PAGE 2 I THE MEREDITH HERALD [ SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
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TAP DANCING: BAUCUS BILL VIEWED
SKITTISHLY BY DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS
Elisabeth Bjork
Staff Writer
In mid-September, Democratic
Senator Max Baucus, Chairman of
the United States Finance Com-,
mittee, revealed his health reform
bill: the Baucus Bill. Democrats
have long awaited a health care
bill such as this, so naturally
one vi/ould think the Democratic-
controlled legislature would jump
at the opportunity to support this
plan.
But a large number of Demo
crats ahd Republicans alike are
steering clear of the bill. This
strong reluctance was foreshad
owed the day of the bill's reveal:
According to Carl Cameron of Fox
News, Baucus planned to reveal
his bill with the other members of
the committee, three Republicans
and three Democrats, but not one
of them fully supported him in his
bill, so he had to stand solo before
Congress.
According to Fox News,
Democrats and Republicans did
come together, but not for the bill;
Baucus had tried to incorporate
some aspects in the bill that would
please Democrats and other
aspects that would please Repub
licans. In doing so, however, he
managed to offend both parties.
Fox News states that, although
Baucus Is still hopeful that a con
siderable number of Republicans
will grow to appreciate the bill, the
majority of people believe the bill
needs serious revisions before
it can be a strong contender for
a new health care system. One
critic observed that there are red
flags all around this bill because
numerous liberal Democrats do not
support it as well as the predicted
Republicans.
There are several reasons why
this bill has met so much opposi
tion. Republicans are mainly
concerned that a health care re
form such as this will mean higher
taxes, a potential for a higher bud
get deficit, a less efficient health
care system similar to systems
found in Canada and other places,
restricted freedom to choose
what Individuals do with their own
earned money, and a further step
towards socialism and an entirely
government run and owned na
tion. Bill O’Reilly mentions in his
website, www.billoreillycom, "most
of us value freedom and have a
healthy distrust of government.
Time after time, we have seen the
feds screw things up: Iraq, Katrina,
immigration, Vietnam, the war on
drugs, public schools...the list Is
endless. And we are going to put
our troubled appendix in the hands
of these people?,..Also, federal
health care means all your medical
records are in the hands of the
government. Do you want that?"
Democrats, on the other hand,
are generally highly enthusiastic
about a new health care system,
but the Baucus Bill is not quite
what they have had in mind these
past few years. According to Fox
News, the AFL-CIO President John
Sweeney expressed his disap
pointment in the following words:
“[the billl-absolutely fails to meet
the most basic health care needs
of working families, and It fails to
meet the expectations we have
Photo courtesy ftttp;/Avww.fl/ckr.com/p/jotos/'a/nericanprogressacfcn/3390675742^
set for our nation. Th6 Senate Fi
nance proposal, sadly, is little more
than a throwback to the failed
policies of the last three decades
that advantaged corporations over
taxpayers and bestowed special
breaks on the wealthy while ignor
ing the middle class."
Even Senator Nancy Pelosi Is
not thrilled with the bill; she wants
to make it more liberal. She states
in an article posted on www.politi-
co.com, “As this proposal evolves,
we hope to see modifications that
result in the Senate bill better
reflecting the work of the House
to make health care more afford
able for all Americans and promote
competition that is key to keeping
costs lower. I believe the public
option is the best way to achieve
that goal.”However. private insur
ers fear the public option would put
them out of business.
This bill is the closest thing to
an actual health care plan that has
been proposed. No concrete, gen
erally satisfactory plans have been
presented in Congress yet. Demo
crats now range from Baucus Bill
supporters to quite a few who want
something more original, to others
who wish to make the Baucus
Bill more liberal. They have been
tap dancing around the health
care reform issue for several
months; even President Obama
very vaguely mentioned his health
care plan (which he has not quite
revealed), In a speech earlier this
Exercise, continued from pg 1
a member but this fee is consider
ably smaller than those of other lo
cal gyms, and the facilities offered
are impressive.
Another off-campus option for
exercise is the Raleigh Greenway,
which stretches from the NC Mu
seum of Art through the Meredith
campus and into Raleigh. Meredith
students can get on the Greenway
at the front entrance to campus
and walk or ride bikes on It. This •
offers a great way to get'exercise
and tb see a bit more of Raleigh.
The opportunities for exercise
at Meredith are plentiful and var
ied, and hopefully this article has
. given readers new ideas for exer
cise. These ideas cannot add time
to the day or rearrange schedules,
, but they can provide for exercise
for all college students. A healthy
Meredith student Is a happy Mer
edith student, and that is a goal
that all students should strive for.
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