NY Feeling Better with Obamacare

With the one year anniversary of the Health Reform Law on Wednesday, the White House outlined the impact of the act on the state of New York.
The Obama administration stressed the reduction in costs for seniors as the result of a strengthening of Medicare. They noted that 252,288 New York residents who were impacted by Medicare's “donut hole” for prescription drugs received $250 in tax rebates, with an eventual 50 percent discount on brand-name prescription drugs when they hit the donut hole this year.
They also highlighted the fact that 74,600 young New Yorkers under the age of 26 are allowed to stay on their parents' health insurance as the result of changes from last year's law. Additionally, about 1.1 million kids in New York with pre-existing conditions will be able to get insurance, as most insurance companies are now banned from denying coverage to children because of a pre-existing condition.
The issue of costs were also addressed, as the Obama administration touted the creation $340,358 in tax credits for small businesses in New York to help offset the costs of purchasing coverage for their employees.
Finally, they noted that New York has $156 million from the Affordable Care Act. Grants to New York include:

· $1.8 million to support a consumer assistance program
· $1 million to plan for a Health Insurance Exchange
· $27 million to develop an “Early Innovator” Exchange IT model
· $1 million to crack down on unreasonable insurance premium increases
· $30.1 million to support capital development in community health centers
· $34.6 million from the Prevention and Public Health Fund
· $48 million in Therapeutic Discovery Project Program Tax Credits and Grants
· $1.7 million for Medicare improvements for patients and providers
· $6.1 million for demonstration projects to address health professions workforce needs
· $250,000 for Nursing and Home Health Aides Training Programs
· $4.1 million for Maternal, Infant and Childhood Home Visiting

Sneak Peak from State of the Union

President Barack Obama has released some of his remarks for his State of the Union address. He says the way forward is through bipartisan efforts, because we have to, considering how hard the challenges ahead are.
Here is the rest of his prepared remarks that been leaked:

At stake right now is not who wins the next election – after all, we just had an election. At stake is whether new jobs and industries take root in this country, or somewhere else. It’s whether the hard work and industry of our people is rewarded. It’s whether we sustain the leadership that has made America not just a place on a map, but a light to the world. We are poised for progress. Two years after the worst recession most of us have ever known, the stock market has come roaring back. Corporate profits are up. The economy is growing again.

But we have never measured progress by these yardsticks alone. We measure progress by the success of our people. By the jobs they can find and the quality of life those jobs offer. By the prospects of a small business owner who dreams of turning a good idea into a thriving enterprise. By the opportunities for a better life that we pass on to our children. That’s the project the American people want us to work on. Together.

Half a century ago, when the Soviets beat us into space with the launch of a satellite called Sputnik¸ we had no idea how we’d beat them to the moon. The science wasn’t there yet. NASA didn’t even exist.

But after investing in better research and education, we didn’t just surpass the Soviets; we unleashed a wave of innovation that created new industries and millions of new jobs.

This is our generation’s Sputnik moment.

I'm guessing that he will also say, "The State of our Union is Strong, but it got a little weaker with the passing of Jack Lalanne."

Cox Rains on GE/Obama Parade

New York State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox released a statement today in response to President Barack Obama's visit to the GE plant in Schenectady, in which he said the president put on a publicity stunt.
Cox alleges that the president has no reason to take any credit for the GE deal with India that served as the backdrop for the visit. "It wasn't President Obama's deal. GE's record of innovation, its quality products and American workers made this deal possible," said Cox.
Additionally, the chairman said that reckless spending, regulations and photo ops don't create jobs.
He also lambasted the president for not mentioning the extension of the Bush-era tax cuts (because obviously this was the right time to do that?).
Regarding the new Jobs Council that the president created, which will be led by GE CEO and Chairman Jeff Immelt, Cox said it was just like all the other commissions the president had created.
"This commission, like the more than a dozen other councils and commissions he has created during his administration, is a publicity stunt meant to divert attention from his lavish spending policies and a failure to create an environment where businesses can grow."
On the whole, this statement from Cox seems to have the timeliness and meaning of Sarah Palin's erratic webcast last Wednesday.

Obama postpones local trip

President Obama has announced that he is postponing his trip to Schenectady following the tragic shooting in Arizona on Saturday morning.
Assemblyman Jim Tedisco, R-Glenville, endorsed the president's decision.
“President Obama has made the right decision to postpone his trip to Schenectady due to the national tragedy in Arizona," said Tedisco.
"Right now, all of our thoughts and prayers are with Congresswoman Giffords, her family and the family and friends of all the victims of this senseless violence.There will be plenty of time to celebrate good news in Schenectady and when the President is able to reschedule his visit, I look forward to welcoming him to the Capital Region.”
The date of the president's trip has not yet been rescheduled.

It's....General Electric

A white house official has confirmed that President Obama will travel to Schenectady, New York, Tuesday to visit the birthplace of General Electric.
The president will tour the Schenectady facility with GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt, and then make remarks on the importance of growing the economy and making America more competitive by investing in jobs, innovation and clean energy.
The GE plant in Schenectady is a direct beneficiary of GE's power turbine deal with India announced during the President's trip last November. The site is the home to GE's largest energy division, including steam turbines, generators, wind and solar, and the future home of GE's advanced battery manufacturing facility.
During his trip to India, the president made remarks about the importance of working with the fastest growing economies in the world to promote American business interests.
"So often when we talk about trade and commercial relationships, the question is who’s winning and who’s losing," said the president in Novemeber. "This is a classic situation in which we can all win."
President Obama then outlined a working relationship between General Electric and the India based company, Reliance.
Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, said he was thrilled that the president was visiting General Electric, which he characterized as the leader in clean energy and nanotechnology.
"General Electric is the cornerstone of our fast growing high technology industry here in the Capital Region," said Tonko. "It was recently named the third fastest growing high-tech job market in the country. This was the basis for the discussions I had with the President during his visit to Hudson Valley Community College in September of 2009.
“As the birthplace of an industrial and innovation revolution a century ago, General Electric and Schenectady combine to form an ideal backdrop for the President’s visit, and I look forward to again welcoming him to the region.”