JOURNAL] EDITORIAL
‘ ’Who’s to blame for Gasey
I Anthony going free
8’! Mil STEVENS I MANAGING EDITOR
The whole world seems to be en-
thralled with the Casey Anthony verdict
of not guilty. I’m not sure there is a word
strong enough to really grasp what
people felt when jurors handed down
the verdict. Of course, shock, surprise,
disgust, among others come to mind.
The question is whom are we dis-
gusted by? The jurors, the defense, the
prosecution?
Maybe all three.
It’s clear that the prosecution didn’t
. prove their case beyond a reasonable
doubt, otherwise the jury wouldn’t have
been able to come to such a conclusion
in under 12 hours. However, the ques-
tion lingers that if a grand jury voted to
indict without having the body of little
Caylee then why couldn’t the trial jury
find her mother guilty with a body?
Of course I wasn’t in the courtroom
during the trial and didn’t get to see
and hear everything that the jurors did
but I do wonder what more they were
looking for.
They did hand down four separate
guilty verdicts for Anthony’s lying to
investigators so why didn't they think
that the defense’s arguments, which
they supposedly got from Anthony
herself, were at all truthful? I guess we’ll
never know.
That brings us to the defense. I have
to admit that Baez was quite eloquent in
his portrayal of what happened. He was
likable and down to earth as he spoke to
the jury and interviewed witnesses.
My concern is that he truly believes
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CaseyAnthony's facts of what happened
to Caylee; that Casey was molested by
her father and that her father, a retired
cop, actually helped Casey dispose of
the body and cover-up a drowning. It
all seems extremely far-fetched.
As someone sitting on this side of the
screen, computer and television, it's
really easy for me to be judge and jury.
I am grateful that I didn't have to make
those calls myself.
I think the person we should be most
disgusted with is Casey Anthony her—
self. It seems that she literally got away
with murder and although her lying got
her four years in jail, she was. already
sitting there and so it didn't really affect
her once the trial was over.
I hope that she will not be able to
make money off this whole ordeal.
News magazines need to stop showing
Caylee’s photo so no royalties have to be
paid and if she writes a book, my hope
is that no, one buys it.
It would be shameless to make a
movie about Caylee's death, only be-
cause of the money that will be placed
in Casey’s hands.
All of us who grieve for this lost child
and for the fact that no one is paying for
her tragic death need to remember that
by literally ‘buying’ into all of the hype
we are only creating a way for Casey to
gain monetarily from this crime, wheth-
er it be the first degree murder she was
acquitted of or the disposing of Caylee’s
body after she allegedly drowned. ,
The peace comes from knowing that
there really is justice in the world,
whether it is here on earth or after we
leave it.
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Lake Stevens Journal July 13, 2011
GUESTI EDITORIAL
Health Care is pivotal issue
in D.C. budget battle
BY ROGER STARK IHEAITH CARE POLICY ANALYST
The Republicans in Congress re-
cently released their ten-year budget
proposal. The federal budget debate
is essentially about how large govern-
ment should be and how costly social
welfare programs should be managed
in the future.
The Republicans would simplify
the tax code and close tax lo'opholes.
The president would like to raise taxes
on the wealthy and ultimately on the
middle class.
Federal government spending the
past two years has been at 25 percent
of the gross domestic product (GDP),
which is well above the historic level
of 18 percent since World War II. The
Republican budget would drop spend-u
ing back to below 20 percent of GDP,
versus more than 23 percent of GDP far
the president’s plan.
A large part of the federal budget is
- now consumed by Medicare and Med-
icaid. The two political parties propose
very different plans for the future of
these troubled government-run health
care programs. '
The president’s plan for both Medi- '
care and Medicaid is contained in the
new federal health care reform law
passed last year (Patient Protection and
Affordable Care Act, or PPACA). The
Republican budget plan would repeal
the new law.
Medicaid began in 1965 as asafety—
net health insurance plan for children
of poor families. It is funded by both
state and federal taxpayers in a 50/50
ratio, although it is heavily regulated
by the federal government.
Medicaid has grown into one of the
largest budget items for each state and
is projected to double in cost within the
next ten years. Patient access to health
care is limited because of low provider
reimbursement and, except for isolated
conditions like AIDS and HIV, health
outcomes for Medicaid patients are
no better than for people who have no
insurance.
The PPACA vastly expands Medicaid,
I extending coverage to any adult in the
country who earns less than 133 percent
of the federal poverty level (FPL). It is
estimated that an additional 16 million
people will be placed in this low- quality
health plan. ' ,
The Republican budget addresses
Medicaid with block grants. The fed-
eral government would give each
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state a fixed amount of money (no '
open-checkbook) and would relax the
stranglehold of regulation and allow
each state to design its own health care
safety-net program. State governments
would then have a fixed budget to work
with and would have control over their
own Medicaid programs.
Medicare began in 1965 and is the
country’s health insurance program for
anyone 65 years old and older. By 1990
Medicare was seven times over budget
and currently is growing each year
by twice the cost-of—living (7' percent
versus 3 percent per year). Democrats
and Republicans agree Medicare is not
I. financially sustainable in its present
form.
The PPACA addresses the Medicare
problem in two ways. First, the law cuts
over $500billion from the program over
the next ten years. The vast majority of
these cuts come from reduced provider
payments. This will lead to access prob-
lems, reduced quality and ultimately
rationing of care for seniors.
The second major Medicare change
in the new law is the formation of a
regulatory, government cdmmittee, the
Independent Payment Advisory Board
(IPAB). The IPAB will tell patients and
doctors how much and what kind of
health care patients can receive. The
result will be further rationing of health
care for seniors based on the recom-
mendations of this committee. Board
members will be appointed and will not
have to answer to taxpayers, patients
or voters.
The Republican plan does not change
Medicare for anyone currently in the
program orfor' anyone who will enter
the program in the next ten years. After
ten years Medicare would transition to a
defined contribution plan, rather than
an open-ended defined benefit plan as
it now exists.
Each new enrollee would receive a
taxpayer-funded premium support, or
voucher, to purchase health insurance
in an open market. 'Sicker and poorer
individuals would receive a larger pre-
mium support. Eligibility for Medicare
would gradually increase from age 65 to
67 during the eleven year period from
2022 to 2033.
The PPACA forces more government
control, more regulations, higher taxes
and less patient choice on the American
‘ public. The Republican budget gives
more control of health care spending .
and decisions to individual patients
and their providers. Americans face
two clear choices over the future of gov-
ernment entitlements. Let the budget
debate begin. - - "
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