging home based solar panels into the electrical grid have enabled individuals to receive small dividends while participating in local energy production. Many of the local difficulties with providing passive energy could be solved by intersecting existing utilities with local production of passive source energy. Control at the local level could therefore enhance local environment and economy. You are probably aware that the Reverend Larry Rice works with poverty level individuals to provide wind turbines that are small enough for a roof or a garden.

We have an exciting future ahead of us if we work together to insure that the future climate change is an addressable problem. Planting trees and protecting forests internationally will be an ongoing step along with reducing the use of carbon based fuels. We can work with Mother Nature rather than trying to fool her as usual.

Bless you for your service to the citizens of Missouri.

Prop A on April 6

Don't let complications of the political discourse block Obama care.

An article in the New York Times cleared up a lot in my mind about just what had passed yesterday in the House of Congress. Maybe it represents more work than a lot of us wanted to give Congress and the President credit for. For the Democrats it is a huge win. We all hope it will be a win for their constituents as well.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/business/24leonhardt.html

Medicaid qualifications by income are a little higher and people who are on the other end, with higher incomes than most of us, will have higher taxes. Insurance plans will not be able to charge extra for pre-existing conditions. People will not be left without coverage after an illness or job loss. This is pretty much all good news.

Of course this bill will change our medical system for the good, and many people will imagine that it will not need another visit for years to come. Yet it is still very much a capitalist system that is based on privately run institutions, physicians' offices, drug providers, and medical equipment companies. We have had a significant increase in the use of technology in medicine in the past couple of decades that include surgical interventions, life prolonging devices and monitoring procedures, not to mention records. On top of that an explosion of new drugs have been patented by the pharmacological industry. Health care costs overall will probably increase regardless of how this bill is written until we change the driving force behind the whole system from a capitalist to a preventative, holistic model. Many health care professionals would agree I believe.

Meanwhile our Governor Jay Nixon is examining a variety of ways for the State to reign in its budget under the current economy. http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/898E0D28BF8B5359862576F00006EFD2?OpenDocument

And the rumors about the cost of the bill to the states are not as true as originally milled about -- much less than some reports, in fact. The increases will be gradual over time, and the federal government will pay the major initial costs.
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100323/BLOGS09/100323042/DSS++Medicaid+expansion+to+cost+Missouri++1.34+billion+over+ten+years

Whether Lt. Governor Peter Kinder can actually join the suit that has already been initiated by other states is questionable. It seems like a waste of state time and money to me. Calling Kinder's office, the Governor's or the Attorney General's to object to a pursuit of this action may be helpful.  One would expect to hear more opinions out of Jeff City in the next few days. Senator Kit Bond wants to repeal the health care law just signed by the President. This is likely purely for political reasons, in my opinion, since the Republicans are facing a challenge in the near future.
http://www.missourinet.com/2010/03/23/bond-speaks-on-senate-floor-asking-to-repeal-healthcare-bill/

The Missouri Senate wants to get in on the act as well.
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20100324/NEWS01/3240475/1007/Missouri-could-join-13-states-suing-over-health-care-overhaul

My recollection of Nixon's term as Attorney General is that he was well known as someone who was effective at running a tight, efficient office. In other words, he has a track record as a good administrator. He is well equipped to address the economic challenges of the State of Missouri in health care and most other matters. We really do not need an opposition to what the people of this country have worked very hard at getting passed federally, a significant improvement in health care coverage for us all.