Touting Obamacare, US says millions could pay less than $100 a month - CSMonitor.com

By Linda Feldmann, Staff writer / September 17, 2013

Under Obamacare, an estimated 21.9 million uninsured Americans will be eligible to purchase subsidized health insurance via online marketplaces, which begin enrollment Oct. 1. Of those, nearly half – 10.8 million – may be able to buy insurance for $100 or less per month, after factoring in tax credits, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

An additional 12.4 million uninsured Americans will be newly eligible for either Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program, federal-state health-insurance programs for low-income people, the report says. This group will pay either a small premium or nothing.

Click on the following for the whole story:  Touting Obamacare, US says millions could pay less than $100 a month - CSMonitor.com

What AP left out of its latest story on eagles and wind power

Mainstream provide this opposing article regarding my blogpost regarding eagles dying because of wind power.  I am printing it in its entirety because no web reference for the entire article was provided.  To see my original posting regarding eagle dying because of wind power. Go to:http://boonecountywatchdog.blogspot.com/2013/09/study-wind-farms-killed-67-eagles-in-5.html or the actual article at: http://news.yahoo.com/study-wind-farms-killed-67-eagles-5-years-160226373.html   --Bill P

What AP left out of its latest story on eagles and wind power

11 September 2013 by John Anderson

As with previous coverage by Associated Press’s Dina Cappiello on eagles and wind energy, critical context about wind power and wildlife went missing from her report today. It is concerning that Ms. Cappiello again minimizes wind power’s perspective despite an abundance of important information made available to her.

No one takes wildlife impacts more seriously than the wind industry, and while unfortunately some eagles occasionally collide with turbines at some wind farms, this is not a common occurrence: fatalities of golden eagles at modern wind facilities represent only 2 percent of all documented sources of human caused eagle fatalities, while only a few bald eagles have died in collisions in the history of the industry.

This figure is far lower than eagle fatalities due to other leading causes, including lead poisoning, poisoning in general, electrocutions, collisions with vehicles, drowning in stock tanks, and illegal shootings. Further, the only reason we know as much as we do is because unlike these other sources, the wind industry is conducting pre- and post-construction surveys and self-reporting the losses.

Further, a recent study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management shows stable golden eagle populations throughout North America. The lead author is Brian Millsap, National Raptor Coordinator with FWS. This study examined population data throughout the range of golden eagles over the past four decades (i.e., 1968-2010) and found that the population has, in general, remained stable, and in fact slightly increased overall. The study concludes, “Our results clarify that golden eagles are not declining widely in the western United States."

This is an important data point, which contradicts claims that golden eagle populations have been declining throughout their range, with some in the anti-wind community attributing that trend to the expansion of wind energy. Despite the fact that this information was delivered to the AP on deadline before the story was published, it makes no mention of the fact that there is no decline in golden eagles in the American West.
Even so, the wind industry is and will remain actively engaged with both the regulatory and conservation communities to find ways of further avoiding, minimizing and fully mitigating for any impacts to both eagle species.

An infographic with the story also uses a contentious figure of bird strikes at wind farms, despite our sending her a comprehensive analysis showing in detail why that figure reflects the opinion of one biologist and is an outlier when compared to other mortality estimates conducted by numerous biologists and statisticians over the past several decades.
When we realized several of these facts went missing in Ms. Cappiello’s story, we submitted them in an online comment on the AP site. While the comment was ultimately approved and posted, that process took more than a day.

Ultimately, the story exaggerates the point of view of less credible opponents of wind power. It omits mainstream bird conservation groups such as National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation, which support developing more wind power because it helps avoid the vastly greater wildlife impacts of other forms of energy. And it leaves out information on the progress made by the industry-conservation partnership, American Wind Wildlife Institute, which we’ve provided Ms. Cappiello previously.
We again urge AP to treat this topic more fairly and not with unbalanced advocacy journalism that relies on misleading and incomplete information, and lacks context for its readers’ understanding of a complex issue.

Status of Boone County’s Case against Northwest Pallet

The date of the next hearing has apparently been changed again.  It is now October 3, 2012.  SEE BELOW”

Above is from:  http://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_history.jsp?court=IL004015J&ocl=IL004015J,2012CH319,IL004015JL2012CH319D3

Go to that web address to check on any updates on the mulch case.

Attorney General is now involved in the Veteran Assistance Commission issue

The county has been contacted by the Attorney General’s Office and the AG will be updated concerning county’s discussions with the VAC—Bill Pysson via Ken Terrinoni

The following will be released to the BDR, Rockford Register Star and Boone County Journal on Monday, September 16, 2013. They may use all or parts of it.

Boone County finally releases second $25,000 for funding of the VAC:  VAC Boone County President Kelm's thoughts on this whole issue.

Just recently, September 10, 2013, County Board Chairman Mr. Walberg and County Administrator Mr. Terrinoni released the second $25,000 for the Veterans' Assistance Commission of Boone County. This was approved by the Finance Committee August 13th and by the full Board August 21st. Finally the money was released September 10th. Please remember, the County Board has some very intelligent, hard working, open minded members who welcome and support the VAC. On the other hand, there are members who will hop over the fence depending upon whether they are talking to the VAC or the County; yet they all voted 100% to fund another $25,000.

I would like to ask the entire County Board : Who will be the first to step up and state to the community how you really feel about your veterans?. Who wants to be the first to commit re-election suicide? It is my opinion that two members may have already done that.

Approximately 10 years ago, several veterans from Boone County approached the County Board asking for help to form a VAC, and they were told, "There would never be a VAC in Boone County ."

Several days ago in a telephone conversation with the county and the VAC, the VAC was told, "You can either borrow from the county or a bank."

Yes the county has funded $25,000 to start the VAC, and another $25,000 was finally released on September 10th, yet nowhere does the county tell the taxpayers what was really spent starting up the VAC office. When our group went to the County Board Finance Committee with our first detailed report of how every penny was spent, Karl Johnson turned it over without even looking at it and said: "I am not interested in the first $25,000, but I am interested in the second".

State Statute (330 ILCS) (from Ch. 23, par. 3090) says, "The county shall provide the office and furnish all necessary supplies, including telephone, printing, stationery and postage therefor". When the VAC asked the county for an office, used office equipment, and if they would write a check every other week for our superintendent, drawing funds from the VAC checking account, all answers by the county were: No! No! No!

The VAC membership will re-address the previous above paragraph, in detail again with the county, and then again with the Illinois Attorney General's office.

We had hoped the county would shoulder the burden of funding until the tax approved funds would be levied in July 2014. We told the County Board that all unused money in the VAC account would be returned to the general fund once the VAC tax levied funds are received in July 2014. Remember, it is always the county's responsibility to fund the VAC whether the referendum passed or failed, that is by Illinois statute.

Please remember, Boone county citizens stepped forward April 9, 2013, and said yes to a tax increase for the Veterans of Boone County and their families in financial need.

From the BDR Sunday August 18th page 8. Mr. Karl Johnson says: " Out of the $25,000 less than $500 has gone to help." Technically he is correct, and at face value that looks horrible. But what Mr. Karl Johnson conveniently omitted, was that several veterans had been helped, not financially, but with guidance and referrals to get medical care and other services in the first two weeks we were open. Also, we had not spent the whole $25,000; we had $6,000 left in the VAC checking, and the bulk of the money spent was to rent space and completely furnish it. We also pay our superintendent a salary of $576.92 per week, which is $30,000 a year.

Mr. Karl Johnson wondered hypothetically, what if the commission spends $300,000 a year of which $1,000 went to assist veterans? "Yet we're spending $30,000 on a salary." Mr. Johnson seems to have a big problem with our only employee receiving a $30,000 a year salary. That one employee happens to be very well educated in veterans' affairs and a certified Veterans' Service Officer. Mr. Johnson for the record, would you please provide the taxpayers and myself the number of all county employees who are paid over $31,000 a year? Also please recap total amount of yearly income by the top 10 highest paid employees of Boone County (no names please just total salary).

Mr. Thornberry, a very respected County Board member by the VAC answered, "We won't be able to answer Mr. Johnson's questions for two or three years". Mr. Thornberry has also attended our last two VAC meetings with rock solid input. Mr. Thornberry is also a veteran. Mr. Thornberry along with some of the other County Board members really want to see the VAC succeed, not fail.

After the attempted withholding of Board approved funds, the Attorney General's office was contacted by our Boone County VAC. The VAC will report now directly to Lisa Madigan's Office of Veterans Affairs with unresolved conflicts between the VAC & the Boone County Board.

Thank you to the community who did the right thing and voted themselves a tax increase to support the veterans and their families in need. Thank you to the members of County Board who truly wish to see the VAC succeed. To the other members of the Board, the VAC's of Illinois have been around for over 20 years, but it was your choice to sit on your hands and do nothing for your Boone County Veterans. You could have made this transition so easy, especially now with the funding from the tax levy.

If Board members paid more attention to the other 99.97% of the tax payers' dollars and spent less time trying to destroy the newly formed VAC, would our county be in such pathetic shape financially?

Respectfully submitted,

Gregory W. Kelm

President Boone County VAC