Theater Night Update 5-12-08 Sheila Kromer

Hello Everyone -

Here we go again. It just amazes me how concerned the legislators are about our health. We, of course, are not intelligent enough to make our own decisions and so they must legislate our decisions for us. I guess they also get to make up the rules...it's not just obesity they're after but now they've included the overweight too. Do you ever wonder where it will end? I think perhaps we should end it for some of them this November. Below is a part of the Health Bill HF3391, in summary it targets the smokers, obese, and overweight. I've included a summary of the entire bill by Twila Brase of the CCHC <twila@cchconline.org> . If you don't like it, I would suggest you contact Pawlenty (phone or e-mail) there is not much time. Remember when I told you about the Mississippi legislator that proposed a bill to ban fat people from restaurants and that Liverpool, England was proposing to ban Mc Donald's Happy Meals, well I just read an article on the Forces website ( http://forces.org/News_Portal/news_viewer.php?id=1080) where New Jersey was considering taxing fast foods (see below). They are laying the ground work and gearing up for some more social engineering and don't forget that alcohol is next! Just curious, does anyone know the "real" stats on who/what age group uses the most health care? Do you think that maybe health care is so much because the majority of people are living longer? I'm not complaining but perhaps the "unintended" consequences of living longer might mean more health care expenses in the long run....what do you think?

As we say in show business....ACT NOW..... or it will be too late!
Enjoy!
Sheila



Smokers, Obese & Overweight (H.F. 3391)

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/showPDF.php
Subdivision 1. Goals. It is the goal of the state to substantially
2.1 reduce the percentage
2.2 of Minnesotans who are obese or overweight, and to reduce the use of tobacco.
2.3 Subd. 2. Grants to local communities. (a) Beginning July 1, 2009, the
2.4 commissioner of health shall award grants to community health boards established
2.5 pursuant to section 145A.09, and tribal governments to convene, coordinate, and
2.6 implement evidence-based strategies targeted at reducing the percentage of Minnesotans
2.7 who are obese or overweight and to reduce the use of tobacco.

Twila Brase (CCHC) Summary of Bill H.F. 3391


A Bad BillH.F. 3391will implement government controls across the entire health care system. The bill
Employer Mandate: Requires all employers with at least 11 employees to set up 125 plans.
Incentive to Ration Care: Payment reform to tie doctor's hands
No Public Input: Specifically forbids public comment on the proposed new model for health care (ie. "health care homes")
Price Controls: Sets up pricing control systems
Intrusive: Requires private medical record information to be broadly shared for the purpose of monitoring and controlling doctors....and monitoring patients.
Prescriptive of Lifestyle: Implements an expensive statewide health improvement program
Fat Scores: Does not expressly forbid the government's plan to annually weigh children and given them a "fat score."
Bureaucracy: Establishes a boatload of new bureaucratic advisory committees
Fake Savings: Gives $152,000 to set up a method to measure health care "savings" so the "savings" can be taxed in the future to pay for health care.
Surveillance Mandate: Requires electronic medical record systems for any doctor that prescribes narcotics (enables government monitoring)
Unfunded Mandate: Requires doctors to have e-prescribing systems even if they don't use them.Please note - thanks to your efforts, the Insurance Exchange and the Super Broker are not in the bill...but "Big Government" still is.H.F. 3391 is expected to reach the Governor's desk. He can veto it or sign it.
To reach Governor Pawlenty:
Telephone: (651) 296-3391
Toll Free: (800) 657-3717
Facsimile: (651) 296-2089
E-mail: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us



New Jersey Lawmakers Consider Tax On Fast Food
'Sin' Tax Could Help Fund Struggling Hospitals
http://wcbstv.com/local/fast.food.tax.2.712510.html

ReportingChristine Sloan NEWARK, N.J. (CBS) ― The sputtering economy has caused an increase in prices of many staples including gasoline, rice, ice cream, even beer. Now some lawmakers in New Jersey are considering taking food taxes a step further and install a proverbial "sin" tax on fast food. Yes, the idea of marking up your favorite fast food burger or pack of fries is actually being tossed around, and it's not settling well with many residents. "They're taxing everything. Now you're gonna tax fast food? That's crazy," said Newark resident Miriam Robertson. Added Livingston resident Tina Abrahamian: "No one wants to be taxed. I mean, it's a necessity to eat and people need to eat and with everything skyrocketing, that's the last thing we want to tax." The thought of taxing a Big Mac or a Wendy's burger came up at a New Jersey Hospital Association meeting where Gov. Jon S. Corzine was asked if it could be an option to help fund struggling hospitals. At the meeting, he reportedly called it a "constructive suggestion." A spokesperson for the governor, however, told CBS 2 on Wednesday: "The governor is open to reasonable solutions to help solve our financing problems, but there are no plans for any fast food tax." State Sen. Richard Codey has been quoted as saying a tax on fast food "is a tax on the poor." And plenty of residents agree. "[It cost] $12.86 for [fries] and this little chicken wrap, and they want to tax that? You're serious?" asked Newark resident Saladine Fuller. "If they raise it, I'll stop buying it." Still, some say taxing fast food isn't such a bad idea. "I think this country has gone too much in the direction of fast and unhealthy food, and if people are taxed they may terminate that and turn toward more healthy foods," said West Orange resident Maureen Felix. For now, the fast food tax is just an idea. Detroit lawmakers once toyed with it, but it never passed into law.