President Barack Obama spoke at the House Democratic Caucus to reiterate the importance of the proposed healthcare bill on Saturday.
[Take VO]
[CG: patients and doctors walking down the halls at the Mayo Clinic]
He explained the importance of the bill for the entire country. It would especially help those who have been greatly affected by the recession and those who have had prior health conditions.
[Take VO]
[CG: Random patient talking to a doctor]
These people would be given the opportunity to get the public option for healthcare.
[Take VO]
[CG: President Obama speaking to the House of Representatives]
His main talking point was that the government has the responsibility to do what is best for the people, and that is the reason why he went into politics.
[Newscaster]
Obama will be hoping that he has done enough to convince the house to pass the bill, which will be brought up later this week.
Healthcare reform has come under some heavy debate since Barack Obama was elected into the presidency. Many attempts to pass national healthcare bills have all come to the same conclusion thus far, failure. In an effort to change history, the president has once again brought the idea into consideration. At the House Democratic Caucus on Saturday he spoke about the importance of the healthcare bill to the entire country.
He started of by explaining that it was the decisions of this government that got America to break free of “the worst recession since the Great Depression.” The aftereffects from the recession are still seen today, like an unusually high amount of people that are still unemployed. Well those are some of the people that are unable to qualify for healthcare and are in need of a public option. He explained how the House of Representatives, time and time again, has had to make significant changes to benefit the people of the country. This decision on healthcare should not be made because of individual opinions on the issue, but what is necessary for those in need, and what is needed is to give everybody the equal opportunity to receive healthcare according to Obama.
Obama recognized that this would be the most significant decision involving healthcare since the installment of Medicaid. He declares that, “this is the toughest insurance reforms in history.” With such a major decision at stake, it was vital for the president to get the backing of most of the Democrats because it is not supported by many Republicans.
The main objective in the bill was that, “[the government] is making sure that the system of private insurance works for ordinary families.” Obama’s goal was accomplished on Sunday as the bill was passed through the House, without a single Republican voting the bill through.
For the past couple of years the town of York and the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) have been working in conjunction with each other to find a new location for the York toll plaza. The current toll plaza possesses many problems which hinder its ability to operate to its fullest and safest capacity. Both the town and the MTA have been struggling to find a new location for the plaza for numerous reasons but the one that the townspeople are concerned with the most is that they do not want to displace those living in the proposed locations.
The simplest plan would be to rebuild or renovate the current toll plaza but it was built on wetlands in 1969 when it was legal to do so; laws today prevent construction from being done on wetlands. This is also the main safety issue with the toll plaza; it is sinking at a slow rate and requires constant work to be maintained.
Other deficiencies of the current site are: it is at the bottom of a hill on a curve, it is very close to the exit at mile marker 7, and its location cannot easily be seen in the distance. All of these problems have been taken into consideration when finding locations to put the proposed plaza, and although some have been found, they interfere with the lives of citizens of the town.
Of course the Maine Turnpike Authority possesses the power of eminent domain which is looking to be avoided by the town. Eminent Domain is the government’s right to take land without the owner’s permission but the owner must be reimbursed with a reasonable amount of money. As a result every measure is being taken to find a location that is best for all parties involved.
The project took a big step on February 24, and the preliminary plans have been sent to the Army Corps of Engineers (A.C.E.) with four possible locations for the new plaza. One of the sites, as a formality, is where the current plaza resides, and two other sites would not force anyone out of their homes. A local citizen said, “It’s good to hear that there are options that won’t kick people out of their homes.” Another citizen called it “a relief.”
Now that the plans have been turned over to the Army Corps of Engineers, the MTA has no authority on the matter. “[The town] will try to convince [the Army Corps of Engineers] with its own documentation that the "do nothing" option is the best option” (The York Weekly). This has been the town of York’s opinion on the issue since it was brought up and it does not look to change anytime soon. One citizen says that “it might be beneficial for the town to loosen its stance and negotiate to find the best location. So we at least have some control over our destiny instead of arguing over something that looks unlikely to happen.” This definitely does not speak for the whole community as another citizen believes that “we should not change our position.”
Opinions may be torn but everyone is just looking out for what is best for the town as a major decision should be made over the next year.
For the past couple of years the town of York and the Maine Turnpike Authority (MTA) have been working in conjunction with each other to find a new location for the York toll plaza. The current toll plaza possesses many problems which hinder its ability to operate at its fullest and safest capacity. Both the town and the MTA have been struggling to find a new location for the plaza for numerous reasons but the one that the townspeople are concerned with the most is that they do not want to displace those living in the proposed locations.
The simplest thought would be to merely rebuild or renovate the current toll plaza but it was built on wetlands in 1969 when it was legal to do so; laws today prevent construction from being done on wetlands. This is also the main safety issue with the toll plaza; it is sinking at a slow rate and requires constant work to be maintained.
Other deficiencies of the current site are: it is on a curve, it is very close to the exit at mile marker 7, it is at the bottom of a hill, and its location cannot easily be seen in the distance. All of these problems have been taken into consideration when finding locations to put the proposed plaza, and although some have been found, they interfere with the lives of citizens of the town.
Of course the Maine Turnpike Authority possesses the power of eminent domain which is looking to be avoided by the town. Eminent Domain is the government’s right to take land without the owner’s permission but the owner must be reimbursed with a reasonable amount of money. As a result every measure is being taken to find a location that is best for all parties involved.