Conservation Minnesota’s Champions of Minnesota’s Great Outdoors
Sep 30, 2008 News
2008 State Conservation Scorecard
Representative David Bly received a “100% Minnesotan” award Monday, September 22, from Paul Austin, Executive Director of the Conservation Minnesota Voter Center. The award recognizes a perfect record on key conservation, energy and clean water votes during the 2008 Minnesota legislative session. The Conservation Minnesota Voter Center is a non-partisan organization that puts dependable information at the public’s fingertips and makes it easy for citizens to evaluate the performance of elected leaders on issues important to Minnesota’s land, lakes and way of life.
On the same day the nonpartisan Conservation Minnesota Voter Center released its annual scorecard grading members of the Minnesota State House and Senate on important clean water, energy, habitat and recreation votes in the 2008 session.
40 State Representatives including Rep. Bly and 17 Senators scored a perfect 100% on key votes this year.
“Most Minnesotans are too busy to track all the goings-on at the Capitol, so we do it for them,” said Voter Center Executive Director Paul Austin. “We hope this year’s scorecard will help thousands of citizens across the state evaluate the performance of their own Senator and Representative on key conservation matters.”
The Conservation Minnesota Voter Center is a nonpartisan organization that puts dependable information at the public’s fingertips and makes it easy for citizens to evaluate the performance of elected leaders. For more information on the Voter Center, please visit the website.
Also honored were State Reps. Kathy Tingelstad (R-Coon Rapids), Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park), meteorologist Paul Douglas and Best Buy.
“These awards recognize outstanding commitment by Minnesota businesses, legislators and citizens,” said Voter Center Executive Director Paul Austin. “Thanks to the people we’re honoring, Minnesota is a better place to live, work, play and raise families.”
One of the nation’s leading retailers, Best Buy championed Minnesota’s landmark electronic waste recycling legislation, which became law in May 2007. Since then, Best Buy has exceeded the law’s requirements and launched an even more comprehensive nationwide recycling program aimed at increasing the amount of waste collected and ensuring greater ease and convenience for consumers.
This year’s Conservation Leadership Award winners were:
• State Representative Kathy Tingelstad (R-Coon Rapids). In her 12-year tenure at the legislature, Kathy was an outstanding and irreplaceable champion of our Great Outdoors. Because children are most vulnerable to toxic substances, Kathy took particular interest in how environmental hazards affect Minnesota’s youth. As co-chair of the Children’s Environmental Health Working Group, she championed the landmark Mercury Reduction Act that will greatly reduce the risk to pregnant women and children of consuming contaminated fish from Minnesota’s lakes. Her approach to environmental funding ensured that the portion of Minnesota’s lottery revenue dedicated to conservation is wisely invested in projects that preserve our natural resources while also growing the state’s economy and protecting the health of our families.• State Representative Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park). First elected to the House in 2004, Melissa is the chief author of a bill that requires auto manufacturers to produce cars and smaller trucks in a way that reduces greenhouse gas emissions from their tailpipes. The bill was strongly opposed by the auto industry, and capitol insiders gave it little chance of success. Melissa worked closely with opponents to address their concerns without jeopardizing the global warming pollution reduction goals championed by the conservation community. Through Melissa’s tireless efforts, the bill is well positioned for swift passage in 2009, and Minnesotans could be driving cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars within the next few years.
• Meteorologist Paul Douglas. A familiar and friendly face to Twin Cities television viewers for 25 years, Paul has educated as well as informed and entertained. His work to promote public awareness of the threat of climate change — and particularly its impact on the Minnesota way of life and Great Outdoors — has done much to build widespread support for responsible global warming policies at the local, state and federal levels.
• Best Buy, Inc. One of the nation’s leading retailers, Best Buy championed Minnesota’s landmark electronic waste recycling legislation, which became law in 2007. Since then, Best Buy has exceeded the law’s requirements and launched an even more comprehensive nationwide recycling program aimed at increasing the amount of waste collected, and ensuring greater ease and convenience for consumers. Best Buy is truly setting the industry standard for protecting the public health by keeping toxic metals and chemicals out of our land, water and air.
Minnesota Health Plan
Sep 28, 2008 News
A recent Kaiser foundation study found that the U.S. Spends More Than Twice as Much on Health Care Per Person Than Most Other Industrialized Nations, Ranks Last in Preventable Mortality.
(KAISER DAILY HEALTH POLICY REPORT for Thursday, July 17, 2008)
A former legislator once summed our current health care system up as a Gordian knot of paper trails trying to determine who pays. If you have insurance and you or your employer pay for health insurance paycheck to paycheck you may feel confident you know who is going to pay. But the reality is you don’t. That is once you get sick or injured you don’t. As soon as the insurance company receives the bill they may start looking to see how they can avoid being stuck with the payment. They may choose to identify if the injury is work related and should be paid by workmen’s comp. They may try to determine if the health care provider is over charging or did not follow the strict rules on prescribing treatment or went out of network.
Vast amounts of time and money are spent sorting this out and in most cases it is paid for by money that should have gone to provide you access to health care. The same process happens for those who don’t have insurance and don’t have the assets to pay.
A year ago I formed a legislative caucus to educate myself and others on this issue and to come up with some solutions to the problem. The primary focus of our group is to promote something called the Minnesota Health Plan. You can read about the plan on a website by clicking here or on the name.
The plan is supported by research done by the Lewin Group, a subsidiary of United Health (so a group not necessarily friendly to the plan). They did a study of various Universal coverage health proposals in Colorado and the only one that saved money, and a substantial amount was a plan very similar to the Minnesota Health Plan.
What does the plan do? First of all it says that all Minnesotans should have access to health care. Because one never knows when tragedy, disease, an accident can strike and we believe that no one should go bankrupt because of an unforeseen illness or injury.
Secondly, it says that all Minnesotans should pay in based on their ability to pay and for that buy in all should have the same comprehensive coverage (including, mental health, dental and eye exams). We would have one plan, one insurer and the freedom to choose your provider without co-pays or deductibles. These payments or premiums would go to the Minnesota Health Fund, which would be shielded from the State budget and could not be raided to pay for other things. The fund and the system would be over seen by a board of regional stake holders in the system.
Finally, we believe every Minnesotan should be able to choose the health care provider of their choice. Contrary to statements by the opposition this plan is not socialized medicine or government run health care. All the health care providers continue to function much the way they do now accept that the regional board would have some regulatory power to prevent some duplication, fraud and greed in the system.
How does it save money? Savings come from eliminating expensive bureaucracy caused by the use of private insurance plans. Doctors and clinics will deal with one simple form and one provider. We will eliminate worry and expense over who pays. There would be no need for workers compensation, or the medical part of auto insurance because there is no dispute about who pays. This is a system similar to Medicare and reports show that the administrative costs of Medicare are from 2% to 4% of total cost where private insurers admit that their administrative costs are anywhere from 18% to 40%.
Now some folks worry about reimbursement for services because Medicare does not fully reimburse and we would need to assure providers that the Minnesota Health Plan could reimburse at a reasonable rate.
I am sure I have not answered all of your questions about this important plan but you can visit the website and contact me, Sen. John Marty, Sen. Sharon Ropes, Rep. Shelley Madore, Rep. Carolyn Laine, Rep. Ken Tschumper, Rep. Tina Liebling for more details.
Fundraiser To Re-elect Representative David Bly
Sep 18, 2008 News
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2008
Time: 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Place: The home of Tony Becker and Becky Judge Becker
207 Lincoln Street S
Northfield, MN
The Committee to re-elect David Bly for his second term as your State Representative for House District 25B will be holding a fundraiser at the home of Tony Becker and Becky Judge Becker on Saturday, September 20, 2008.
Tony and Becky have been gracious enough to sponsor this event and invitations have been mailed. There will be food and refreshments served and a unique, silent auction is planned.
Coffee House Meeting
Sep 15, 2008 Event
Join me for coffee and conversation at Duets Coffee Shop in Belle Plaine.
Coffee House Meeting
Sep 15, 2008 Event
Join me for coffee and conversation at Duets Coffee shop in Belle Plaine.
Coffee House Meeting
Sep 15, 2008 Event
Join me for coffee and conversation at Duets Coffee shop in Belle Plaine.
Coffee House Meeting
Sep 15, 2008 Event
Join me for coffee and conversation at Duets Coffee shop in Belle Plaine.
Coffee House Meeting
Sep 15, 2008 Event
Join me for coffee and conversation at Duets Coffee Shop in Belle Plaine.
