e-News 10/7/16

• Obamacare: a “Crazy System”
• PRESIDENTIAL BETRAYAL ON IRAN
• “Stop Mistaking Russia for Europe”
• Every Day Should Be “Manufacturing Day”
• Salute: Our Local Blue Ribbon Schools

 

Obamacare: a “Crazy System”

Those are not the words of a small businessperson trying to make a payroll or a family member struggling with skyrocketing co-pays and premiums or a patient who has just watched their healthcare plan close up shop in their state. 

No, these words come from the former President of the United States, Bill Clinton:

“You’ve got this crazy system where all of a sudden 25 million more people have health care, and then the people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half and it’s the craziest thing in the world. … But the people getting killed in this deal are the small-business people and individuals who make just a little bit too much to get any of these subsidies.”

I have to agree with President Clinton on this one. 

• “Premiums doubled. Double-digit rate increases are about to take effect across the country. And this is all on top of earlier rounds of sticker shock.
• “Coverage cut in half.” Obamacare was supposed to give people more choices, but coverage is being cut everywhere. One-third of the country won't even have a choice at all next year.
• “People getting killed in this deal are the small-business people.” In the most recent National Federation of Independent Business survey, 63 percent of small businesses say their health care premiums rose. Compare that to 8 percent who said their premiums went down.

There is a better way. The House Leadership is offering a “Better Way”—a plan to repeal Obamacare, retain its best attributes and replace the rest with real, patient-centered solutions:

A major component of our Better Way plan is to give Americans more choices when it comes to health care. We need to spur competition and innovation, which in turn will help drive down costs. We do this by making health care portable and offering a refundable tax credit to help you buy insurance on the individual market.

Learn more about the Better Way healthcare reforms here.

Also recommended for your reading: “Pain of health costs shared” by Susan Livio in the Wednesday Star-Ledger.

PRESIDENTIAL BETRAYAL ON IRAN

This week I found myself re-reading an article in the Wall Street Journal: “U.S. Signed Secret Document to Lift U.N. Sanctions on Iranian Banks,” by Jay Solomon and Carol Lee, published on September 29.  It’s a long article that should be read by EVERYONE.

Frankly, this piece reports on the most outrageous betrayal by an American President in my lifetime!

It now appears that on the same day American hostages were freed from Iran, the Administration not only agreed to the $1.7 billion cash ransom payment, but violated a key term of the nuclear deal by prematurely lifting ballistic missile sanctions. These additional secret concessions directly jeopardize our national security, and our allies, such as Israel, and cast further doubt on this flimsy agreement. President Obama owes the American people an immediate explanation.

Also worth a read: “Stop Mistaking Russia for Europe” on Real Clear Defense on Wednesday.

Every Day Should Be “Manufacturing Day”

New Jersey celebrates “Manufacturing Day” today!  With over 11,000 companies,  400,000 employees and over $50 billion in economic output, our state’s manufacturers are a critical component of our economy. 

Established in 2012, Manufacturing Day is designed to expand the public’s understanding of the industry’s value to the U.S. economy. The annual celebration seeks to raise awareness about manufacturing’s impact and change the perception of manufacturing careers for future generations.

For more information, visit the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) website here.

Salute: Congratulations to the three schools in the 11^th Congressional District recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2016.  The Cedar Hill Elementary School in Montville, the Essex Fells Schoolin Essex Fells and St. Cassian Elementary School in Montclair stand out for their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps, demonstrating that all students can achieve to high levels.