OmniSpeak

As our economy worsens, more companies are cutting the healthcare coverage for their workers, and shifting more of costs to employees.  These new findings come to light as congressional campaigns heat up over the slow economy, and whether or not to repeal the newly passed healthcare law.

It may be keeping the cost of healthcare plans down but also means that employer coverage is less comprehensive.  To the consumer, the costs are going up faster than wages.  In the United States, health insurance is provided mostly by the employer, which is different than other industrialized countries.  It’s estimated that rougly 157 million people under age 65 receive their care through the workplace. 

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And the probes continue, as there are now three more US House members that have been warned by the ethics committee that they remain under investigation for their fundraising activities during a vote on financial reform.  The Office of Congressional Ethics has now notifed Reps. John Campbell, R-Calif., Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y. and Tom Price, R-Ga., that it was recommending that the ethics committee should further review their fundraising activities, from December 11, 2009, and the concerns over how the three voted on the Wall Street reform bill.

It seems that while in a debate over amendments to the legislation,on December 10,  Crowley left to attend a fundraiser at the home office of a financial industry lobbyist.  Later in the evening, he then returned, and voted against amendments that would have strengthened the bill.

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Not many people are aware, that the Department of Veterans Affairs, is spending tens of millions of your taxpayer dollars, to maintain hundreds of buildings, most of which are vacant, that are so dilapidated, and are considered health hazards.  And the dispute is over the exact amount spent to maintain these buildings.  The GAO, estimates that the VA has spent $175 million every year since 2007.  But the VA denies those figures, saying only $85 million has been spent on those buildings in 2007, and last year, only $37 million….more taxpayer money wasted, as with thousands of vets returning from the wars, that money could be used for their medical care.

The buildings are from Augusta, Ga., to Menlo Park, Calif., from Milwaukee, Wis., to Perry Point, Md., the VA maintains 5,507 buildings across the country.  And 314 of them are now vacant and it costs, just to keep them standing.  

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Gov Tim Pawlenty said that he would do everything he possibly could, to make sure Minnesota doesn’t take part in the federal health care overhaul during his final four months in office.  In his words, the health care law, signed by President Obama, is a misguided piece of legislation that puts states on the wrong path and will drive up costs. Pawlenty is taking steps to reject some dollars tied to the law.

“Anything that I can do to slow down, limit or negate Obamacare, I’m going to try to do it within reason,” Pawlenty said after a veterans event in St. Paul.

Fox News

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The most wealthiest members of congress got even wealthier last year, even though economy wise for the rest of us, it was the worse since the Great Depression.  Each year, members of congress must file financial disclosure forms, and often report finances in broad ranges.

In 2009, the 50 wealthiest lawmakers were worth an estimated $1.4 billion which is about $85 million more than the previous year.  The growth is due, in part, to the fact that the stock market actually rebounded last year, helping lawmakers who had large investments.
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