Urban News Features

‘Health Care Under Assault’: Congressman Outlines Pains Before Life Changing Act

‘Health Care Under Assault’: Congressman Outlines Pains Before Life Changing Act

By Hazel Trice Edney

(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Before President Barack Obama signed the long-awaited Affordable Care Act into Law, many Americans suffered – but African-Americans suffered disparately, largely because of economic hardships.

According to U. S. Rep. Congressman Cummings:

• Prior to the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, more than 47 million Americans were uninsured. Of this number, nearly half were working adults. Another 7 million were children.

• Nearly 41 thousand people suffered a premature death because they lacked access to quality, affordable health insurance.

• Every minute, eight people were denied coverage, charged a higher rate, or otherwise discriminated against due to a pre-existing condition.

These were the conditions outlined by Cummings as he spoke to an audience at a Symposium on U. S. Health Care at Howard University last week.

“If Congress had not acted, the cost of health insurance would have driven more people from the market. Health insurance policies would have been out of reach for more small businesses. And more people would have been forced to declare medical bankruptcy following an illness or accident,” Cummings said.

But, now that the U. S. Supreme Court is reviewing the Constitutionality of parts of the Affordable Care Act, new health care benefits and those not even enacted yet are at risk. The main contention is that the Act requires people to purchase some kind of health care, which some say the government has no right to enforce. The Court has heard arguments on both sides and is expected to render its decision in the fall.

“With the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, we made the statement that health care would no longer be a privilege. And on March 23, 2010, President Obama established health care as both a right and a responsibility of the American people,” Cummings said. “Today, this promise is under assault by those who would turn their backs on the social contract.”

In the luncheon speech punctuated by applause, Cummings also outlined what America could lose if the court ruled against the plan. The benefits currently enjoyed under the act include:

• Children with pre-existing conditions are no longer denied access to private health insurance.

• Young adults are allowed to remain on their parents' health insurance plan until the age of 26.

• Small businesses that offer health insurance to their employees are eligible for a 35 percent tax credit.

• Seniors are receiving discounts averaging $500 per year on their prescription costs.

• Medicare preventive services are being provided without co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles.

• Grants have been provided to the community health centers, hospitals, doctors, and other healthcare professionals responsible for providing care to those most in need.

Yet, 27 states have joined Virginia and Florida in a lawsuit against the Act. The other states are South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama, Michigan, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, Arizona, Georgia, Alaska, Nevada, Indiana, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Wyoming, Ohio, Kansas, and Maine.

“This is unacceptable for a nation as wealthy and as generous as ours. I continue to believe not only that the government has the authority to implement health reform, but that it has the moral obligation to do so,” Cummings said.

The day-long symposium included discussions by experts, including doctors and researchers. The audience included health care professionals, students and the general public.

“This is an important time to bring together voices for change,” Cummings said. At one point he drew laughter from the audience describing how he went to the House chamber early in order not to miss the vote for the Affordable Care Act.

But, even if the plan prevails in court, Cummings said many economic pitfalls remain.

“Even if we could guarantee health insurance for everyone - regardless of race, ethnicity, age, or disability - could we guarantee that everyone could get to the doctor? Could we ensure that each person's bus would arrive on time or that each person's car would start that morning? Could we ensure that each person could afford to take the time off from work to visit their doctor?”

He concluded, “The answer, of course, is no. But once the Affordable Care Act is fully implemented, it is my sincere hope that many of the well-known barriers to care will be lessened, even if we’re unable to remove them completely.”

Pooling Our Resources

April 16, 2012

Pooling Our Resources

By Jim Clingman

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Why does the concept of putting our dollars together for one collective purpose, say, business development, seem so foreign to us? Yes, we do a great of talking about it but seldom see the results of having done so when it comes to purchasing foreclosed homes, vacant lots, and businesses in our neighborhoods. We complain about others coming into our neighborhoods and setting up businesses or buying the property, while we continue to support them through our purchasing power. Doesn’t make sense does it?

The concept of pooling our financial resources is certainly quite familiar to Black people; after all, we do it every Sunday via our contributions to the churches we attend. As a matter of fact, that’s virtually the only place Black people pool our dollars to any substantial extent, and the results have been billions of dollars in land, interior finishes, song books, choir robes, musical instruments, internet and phone services, energy costs, and elaborate buildings in many cases. Unfortunately, many of the buildings are what I call “non-performing assets” as they are only used two days per week.

There are many churches that have done outstanding things by pooling their dollars. For instance, apartment complexes have been built, businesses have been started, community multi-purpose centers and senior citizen facilities have been brought on line. Churches have played a major role in economic development by utilizing their Community Development Corporations (CDC’s) to build and sustain economic prosperity for their members as well as citizens living in close proximity to the church.

So the lessons are there for us, not to mention the lessons of the old African informal organizations called Susus, better known in America as Rotating Credit and Savings Associations. First used by Black people and now used by others, susus have served as the financial foundation and stimulus for small would-be entrepreneurs. Many African and Caribbean ethnic groups use them extensively in this country to start and grow their businesses, to purchase property, and to pay off debt. (See excellent article on: http://www.thegrio.com/money/sou-sou-black-immigrants-bring-savings-club-stateside.php)

So why are African Americans so reluctant to pool our money to any great degree outside of the church environment? First of all, many of us simply don’t see our church contributions as a pooling of our resources, despite what it says about the early church in Acts Chapter 2, and we fail to recognize the business aspects of where most of that money goes on Monday morning: Banks, most of which are neither owned by Black folks nor responsive to Blacks when it comes to approving business loans in return for the billions of church dollars held in their vaults.
Second, while we sometimes blindly trust those in charge of the church funds to do the right thing, we do not trust one another enough to pool our resources to develop businesses and such. It seems we are too concerned about who will “be in charge” and who will “handle the money,” and we listen to that negative radio station, WIFM, “What’s in it for me?” Susus are built on trust; they function on trust and honor; they are successful because the folks involved do what they say they will do, which is make the regular monthly deposits and wait for their turn to receive the entire amount. No jealously, no envy, no cheating, and no disrespect. Just business, just debt relief, just college educations, just home purchases.

So how can we move beyond the collective economic stagnation in which we find ourselves today? We could take a lesson from the churches and then practice pooling our resources on a different level. Stop simply complaining about vacant lots and empty storefronts; purchase them, clean them up, and open businesses. Stop complaining about “other” folks coming into your neighborhoods and “taking” your money on a daily basis; stop “giving” them your money and try giving it to yourselves through Black business support. Stop saying “we need” this and that; start saying “let’s get” this or that by pooling our resources and taking care of our business for our children’s future.

For decades now Black people have talked a good game when it comes to pooling resources, and while we do have some glowing examples of how it’s done, past and present, we still fall short of practicing what we preach. If we want and need so much economically, heed the words of Booker T. Washington: “Let us act … before it’s too late, before others come from foreign lands and rob us of our birthright.”

Let's Get Down to Business

April 15, 2012

Let's Get Down to Business

By Julianne Malveaux

malveaux

(TriceEdneyWire.com) - Now that former Senator Rick Santorum has withdrawn from the Republican race for nomination, it is a foregone conclusion that former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee. To be sure, he still has to deal with the nuisance factor of Newt Gingrich, whose lack of money has not only torpedoed his campaign, but also one of his “think” tanks. Maybe Gingrich can find work, as he suggested that inner city youth do, by taking on some janitorial tasks. So it’s down to Romney and President Obama as opponents in November.

The entertainment is over. Let’s get down to business. Those who are undecided about the political path they’d like to take ought to look at several areas of contrast, and consider what either candidate might do in three areas:

JOBS. The unemployment rate ticked down just a tiny bit last month, from 8.3 to 8.2 percent, but only 120,000 new jobs were created. We need to create at least 300,000 jobs a month for the next year or so to just begin to catch up with all the jobs that were lost. Black unemployment, at 14 percent, is at the Depression level of 25 percent when hidden unemployment is considered. Unemployment is trending down, if slowly, and the Obama Administration has been quick to share these facts. Further, if President Obama had been able to pass job creation legislation at the end of 2011, one might think the rate might have dropped even faster.

My question to Mitt Romney would be how he plans to accelerate the pace of job creation and lower unemployment rates. I’d also ask him about high black unemployment rates, and targeting. Finally, I’d ask him whetherhe still enjoys firing people and what message he thinks that sends to the least and the left out.

I’d ask President Obama at least two of those three questions. I’d certainly ask what he would do to change the pace of job creation, what kind of legislation he thinks is needed for him to implement his plan, and whether he thinks he can pull a political consensus together to pass such legislation. I’d also ask him about black unemployment and targeting, not to put him on the spotor to play the race card, but because this is an important question. Finally, I’d ask about a focus on youth unemployment, given the fact that young people who graduate from college and cannot find jobs have lifetime effects from or two years worth of joblessness.

TAXES. Former Republican candidate Herb Cain, he of the 9-9-9 plan that just didn’t add up, the foreign policy ignorance, and the fiery, if inept, blather said that Romney was being “picked apart” by the tax issue. But Romney pays a lower proportion of his income on taxes than the average (not upper income, just average) working person does, mostly because investment income is taxed at a lower rate than earnings. Romney has also called for an extension of the Bush tax cuts, while President Obama would eliminate them.

I’d ask Mitt Romney why he thinks it is fair for the rich to pay proportionately less in taxes than middle income people do. I’d ask him bluntly whether he thinks he favors the rich and if so, why. I’d ask him to detail his objections to the Buffett plan, and to offer an alternative plan for tax fairness.

I’d ask President Obama (who not only pays his fair share in taxes, but also contributes generously to charitable causes (including the United Negro College Fund) to offer, beyond the Buffett plan, other keys to tax fairness. I’d ask him whether investment income should be taxed at an equal or higher rate than earnings. And I’d ask him what kind of coalition is needed to turn the Buffett plan into public policy.

STUDENTS. While President Obama has vigorously defended Pell Grants, Mr. Romney would not only eliminate these grants but many other social programs. Furthermore, students pay more than 6 percent interest on federal loans, while some of the bailout banks paid less than 1 percent interest on their loans. If we believe that children are our future, why aren’t our future workers, students, more highly considered in the budget process.

I’d ask Mitt Romney what his horizon is for US prosperity and what role today’s students play in that prosperity. I’d ask him why he is opposed to Pell grants, and what he thinks of the interest differential between the way students are treated and bailout banks are treated.

Before I asked President Obama anything on education, I’d thank him and commend him for his fight to protect HBCUs and other colleges. They I’d ask about the interest differential, and about his progress on his pledge to restore the US to world leadership in educational attainment.

Now that we don’t have the distraction of debate about peripheral issues, maybe we can get down to business to compare and contrast the candidates.

Julianne Malveaux is President of Bennett College for Women.

Trayvon's Angelic Mom

April 15, 2012

Trayvon's Angelic Mom

BY Dr. E. Faye Williams
williams2 (TriceEdneyWire.com ) – It is not often that Black women are portrayed in a positive light, but I must compliment most media as portraying a mother who since day one of the loss of her son as one who simply and rightly has been asking for justice in the murder of her 17 year old son. No mother ever expects her offspring to die before she does, and in my experience, if mothers had the chance, they would give their lives to spare the lives of their children.

Throughout this tragedy, Sabrina Fulton has remained firm, focused, calm and, yes, angelic. We have never seen her deviate from her cry for justice. We haven’t heard a bit of hate or meanness in her voice, but we can clearly hear her pain as she speaks. She has never asked for revenge. She has never disparaged the family of the murderer of her son. There is no bitterness in her voice. She just pleads for justice.

I don’t know how anyone can hear her plea as she deals with the tragedy of her son’s untimely death and feel anything other than hurt. We have a desire to want what she wants, and pray that there is something constructive that we can do. Many people responded to her plea. They prayed for her, rallied for justice, spoke out for justice and tried to lift her up with all the love they could muster. This included mothers of other colors, creeds and cultures.

Through it all, Sabrina has been so graceful. She never fails to show how grateful she is for whatever anyone does to bring her son’s case to justice. When the prosecutor announced her decision to charge George Zimmerman with second degree murder, Mrs. Fulton never gloated, never raised her voice. She didn’t celebrate. She graciously thanked everyone for whatever help they had given. She thanked the Lord and backed away from the microphone.

On the other hand, we have seen members of Zimmerman’s family and a few others try to tarnish Mrs. Fulton’s son when it was her son who was shot and killed by a self-appointed so called watch leader of a mostly white neighborhood—and Zimmerman admits he followed him because Trayvon looked “suspicious”. This was after Zimmerman had been told by a police official not to follow him because they were on the way. After admitting the shooting of Trayvon, who was unarmed, Zimmerman had the gall to try to make us believe it was self-defense.

Still, all Trayvon’s parents have asked for is justice—something the Sanford, Florida authorities seemed to be comfortable ignoring. There was no investigation, no confiscation of the murder weapon, not even a temporary arrest. They acted more like Zimmerman’s defense team than authorities seeking justice. Sabrina remained angelic as she insisted upon starting the wheels of justice to turn her son’s way. She made every meeting, spoke at so many rallies, addressed a lot of media—and never stopped her quest for justice.

When she appears before a camera, you can feel her heartbreak without her having to yell or scream what she is feeling. You don’t have to be a mother to share in her pain—and you cannot help but admire her dignity. Many of us could take lessons from her as she handles her grief before the world without anger.

She never tries to arouse indignation or rally people to express hate or disgust with a system that is not always fair. She just asks for justice. In the days to come, let us send up a prayer for the wheels of justice to give this mother just a little bit of hope that her son will not have died in vain.

(Dr. E. Faye Williams is National Chair of the National Congress of Black Women. www.nationalcongressbw.org. 202/678-6788)

World Bank Likely to Tap Nigerian Woman for Top Job

World Bank Likely to Tap Nigerian Woman for Top Job

Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from GIN

ngozi-okonjo2 Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – Western media pundits have all but crowned Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria for the position of World Bank president. If selected, she would be the first African to hold the position traditionally held by a U.S. citizen.

Nearly buried among the encomiums, are the views of skeptics that doubt that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala would bring enlightenment to an institution more known for saddling developing countries with debt and structural adjustment plans that put millions of public service employees out of work.

“Not only has the World Bank failed poor countries, with structural adjustment and other genteel forms of developmental quackery, but those countries have not enjoyed equal voting power around the very policies that affect them most,” noted Desné Masie, writing in the blog African Argument.

“There is no guarantee that with Okonjo-Iweala as figurehead, reform and fairness in the Bank's policies would be substantive. To clamor for a World Bank president from an emerging market is a hollow exercise altogether,” Masie asserts.

U.S. based educator Ikhide R. Ikheloa adds: “As an institution, the World Bank is an ancient bureaucratic relic whose time has come and gone. Now it is mostly a mean cudgel for meeting the West’s imperial needs in developing countries, aided by many of Africa’s intellectual and political elite.”

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala also faces questions over a Wikileaks cable by the U.S. Ambassador on the matter of corruption. According to the cable, the World Bank nominee steered public contracts to her brother worth up to $50 million. She denies the charge.

Finally, as Minister of Finance she supported the disastrous lifting of subsidies on Jan. 1. This sparked the nation’s largest mass movement when 5 million Nigerians rallied and marched to oppose the move.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was scheduled to be interviewed first for the job on April 9, followed by Colombia's Jose Antonio Ocampo and America's Jim Yong Kim. A formal announcement is expected almost immediately, according to an inside source at the Bank.