Transition at My Rural America

This is an exiting time at My Rural America

Change at the Top: First, we want to congratulate our Founder, Barbara Leach, on her recent appointment as Associate Administrator of the Risk Management Administration within the Farm and Foreign Services mission area of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In this critical management position, we are sure that Barb will continue her hard work for rural America by carrying out the Obama administration’s objectives to bring effective crop insurance and other risk products to farmers in our country.

We will miss her leadership, but are very pleased that she will move to a position where she can help all of rural America. We deeply appreciate Barb’s record of accomplishment in identifying the need for MRA, and in achieving the start-up of our outreach and educational efforts as well as performing the research that made our efforts so effective across rural America, particularly in New Hampshire, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Ohio, Wyoming and North Carolina.

New Leadership at MRA: My Rural America’s preparation for this change began on October 28th with the election of Caren Wilcox as President of My Rural America. Wilcox previously served as Vice President of MRA’s Board of Directors. Caren’s experience includes service as Deputy Under Secretary at USDA from 1997 to 2001. She has worked almost all her life in food production, while members of her family live, farm and ranch in rural communities of the West and the Northeast.

Larry Mitchell who has been serving on the Advisory Committee of MRA has been elected Vice President of the Board, and Lloyd Wright has agreed to remain the Secretary/Treasurer of the organization. You can remind yourself of their wonderful backgrounds in agriculture and rural development by going to our website at www.MyRuralAmerica.org and clicking on the About Us page.

It is the intention of your new Executive Committee to identify others who have been supportive of the strong mission of My Rural America and to ask them to join the Board of My Rural America in the very near future.

We hope that those of you involved in My Rural America via our website, this blog and in our outreach efforts in various states, will send us your advice and counsel as we move to this new stage of our organization. We want to hear from you and you can send messages to: info@myruralamerica.org

Healthcare Reform Hits the U.S. Senate Floor

On Wednesday, Nov. 18, Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid revealed an $848 billion plan for health care reform. As proposed, the package would extend health care coverage to 31 million people. The Congressional Budget Office determined that the Senate bill would cut federal deficits by $130 billion over the next decade. The plan is the most cost effective legislation presented by the House or Senate this year. Sixty Senators voted to bring a bill to the floor of the Senate for debate, and this debate is expected to occur between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The current proposed bill before the Senate promises to address key issues with health care in rural America.

• As individuals living all over rural America know all too well, access to health care benefits and treatment is a huge challenge.
• Individuals living in rural America are less likely to get preventive care, such as testing for cancer or routine reviews to reduce damage from diabetes.
• One in five farmers is in medical debt. Half of those living in rural America pay for their health insurance costs out of their own pockets without insurance back-up.
• Others who can buy insurance must do it directly from an insurance company because they cannot be a part of an employee group to keep insurance costs lower.
• If a rural American or a member of his family suffers from heart disease and or diabetes, they are likely to be denied coverage under the current system because they are considered to have a “pre-existing condition.”
• In small rural towns, where more than a third of rural Americans work, the small businesses struggle to cover employees in an under served environment or simply do not offer health benefits to employees.

The health care bill under consideration in the U.S. Senate moves to solve or improve many of these problems for rural Americans.

One of the most important issues in rural America is accessibility, which the proposal will improve. Approximately 65 million Americans lack access to a primary care provider because of shortages, and this is a particular challenge in rural America where people have to drive long distances to receive care. Health reform will invest in expanding the health care workforce to ensure that people in rural areas have access to doctors, nurses and high quality health care.

Health insurance reform legislation will expand tele-health services so rural Americans can access consultations for specialty care, as well as support ground and air ambulance services to quickly transport people to health care facilities during these critical times. Health insurance reform will also improve trauma care systems, which are essential in rural areas and across the nation.

Another important piece of the plan will give people the power to choose what is best for them and their families with the public option. In many rural states, one insurance company dominates more than 80 percent of the market. This means that there are often only one or two insurance companies offering health plans to families. With a competitive public option, Americans will have increased choices and increased competition that holds private insurers accountable. This public option is not intended for individuals already covered by employer health benefits, and can be particularly important to expand options for individuals not covered by such plans in rural America.

One-third of farmers can only purchase health insurance directly from an insurance company, more than three times the national average, which leads to higher costs and less security. The ability to choose will greatly reduce costs, increase security and ensure people are paying for what they need. Health reform will also prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing health conditions, which is currently a common practice of insurance companies.

As important as treatment of illness is, prevention may be even more critical. Identifying diseases early on is vital to treatment and recovery. Health reform will ensure coverage of preventative treatments to avoid disease, keeping Americans healthier and reducing the need for expensive treatments and medications.

There are clearly still issues that need to be worked out. The coming debate in the U.S. Senate is a step in the right direction; to ensure all Americans, especially those in rural America, receive the health care they need and deserve.

Health Care Reform Puts Big Focus on Small Business

On Tuesday, October 27, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Senator Kay Hagan of North Carolina held a conference call to discuss a new report, More Choices, Better Coverage: Health Insurance Reform and Rural America. The report examines heath care in rural areas and the need for health insurance reform.

In Virginia, small businesses make up 71 percent of Virginia businesses but, only 48 percent of them offered health coverage benefits in 2006. 600,000 Virginia workers were without health insurance in 2008 and the number continues to rise.

One of the key elements of the reform plan is offering a tax credit to the self employed and small businesses with 50 employees or less, so they can afford to provide coverage for employees. Reform will also provide scholarships, grants, and loan repayments to doctors and nurses who practice in under served areas so that all Americans can have access to health care.

“Americans who live in rural communities have a harder time finding the doctor they need and getting the care they deserve and their health suffers” said Sebelius. “…Reform will improve access to high quality care in rural communities and help give all Americans the stable, secure care they need.”

The report notes many of the discrepancies in health insurance in rural areas. Rural Americans pay for nearly half of their health care costs out of their own pocket, and one out of every five farmers is in medical debt.

With the new health insurance exchange proposal, people can easily compare insurance prices and health plans and decide which quality affordable option is right for them and their family. These proposals will help the 1,070,600 residents of Virginia who currently do not have health insurance to obtain needed coverage, and it will also help the 300,000 Virginia residents who currently purchase insurance in the individual insurance market to find affordable prices without sacrificing quality.

Rural Americans simply cannot afford health insurance and deserve better. President Obama is committed to working with Congress to pass health reform this year that will reduce cost, provide choices and insure all Americans quality and affordable health care.

Broadband Availability Lacks Where It's Needed Most

As broadband communication becomes more and more important, so does the lack of availability of it in rural areas. A report on dailyyonder.com highlights Michael J. Copps, the acting chair of the FCC, and his support of the government stepping up to aid the development of broadband in rural America. "Relying on market forces alone will not bring robust and affordable broadband services to all parts of rural America," he writes. "Therefore, all levels of government should explore ways to help overcome the high costs of rural broadband deployment."

Broadband access is particularly important in rural areas especially when it comes to health care. Telemedicine is a rapidly developing application of clinical medicine where medical information is transferred through the phone or the Internet and sometimes other networks for the purpose of consulting, and sometimes remote medical procedures or examinations. Telemedicine is most beneficial for populations living in isolated communities and remote regions who do not have access to certain specialists and equipment.Telemedicine allows a doctor in a rural area to send vital information such as x-rays, to a specialist hundreds of miles away to insure a patient receives the best possible treatment.The use of telemedicine is impossible without broadband.


More information on broadband accessibility in Virginia

Home Sales Bounce to 2-year High

A report by Renae Merle of The Washington Post states that existing homes sales climbed 9.4 percent in September the highest level in more than 2 years. In the South region which includes Virginia, sales rose 9 percent. Analysts say that at the current rate it would take 7.8 months to sell all of the homes on the market.

One of the biggest reasons for the increase is the growing demand for cheap property and an $8,000 tax credit for first time buyers. Analysts worry that the major increase is due mainly to the tax credit and people rushing to cash in before it expires. Proposals have been made to extend the Nov. 30 expiration date for the credit because of the fear that sales will stumble once it expires. More on this here.

In the Face of Economic Woes Stimulus Saves Education Jobs

A report issued by the White House and the Education Department states that the stimulus package has created or saved 250,000 education jobs. The Washington Post reports that without the $67 billion in federal aid provided through Sept. 30 under the economic stimulus law, state and local budgets for public schools and higher education would be hurting badly. In Virginia, stimulus aid accounted for 2 percent of regular K-12 funding and saved 72 education jobs in Richmond alone.

Even with these jobs being saved and created, many states are still facing major budget shortfalls. All over the country states are predicting major budget shortfalls for 2011. For more on this story click here.

.

Need Emergency Care? Not So Fast

Would you ever think that surviving a major trauma would depend more on where it happened than what actually happened to you? Well that seems to be exactly the case according to the American College of Surgeons 2009 Clinical Congress. A report from the congress as reported by news-medical.net, shows the lack of surgeons working emergency trauma and lack of availability of trauma centers especially in rural areas, is a main reason why trauma is the leading cause of death for people under the age of 45 in the United States. A survey taken this year of trauma surgeons in each state, found that nearly 40% of the population may not be covered by a statewide trauma system.


A. Brent Eastman, M.D, FACS, vice-chair of the ACS Board of Regents and Chief Medical Officer, stressed the importance of trauma center availability to survival. "Coordinated, regionalized and accountable trauma systems are proven to get the right patients to the right hospital at the right time," said Dr. Eastman. "For victims of major trauma, access to timely, optimal care during the first 'golden' hour has been proven to save lives, restore function and prevent disability." More on this story here.

Small Businesses and Small Towns in Line for Big Gains

The Washington Post reports today that billions of dollars of bailout funds may soon be available to help small businesses. One plan from Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va) suggests pooling money from several areas, including the Federal Reserve, to allocate $50 billion to be used to lend to small businesses. Another plan set forth by the Treasury Department is much smaller calling for $10 billion of bailout funds and not involving the Federal Reserve.

"Both proposals attempt to speed aid to small businesses, which government officials say are essential to economic recovery because they employ so many workers," states the report. The idea is to give money to small community banks who would then loan the money to there community businesses. If successful it would be a big step toward saving jobs in small communities. More on this story can be found here.

Wondering about What Health Care Rationing Really Is?

We dare you to read Dana Milbank's 8/6/2009 column for the Washington Post:

"In a Plea for Health Reform, a Widow Picks Up Her Paintbrushes."

The story begins, "Regina Holiday will always remember the day the Senate took up health-care reform seven weeks ago. It was the day her husband died." Read more here.

This is the U.S. health care system as it works today.

H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009

We draw your attention to this blog's newest addition. See immediately to your right for "Check the Facts on Health Care Reform." The House Energy and Commerce Committee has done district by district analysis on the impact of the bill -- H.R. 3200, America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 -- passed this week by the U.S. House of Representatives.

Just scroll down to your state and then click the name of your Member of Congress or your district number, and read the facts -- all about what changes in our health care system will mean to you.

There is help for small business, help for seniors who struggle to pay for drugs in Medicare's Part D "doughnut hole", assistance for hospitals and coverage for the uninsured. Best of all, you can see how many taxpayers in your Congressional District would be taxed. For example, in western Iowa -- Congressional District 5 now represented by Steve King -- 99.5% of taxpayers would pay no additional tax for this bill.

Medicare, Medicaid, SCHIP = Health Care "Public Options" Already in Place

Wondering why some top health care executives are pushing against a public option for health care? The answer to this very important question centers on how existing business -- no matter the industry -- hates competition. What real competition does is force business to watch their costs of doing business, get creative about how they do business and be responsible and respectful to their customers. What the public option being considered in Congress will do is put in place the now missing competitive factor into the health care industry.

For example, once a public option is in place, companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield (care LESS) will need to think twice before they make arbitrary decisions that can raise rates dramatically using little more than the "excuse" that one claim in 20 or 25 years is enough to justify their making dramatic increases in annual rates.

The reality is that without this public option, health care costs can be expected to skyrocket even more than they have in the past. A 2005 study published by the Federal Reserve Bank concluded that nearly 60% of American families cannot afford their health insurance. This was true for everyone -- older, younger, rural and urban. Since then costs have only gone up.

For more info, see the data at "The Sustainability of Health Spending Growth".

For rural families who are less likely to have employer paid health insurance and more likely to be forced to travel extreme distances to get medical care that is affordable and comes with easy access, the need for relief from the growing cost of health care is essential.

What's most amazing to us is how some rural seniors and others seem to have fallen for the "don't want the government involved" refrain when the reality is that the government is involved already and these same seniors and heads of households are happy about it -- happy with Medicare, happy with Medicaid and happy with State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP are "public options" for health care.

Healthcare and the Conservatives' Anti-Tax Fantasy

Steven Pearlstein writes today in the Washington Post:

"Nothing has been more damaging to rational discourse about economic policy than the notion, peddled relentlessly by Republican conservatives and accepted by too many centrist Democrats, that raising taxes is always and everywhere bad for the economy." (7/29/2009).

We very much agree. Unfortunately, once again, right-wing conservatives have muddled (we hate to use the word "lied") about both taxes and our nation's need to make health care affordable for all, using bad information to scare people about health care reform.

We urge you to read Pearlstein's column -- detail by detail, at "Health Reform Threatened by Conservatives' Anti-Tax Fantasy" to get the truth about the benefits of President Obama's campaign to improve affordable access to health care for the hardworking people who make up our nation's middle class.

To get you started, see below for facts particularly important to rural families:

• Small business benefits from health care reform. Right now -- for those small businesses (50% of all small businesses) who offer insurance to their employees, they pay on the average about 20% more than does big business.
  
• Proposed tax surcharge applies only to families earning more than $350,000 a year (House proposal).
  
• Tax credits offered to small businesses with low-wage workers (House proposal).
  

Read more here.

Doing Something Beats Doing Nothing When It Comes to Health Care

Steven Pearlstein's column "Imperfect Health Reform Still Beats the Status Quo" in the 7/22/09 issue of the Washington Post.

Our favorite line is:

"So the next time you hear someone throwing a hissy fit because health reform might raise taxes on some people, or steer people into managed care, or require small businesses to contribute $2 a day for each employee's coverage, just remember to ask yourself: And that's compared with what?"

Compared to what? e.g., compared to Canada -- every now and then you may hear someone using their most frightening voice to say, "In Canada, you have to wait to see a doctor!"

Well, we have to wait to see a doctor here. The difference isn't in the waiting time, but rather, when we wait, we pay more money than the Canadians do when they wait. There are lots more "compared to what" questions, but it will be important to make sure that while some are out there looking for utopia -- the land of perfect health care, the rest of us need to make sure that health reform actually gets started.

Children & Families Must Be First Priority for Health Care

Today's Congressional Quarterly (CQ) reports that the top worries of some rural Members of Congress are as follows:

• Greater cost containment
• More generous exemptions for small business to evade paying even a portion of the cost of insurance for their employees, and
• Changes to the government-run plan that Democrats want to create to compete with private sector insurers.

Our question. When will rural members of Congress start prioritizing children and families' need for more affordable coverage over the wants of health insurance companies? It would be better if these members -- conservatives and moderates -- would start prioritizing keeping rural hospitals open and fee for service so that rural communities that recruit doctors have a better chance keeping them.

If you've got the same worries we do about whether Congress is willing to pass a true reform of the health care industry -- a reform that prioritizes access and affordability for families, then be careful about these (good) words as you watch the debate:

1. Cost containment. A lot of folks talk about "cost containment" as a goal, but let's be clear: cost containment must apply to the cost of health care for families first.
   
2. Access for all. Every family needs their own family doctor, so they don't have to rely upon more expensive emergency room services.
   
3. Pre-existing conditions. ... Meaning big insurance companies that are already arguing against change, could actually be required to accept all customers -- no more cherry-picking as to which customer is the healthiest.
4. Public option. Another good word -- meaning that the private health insurers would get competition in the form of a government-sponsored plan that would allow you to pick your own doctor.
   
5. Single Payer. No, not a bad word but rather a good word that already defines Medicare, a system that works well for our seniors.
6. Working Poor. Careful on this one ... it really means people who work but can't afford the sometimes thousands of dollars a single health insurance policy costs, but opponents of affordable health care often use it as a means of disparaging those who can't afford health care now.
   

Practicing What We Preach?

It's not often that we wax philosophical here at My Rural America. Mostly, we're about facts and how the facts affect our rural families, so we're not about to start preaching now while Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC) and John Ensign (R-NV) make the news as they join the ranks of other elected officials who have shamed their families.

However, there are several new studies out that focus on numbers of divorces, teenage pregnancies and pornography readers. Until now, we hadn't connected the dots to how states vote and where families are strongest -- moderate and liberal voting states, but see below for some serious detail to help you get started thinking:

• USA TODAY 2008 Poll: 54% of Americans say they know someone who has been unfaithful.
• Guttmacher Institute 2006 Data: Pornography more prevalent in states where "more people agree that 'I have old-fashioned values about family and marriage.'"
• US Census Bureau's Statistical Abstract: States that voted for conservative Senator John McCain (R-AZ) in November 2008 had the highest divorce rates in 2006.

For more details about how conservatives are struggling with the matters they preach about the most, "The Prurient Trap" by NY Times Op Ed writer Charles M. Blow brings a spotlight to the families, and also a really good chart so that you can see where your state falls in the statistical research.

What's most interesting to us is how these conservative states -- states with the highest divorce rates, highest number of teenage pregnancies and the most people sitting around reading pornography -- also have the most elected officials who continually vote to make things more difficult for families.

For 2008, this meant these officials were most likely to votes against State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and most likely to vote to kill the New GI Bill. For 2009, these same officials are more likely now to be dragging their feet on health care for all. Why? Let us know your comments.

ISO Health Care

The health care debate has flared up in Congress, with many agreeing that reform is necessary but with not quite enough (yet!) agreeing on how to begin fixing the problem. For rural families, the challenges of accessing affordable health care are likely more complicated than for their city cousins, e.g., a partial list of added challenges includes:

• State Children's Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) ... a great program which more than 1/3 of rural kids benefit from, but many families still haven't signed up. What does it take to get the word out?
• Attracting doctors to our small communities.
• Keeping the doctors once we're recruited them. (Doctors in rural communities have higher costs and often lack the advantage of telemedicine because of still lagging broadband shortages.)
• Keeping hospitals open when they lack the advantages of big city hospitals that can afford more patients and more equipment.

To help you sort out the debate, please scroll down the left column of this blog to see Senator Sherrod Brown discuss the need for a strong public option, i.e., a government sponsored option that would serve as an incentive for private health insurers to keep their prices affordable.

In Search of Health-Care Reform

One thing for certain, we know that 80 per cent of US citizens are less than happy about their current health care situation, so we were stunned to see on television some of our elected officials saying that 80 percent of US citizens are happy with their current health care options. We were also shocked to see that some in Congress still don't get it ... sure, Canadians sometimes have to wait a bit for a doctor, but so do we -- no news about that.

But what can we do? The Washington Post has made a good start on how we might educate ourselves about the options President Obama and the Congress are beginning to consider. Here are three of the Post's recent websites.

• In Search of Healthcare Reform
• Decision Makers Differ on How to Mend Broken Health System
• Health Care Reform 2009
• Sphere -- The Washington Post's new Internet site for multiple stories, including blogs on health care
  

Harry and Louise May Have Changed Their Minds

E.J. Dionne, Jr. has reported in the Washington Post (6/8/2009) that health care reform can mean as many as 50 million new customers for the health care industry, while President Obama has said that:

"Reform cannot mean focusing on expanded coverage alone" as he emphasized that reform must also be about "A serious, sustained effort to reduce the growth rate of health care costs."

Read more about why "Harry and Louise" -- "ad people" representatives of the health care industry who lead the charge in killing health care in the 1990's -- may have changed their minds at "Harry & Louise Have Changed".

"Surviving Without Newspapers"

It is My Rural America's position that newspapers are an important key to keeping our democracy alive and well. After all, if citizens cannot rely upon their newspapers' to maintain independent investigatory reporting, how will they know what their elected officials really do ... vote for ... vote against? And where will be the "check & balance" that citizens need to understand the bills and the debate about the choices in health care? the need for jobs? the importance of fair trade? the desperate need for peace worldwide.

Last autumn, My Rural America targeted three issues:

1. The New GI Bill
2. SCHIP ... State Children's Health Insurance Program
3. HR 4529, Vote # 259 on June 17, 2004 -- a lesser known bill that resulted in good US jobs being shipped out of the country, e.g., Virginia alone lost 75,000 jobs to overseas.

It was an effective campaign, but for our purposes today, what was particularly shocking ... and desperately sad ... was the people who wrote in saying to the effect "my congressman wouldn't vote against GI benefits, children's health or to approve sending jobs overseas." These people were wrong -- many were educated, and clearly not stupid nor lazy or disinterested. Rather, they lacked information -- information which never appears in their home town papers, and often is either not covered by blogs or not fact-checked.

Over the next weeks, readers may expect a series of stories about how important newspapers are. For today, we share "Surviving Without Newspapers" by A.J. Liebling and published in the New York Times on 6/6/2009.

America Used to Be Better than This

Bob Herbert write for the New York Times that "America used to be better than this". In his column "Reviving the Dream", Herbert outlines how working families had been in trouble for almost 30 years before the economy began its collapse early last fall.

Crediting writer David Cay Johnston, Herbert writes that Johnston noted:
"... from 1980 (the year Reagan was elected) to 2005, the national economy, adjusted for inflation, more than doubled [with a 66 percent increase per capita when population growth is factored in).

That sounds good, until the stats about average income for most Americans gets factored in. The problem -- all that growth, but no extra money for average families. In fact, the only way families managed to prosper was that women went to work, adding income to men's wages which declined during the 30 year period. Read more here.

The one good thing -- Herbert adds that:

"Now, with the economy in free fall and likely to get worse, Americans -- despite their suffering -- have a opportunity to reshape the society, and then to move it in a fairer, smarter and ultimately more productive direction."

Herbert also answers another question: Why is it that right winger conservatives want this country to fail? His answer:

"They like the direction that the country took over the past 30 years. They'd love to do it all over again."

We find that scary, indeed.

Stimulus Means New Broadband Access in Missouri

Actually, what we like about this story is how it begins. It's true that Broadband is coming soon to Missouri as a result of the Stimulus legislation, but the Stimulus will result in Broadband coming to many more states, too.

So how does it begin? The St. Joe News reports,

Franklin D. Roosevelt took office with about 10 percent of rural households having electrical service. The vast majority of city homes had it.

“Cold figures do not measure the human importance of electric power in our present social order,” the 32nd president said.

In 1935, Mr. Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration. Seven years later, nearly half of the nation’s farms had been wired for power.

Skip ahead seven decades and argue the parallels, but broadband Internet access has become the latest rural equalizer in the newest New Deal.

Read more here: "Broadband Could Be Expanded in Region Due to Stimulus" by Ken Newton.

Overall, President Obama's making broadband a priority in rural America is rural America's chance to get competitive with the urban areas of our country.

Obama Prioritizes Energy, Health Care and Education

Energy, Health Care and Education. These are the priorities President Obama laid out for us tonight. He also was realistic ... promising a tight budget which will halve the deficit within 10 years. Considering our last President left us with a trillion dollar deficit after he had inherited from Clinton a surplus, that's pretty good.

Please read the speech for yourself: Obama's Speech on the Economy.

You might also want to read "The Obama Code" by George Lakoff. In it, Lakoff points out how President Obama's speeches consistently emphasize his vision of America, sharing a moral vision and a view of unity for our country. A number of the blogs have the full piece published on their website. One of them is fivethirtyeight.com : George Lakoff on the Obama Code. Once you're read the President's speech, Lakoff's writing is a good place to add more analysis.

Stimulus Package Offers $7.8 B for Broadband for Rural Communities

Health care, education, business opportunities and more ... come to people who have access to High Speed Internet. Fortunately, among the benefits of the new Economic Stimulus Bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama is additional funding for rural broadband.

According to the 2008 Pew Internet and American Life Project Report, 38% of rural Americans now have broadband in their homes. That's 38% compared to 55% of all Americans, or if you compare the 38% to urban Americans, that "on the Internet" gap becomes even wider.

The gap in high speed Internet also affects

To get the picture about how Broadband's move in to rural communities is helping rural America, see the Chicago Tribune's story, "$7.2 Billion Plan to Wire Rural America Holds Promise, Pitfalls".

Author Rebecca Cole writes about how broadband is changing people's lives:

• A simple cholesterol check cost a Kentucky miner a day's work because the doctor's office was so far away.
• A Tennessee clothing store sells online.
• A California cheese maker offers artisanal cheese online.

And people who want to go to college, no longer have to drive to a far-away town where the school is located.
Read more here.

"Pelosi Hits Back"

The conservatives have once again been blaming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for failure to do team play. We disagree. See below for Rolling Stone's conversation with Nancy Pelosi:

• Pelosi Hits Back

Overall, it's pretty obvious to us that when the right-wing conservatives who remain in Congress fail to do anything but say ... No ... No .. No ... we want to do things just like we did them before (i.e., before the election), what they're really saying is they still don't get it! They created this mess and now the new Congress and the new President has responsibility to clean it up.

As we watched the news over the last several days, we think Frank Rich's column, "They Sure Showed That Obama", says it best. Rich starts out:

AM I crazy, or wasn’t the Obama presidency pronounced dead just days ago? Obama had “all but lost control of the agenda in Washington,” declared Newsweek on Feb. 4 as it wondered whether he might even get a stimulus package through Congress. “Obama Losing Stimulus Message War” was the headline at Politico a day later. At the mostly liberal MSNBC, the morning host, Joe Scarborough, started preparing the final rites. Obama couldn’t possibly eke out a victory because the stimulus package was “a steaming pile of garbage.”

We say "NO, Frank Rich, YOU aren't crazy." The whole column is worth reading word for word. Click here to do so.

Can Progress be made in America without the Feds Playing a Tighter Role in Regulation?

As we write this blog, today is Sunday, February 22 -- only about a month after Barack Obama was sworn in as President. Obama was elected with a strong mandate for change and now, barely more than 30 days after he was sworn in, "Change" is fast on its way. The economic stimulus package, State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act have passed and been signed into law.

Meanwhile, the housing crisis, the automakers' mess and the banking situation still need additional help, as does the need to bring the federal government back to its traditional role as the enforcers of tough regulation. Yesterday, one of our readers wrote in to ask,

"Where the hell were the auditors, regulators? This continuing string of travesties may be enough to cause the American people to become like Howard Beale in Network, "Mad as hell" and "Not going to take it any more." They might even give up their self-destructive love affair with Ayn Rand, Alan Greenspan, and Ronald Reagan's apotheosis of selfishness to the pantheon of virtues."

The widely reported story our reader referred to was "Madoff Never Made Supposed Investments" So far, the court-appointed trustee has examined records "only" back to almost 1993 and no evidence that any securities were ever purchased during that time has been found.

Assuming this remains true as the investigation continues, this fact raises further question, e.g., where did the trade confirmations and fake statements to investors come from ... from someone at the Stock Market? ... and why didn't all these "checks & balances" (Stock Market, Brokerage Firm, Bank Accounts, IRS, etc., etc.) ever come to light through our government "regulation" system? Remember that Madoff confessed ... no government regulatory authority actually looked into this crime.

Chairman Edolphus Towns from New York is the new Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Let's watch carefully to see that the Madoff situation gets the full investigatory spotlight, so that we can learn which regulatory agencies dropped the ball and who profited in addition to Madoff.

Mea Culpa

Occasionally, our editor fails to catch a mistake. For today, the mistake that was missed was in your email alert. Obviously, the Minnesota Senate race is in court right now, and neither Al Franken who has the lead nor Norm Coleman who is behind but has sued is allowed to vote on the Stimulus package. Our apologies.

"Wanted: Personal Economic Trainers. Apply at Capitol."

The Stimulus legislation isn't quite through the Senate yet, so if you have friends (who haven't lost their jobs yet), who still don't understand what the Stimulus does, writer and Post website editor Steven Pearlstein carefully explains in today's Washington Post: "Wanted. Personal Economic Trainers. Apply at the Capitol. " It's great reading ... absolutely accurate ... and family friendly -- suitable for all kinds of people, whether they are employed, unemployed or just plain stubborn about understanding the need for economic Stimulus.

Pearlstein's "must read" ends with a quick and easy but very accurate definition of economic stimulus:

"Spending is stimulus, no matter what it's for and who does it. The best spending is that which creates jobs and economic activity now, has big payoffs later and disappears from future budgets."

The bottom line: Our economy is in trouble. Number of jobs lost just in 2008 already is as many as were lost in 1945. Lose many more and we'll all be stuck in an uglier version of the Great Depression because the folks that don't want this bill in the Senate are in danger of being called the "Marie Antoinettes" of 2009 -- happily wondering why the unemployed aren't eating big pieces of cake with lots of frosting on them.

One particular "Marie" is Senator Tom Colburn from Oklahoma. Pearlstein reports that one in five workers in Oklahoma are government workers. Yet in yesterday's Wall Street Journal, Colburn complained that one in five of the 3 million jobs that the stimulus package might create or save would be government jobs. We note here that Colburn's job is a government job and so is every one of the jobs his personal staff holds, some of whom are located in Oklahoma. If Colburn is going to look down his nose at government workers, maybe he should resign so at a minimum, he wouldn't be snarling about his own government salary.

But seriously, Colburn and his staff are evidence of the curmudgions who need most the "economic trainers" Pearlstein recommends. But for Colburn ... and other naysayers, too. See below for basics. Read them ... think thoughtfully ... turn off the radio ... this is too important to trust Rush Limbaugh and his pals. Then call your U.S. Senator -- see directions at the bottom of this article.

1. Stimulus = Spending
2. The best spending results in investments that stick around for awhile, e.g., roads, sewers, school buildings, transit and high speed rail, medical equipment and more -- all different kinds of infrastructure. To build or repair infrastructure, it takes workers.
   
3. The middle class is hurting. Why? ... because as our economy shrunk during the last eight years, they were asked to pick up the slack -- working more, paying more taxes proportionately than the very rich and all the while, finding that with the cheap interest available then, they could balance their budgets by borrowing money. Now the piper has come with higher interest rates, squeezing the very people who paid the bills while the rich danced.
4. The middle class is hurting. What to do? ... See Stimulus package ... it creates jobs (see #2 -- infrastructure investments creates jobs) and tax breaks ($500 per individual) give immediate extra cash (to pay for the long delayed bills) in the way of specifically targeted tax breaks for the middle class.

Now, please call your Senator. Let him or her know that you support the Stimulus Bill. You might even tell them how your town has a crumbling school or has had to lay off workers, stop fixing the road, or how bottled waters is required for its babies because of its lack of water/sewer.

For Senate phone numbers, click here. At the top of the page, write in your state and your Senate contact info will pop up. Thank you for caring about your country.

PS: Pearlstein's got a new blog spot on Leadership. You might want to put it on your read list. Find it here.

Change = Progress in Only 16 Days

Just think -- in less than 16 days, this new Administration has made three really big accomplishments:

1. President Obama has signed SCHIP -- State Children's Health Insurance Program into law. Last year, readers of My Rural America worked hard to pass it, and we couldn't be more proud of this new Congress' action to pass SCHIP. About 1/3 of rural kids rely upon SCHIP and usually Medicaid. This year -- with the collapsed economy that President Bush left us stuck with, SCHIP is even more important because for every one point rise in unemployment, 700,000 kids in unemployed families become eligible.
   
2. Even before signing SCHIP, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law. This bill combats wage discrimination, making it possible for more employees to challenge wage discrimination based upon gender, race, age and disability. The bill is named after Lilly Ledbetter who learned decades later that she was being paid significantly less than her male colleagues who were doing the same job at the same time, for many years of work at Goodyear. A lower court ruled that Goodyear was wrong, awarding Lilly $3M but Goodyear challenged and the case went to the Supreme Court, where the Court's extremely conservative Justices ruled that past discrimination didn't matter, saying Lilly should have sued sooner. The problem with that decision is that often those who are discriminated against in this way do not find out until many years later and the Court decision made sure that companies that discriminated wouldn't have to make things right. Now Congress and President Obama has fixed this injustice.
   
3. Obama Stimulus has passed the House. President Barack Obama warned a few hours ago, "The time for talk is over." As you read this tonight -- February 5, the Senate is likely to vote on the package later this evening. There has been much misinformation about the Stimulus, including that from the Heritage Foundation and other conservative news sources, but the bottom line is that Roosevelt did it right to get us out of the Great Depression and Obama's plan, like Roosevelt's, is one that can work. The Stimulus Package includes:

• Tax breaks for 95% of American workers. This is immediate cash on hand, which will be reflected in paychecks. What the conservatives are complaining about is that the top 5% of income earners (the extremely rich) aren't getting more tax cuts (like the rich did under the Bush Administration when essentially, the middle class got left out).
• First time home buyers will receive additional tax credits -- so more incentives for these new buyers to stop waiting and get into the market. As it is, just like the banks (even those with capital) are afraid to loan money right now), and so are the home buyers, who are waiting to see what happens. The tax credits offered should be the necessary incentive to get these buyers to be braver and quicker about buying the first homes they need and want.
• Infrastructure investments -- roads, bridges, schools, rails and mass transit systems ... a whole generation of new green jobs are in this Stimulus.
• Buy American ... there is a requirement that materials will need to be made by American workers. This means more jobs for Americans. Presently, the unemployment rate is the highest it's been in 16 years, i.e., since George H.W. Bush was president, and in 2008, more jobs were lost than in any other year dating back to 1945.
  

So watch the Senate carefully. This is about our future. Watch carefully. You may expect a report here about who votes yes for moving forward, and who votes no, trying to stop progress and return to the last eight years.

Lessons from FDR ... let's get the truth out now!

Somehow it seems that the conservatives have grabbed the bully pulpit, telling a story about how FDR's programs failed to work. To say it simply ... say it quick ... this simply isn't true.

The Center for American Progress gets it right today. We urge you to read it, digest it, get the FDR story right!

"Selective Keynesians"

Scott Lilly is the author and the expert. We congratulate him on setting the record straight. It's a "set the record straight" that is most important for our rural families, urban families and our nation as a whole. While you're at it, be sure to read the Center's "Recovery: Reversing the Downward Spiral". That story includes interactive maps that detail how the Obama Stimulus Package can begin America's comeback.

Economic Recovery on the Way

President Obama released more details on his economic recovery plan early this week. The plan covers five major areas:

• ENERGY, including weatherizing at least 2 million homes and doubling U.S. renewable-energy capacity
• HEALTH CARE, guaranteeing health care coverage to 8.5 million Americans who lose their jobs and risk losing their health insurance
• EDUCATION, offering a new tax credit to make college more affordable and also doubling the size of the Early Head Start Program
• INFRASTRUCTURE investments that would tighten security at 90 major ports, repair and modernize thousands of miles of roadways and begin new waste water projects, including rural water and sewer projects
• TAX CUTS & BENEFITS, which would cut taxes by about $1000 for 95 percent of U.S. families and also extend the child tax credit to parents of 6 million more children as well as offer increases in food stamp benefits to 30 million people.

The Washington Post gives more detail in its 1/25/09 story "Obama Details Recovery Plan" by Philip Rucker.

Democrats and Republicans Getting Along?

Yes and no ... but compared to the days of old, it seems to be a relatively good beginning.

Democrats are making a specific effort to include proposals that have strong bi-partisan support, e.g., Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Rep. Zach Wamp (R-TN) have jointly submitted a renewable energy proposal they developed together for the Recovery Package.

However, there is growing controversy on both sides of the aisle as to what should be included in the stimulus package. Some Republicans are demanding more tax cuts but an issue more important to rural Americans is also bubbling. This question revolves around how to aid distressed mortgage holders, especially those in bankruptcy.

The AP Wire Service has carried a story which covers in detail the controversy: "Fight Building Over Judges Redoing Mortgages" by Larry Margasak. Though work on all the issues will be helpful to rural citizens, this one carries particular risk for rural home buyers in the future, i.e., the provision as written calls for homeowners in bankruptcy to be eligible for having the principle on their loans re-written by bankruptcy judges. In the short term, this may be a good idea, but for rural home owners there are additional considerations, e.g.,

• Rural home owners primarily get their loans through FHA and VA, or RHS, and these loans carry Federal government guarantees for the mortgages in the case of foreclosure, but not in the case of a bankruptcy inspired reduction in principle payments on the loan. The guarantees are very important to community banks, who carry the loans. If bankruptcy judges write down the loans, the local banks will carry the losses without being able to resort to coverage from governmental guarantees available if the mortgagees are foreclosed. And this could have the effect that local banks will no longer be willing to offer the low-down and no-down payment FHA, VA or RHS guaranteed loans, with the added effect that home buying in the future will be more difficult for rural buyers just entering the market.
• FHA and VA loans, with their government guarantees, have always up until now been considered an iron clad promise by the Federal Government, and legislation breaking this link, i.e., the Federal promise, on these loans could cause rates to go up, or worse yet, cause local banks who relied on the Fed's to cover their risk by refusing to lend to rural home buyers via these programs.

For urban home owners, the need for some sort of solution to the drop in home values is more dramatic. And in the majority of cases, mortgages in cities are more likely conventional loans (because government guaranteed loans are capped at levels of financing more common in rural areas, while urban housing is generally more expensive and does not qualify for these Federally guaranteed loans.) In these conventional loans, the Feds didn't offer a complete guarantee while private lenders were expected to build in additional risk for non-Fed guaranteed mortgages.

These and other issues have led to the provisions regarding homeowner bankruptcy -- originally planned for the Stimulus Package -- to be separated from the Package and expected to be considered in separate language.

My Rural America will continue to follow these financial and stimulus issues that are so important for the well-being of rural Americans.