Obama announces $50-billion stimulus plan
Considers closing oil, gas firm tax loopholes to pay for six-year infrastructure plan
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Obama announces $50-billion stimulus plan
Posted on 07 September 2010 by admin
The South East Plan
Posted on 31 August 2010 by admin
Introduction
The Regional Planning document that will be considered is the South East Plan submitted to the government during the month of March in the year 2006. The Final draft to this document will be submitted two years after the document that will be studied in the latter portions of the essay.
There are several issues that have been highlighted in the document. these range from Social and Cultural health issues, Tourism and Sports, Cross cutting policies, Town Centres, economy, Communications and Transport, Housing, Management of built environments, to Waste and Minerals. However, for purposes of this essay, two main issues have been selected and these are;
Housing
Communication and transport
1) Presentation of key issues
How housing is presented in the planning document
In the document, there is emphasis on the issue of sustainable housing through provision of adequate housing. It has also been suggested that land should be put to better use. Besides this, the type of housing provided should be appropriate and housing stock should be maximised. (Government Office for the South East, 2006)
All the above changes are based on principles like affordable housing, checking on the density and design of houses, checking on the distribution levels of housing and catering for travellers and gypsies.
The main issue of concern within the plan is affordable housing. Affordable housing can be defined as the provision of housing through the use of a subsidy obtained from local authorities such that rent will be considerably lower than prevailing market prices. The plan suggests that number and quality of affordable houses should be increased.
Why housing is relevant as a main issue
The main reason is that there are a number of homeless households in the South East Region. These households need to be catered for in the housing plan. Statistics from the Regional Housing Strategy show that 4.5% of households in the region belong to this category and together they represent a whooping 11% of all the homeless households in England. These facts necessitate a need for immediate action to be taken and this is why housing is relevant as an issue in the plan. (Government Office for the South East, 2005)
Housing also needs to be addressed as a main issue because there is a serious need for affordability in this area. Renting and purchasing houses in South East is too expensive; the area is the second most expensive place to rent in England. This poses a serious problem to development in the region because people find themselves living in distant houses. This means that most of their time is spent while commuting. Commuting brings about more carbon wastes, thus contributing to poor air quality and pollution in general. In addition, commuting causes a waste of time and resources that could otherwise have been directed to more productive issues. So generally, lack of proper housing impedes economic growth. (Government Office for the South East, 2005)
Besides this, lack of affordable housing causes congestion. This could have serious health implications because there are a number of diseases that can be transmitted when social conditions are not conducive.
How transport and communication is presented in the planning document
There main issues that need emphasis according to the plan are revision of the region’s airport, need for connectivity of some regions on South East, need to reduce congestion on roads and a need to incorporate sustainability in the transport sector.
The proposal to achieve the above needs are based on addressing rural dimensions, managing mobility, tackling management of transport and communication, addressing charges and prices in roads, examining freight, regional spokes and hubs and lastly improvement of airports, gateways and ports.
The main issue that has received focus in the plan concerns airports. This is due to the fact that there are four international airports in the South East England and these have severe impacts on economic and social activities in the region and in UK generally.
Why communication and transport is relevant as a main issue
South East Gateway plays a crucial role in the transport system covering Europe and the UK. Therefore there is nee to ensure that it to ensure that this area is streamlined. Besides this, the transport sector is crucial in ensuring that social and economic activities are made more suitable since South East is largely contributory to the economy of the rest of the country.
Transport in South East needs enhancement because there are a number of areas that are poorly connected and should therefore be addressed. Even the regions that are well developed suffer too; they are characterised by increase congestion in their transport networks. This means that people have to waste a lot of time on roads and rails instead of diverting these to activities that could contribute towards economic development.
Transportation in Southeast also needs to be addressed because there are growing concerns about the pollution emanating from the aviation industry and other transport sectors. There is therefore a serious need for policies to be incorporated into the issue of pollution. (Government Office for the South East, 2006)
Another cause for concern in the transport industry is the fact that there is increased traffic in the aviation region. Any developmental changes in that industry require a serious reorganisation of resources in the ground to be able to accommodate these changes. Despite this, there is a lot of potential that some airports in the region posses. One such airport is the Southampton airport and another is Kent International; they both have latent significance because they can serve as regional airports and reduce strain on international hubs. All these go to show that policy changes need to be made to accommodate all these needs.
2) Explanation and assessment of strategic policy suggested
Mechanisms of implementation for the housing policy
The South East plan has tried covering all the areas found in the South Eastern region because the challenges of affordable housing cut across the entire region. This approach is a very economical plan because the plan has suggested provision of affordable housing in areas that have that the need for them. This is a good way of implementing the policy because if only a few areas had been chosen, the neediest places would have been left out.
Agencies involved in the housing policy
Regional Housing Board and Regional Assembly; the purpose of the agencies is to give guidance concerning the relevance of public subsidy within housing development projects. They are also supposed to ascertain financial viability of housing development projects.
Housing Corporation; the body will work hand in hand with local authority to come up with guide lines that deal with assessment of housing needs. This is in line with the recommendations made in the policy about a vigorous assessment of demands for housing in the region. This is to ensure that equality is seen in housing. The body also helps concerned parties who may want to gain access to information about the viability of subsidies in their affordable housing development. However, this is done at a fee. So the policy has suggested that the corporation needs to work more in line with stakeholders to ease implementation of the plan. (Government Office for the South East, 2005)
Government office for South East England; this is the major local authority of South East. It has the capacity to approve projects that fall under affordable housing and has the mandate to approve public subsidies for such projects. Besides this, the plan suggests that this office should provide guidance on assessment of affordable housing projects.
Land owners; these are the people who on land in areas that are in need of affordable housing. They need to work hand in hand with providers of affordable housing to streamline the process.
Developers; these are people who initiate projects in areas that are in need of affordable housing. But it should be noted that these projects may not necessarily be houses discussed in the scheme. (Government Office for the South East, 2006)
Affordable housing providers; these are the people who initiate affordable housing projects. In the plan, they need to consult local authorities and Housing Corporation to determine feasibility of the project and also to determine viability of public funding in the project. They are also required to engage in small scale housing for rural areas.
Appropriateness of policy content in the Housing policy
The policy has suggested cross boundary coordination. This is a very thoughtful plan because there are cases when housing markets fall between two local authorities. This means that the local authority that initiated the housing plan will have restrictions and may not fully implement its scheme. Therefore, there is a need for cooperation across boundaries as has been suggested in the South East Plan.
The policy suggested by the plan gives details about how affordable housing can be distributed. They have borrowed ideas from a strategy laid out by the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research. This plan gives suggestions on how affordable housing should be implemented. According to this latter plan there should be rented accommodation taking up 25%, shared ownership should take up 10%-this portion will also be shared by sub-market rent.
However, policy content in the plan has not incorporated other housing plans done intended for the South East region; one such plan is the Regional Housing Strategy. The latter strategy was compiled by the Regional Housing Strategy and it talks about the need for increased quality and number of affordable houses. (Government Office for the South East, 2005)
In addition, details about implementation of the policy have not been clearly stated. The policy identified very clear principles about what needs to be done in their objectives but this has not been substantiated in the actual policy
Mechanism of implementation for the transport and communication policy
The plan will be implemented by approval of policies and practices that go hand in hand with its recommendations. This also applies to development documents to be applied locally.
Agencies involved in the transport and communication policy
Regional Assembly; in the policy, they have indicated that there will be a higher level of pollution and other environmental impacts according to a research that they have done. This is especially in regard to expansion of Heathrow and Gatwick terminals as there were Government recommendations that extra terminals should be built to expand these airports. (DOT, 2003)
This group has done research on how developmental activities will be related to emissions in the region. This is the reason why the issue of expansion of Gatwick and Heathrow are not included in the policy. Regional Assembly believe that if it was implemented, then the Government will not be able to achieve the sustainability targets that they had set in the Sustainable Development Strategy applying to the transport and energy sector.
Government; the government wrote a publication concerning a plan of action for improvement of airport capacity in the region of South East England. This plan of action is to stretch over a period of thirty years. In the policy, the airport developments have been suggested to follow this path.
Appropriateness of policy content in the transport and communication policy
The policy stipulates that priority should be given to development of Southampton airport as a regional airport. Similarly, Kent International Airport’s development is also supported in the plan to boost its potential as a regional airport. Development in Gatwick and Heathrow should only be allowed to specific levels because too much development will cause congestion and adverse environmental impacts. The selection of the two regional airports is an appropriate response. This is because it had earlier been researched by Regional Assembly that other regional airports did not have strategic potential. It was appropriate for them to choose the most suitable one as development for all would not be cost effective and environmentally sustainable. (DOT, 2003)
The policy also emphasises the need for control of development in those areas named above. This is so that there will be sustainable development in the region i.e. there should development that leads to low environmental impacts. This is also a critical part of development in South-East as it goes hand in hand with government regulations however, it should be noted that there was no mention of what the policy considers as environmentally harmful. It simply pronounces that surface access should be reduced but does not point out how.
The policy recommends that there should be a lot of emphasis on policies and practices that facilitate more use of public transport. However examples of these policies and practices have not been stated.
Perhaps the biggest deficiency in this policy is the fact that there are very clear objectives identified but plans of implementation are quite vague. It is very difficult for Local authorities, developers and other stakeholders to get some guidance on how to coordinate, manage and create developmental activities. The recommendations in the South East plan for transport could be interpreted in too many ways. There is a serious lack of details that needs to be addressed. (DOT, 2003)
Conclusion
The South East has Plan has highlighted number of issues for development in the region but housing and transport/communication received special emphasis in the essay. Housing is a relevant issue because houses are too expensive in the region and there are many homeless households. The policy of implementation is centred on provision of affordable housing and talks about distribution. However, one of the omissions of the housing policy is that it does not give details on how theses affordable houses will be designed. It does not include recommendations from other researchers in the region.
The second issue was transport and communication. There is need to address this issue because there is congestion the transport system of South East England. There is also a need to revisit the roles played by some regional airports that are strategically placed. The policy suggests some two airports that should be developed and also places limitations on international airports; this is due to environmental concerns. The biggest flaw in the policy is lack of details on policies and practices it is putting forward. (DOT, 2003)
reference
Government Office for the South East (2006) – The Draft South East Plan
Department of Transport (2003) – White Paper: The Future of Air Transport in the United Kingdom
Government Office for the South East (2005) – Regional Housing Strategy 2006-2009 (Consultation Paper)
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Senate Bill Includes Health Insurance Plan Mandate for Construction Workers
Posted on 29 August 2010 by admin
A centerpiece of the Senate’s healthcare reform legislation is the creation of health insurance mandates. These provisions require employers with over a certain number of employees to either provide a health insurance plan to their staff or pay a fine. Under the current system, a majority of Americans receive health insurance through the firm they work for; reform in both the House of Representatives and the Senate includes federal subsidies to allow others to buy a health insurance plan themselves. Democratic legislators had to balance their goal of insuring as much of the country as possible with minimizing costs. In order to do so, they had to ensure that companies wouldn’t take advantage of the subsidized health insurance exchange markets and drop their existing coverage.
However, those crafting the bills have acknowledged that many small businesses are unable to afford a group health insurance plan for their workforce. Many of these businesses do not currently provide insurance. Therefore, businesses with under 50 employees are exempt from the $750 excise tax. This tax would otherwise be levied on a per-employee basis, if any full-time worker who used a federal subsidy to buy a health insurance plan. Right before the Senate version passed, a new exception was added into the mix.
Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley proposed an addition to protect construction workers. In the construction industry, the majority of firms are smaller than the general threshold: 90 percent of them employ fewer than 20 people. Merkley’s provision limits the exemption for the industry to businesses with under five employees. Contractors who use union labor, regardless of their size, must often spend anywhere from 12.5% to 20% of payroll on a health insurance plan for their workers. Meanwhile, non-union contractors have the option of forgoing health insurance–this allows them to low-ball bids, which supporters of the exception claim will result in an unfair competitive advantage. Employees with the latter firms would have gone uninsured in the past, whereas now the federal government would pick up the tab for subsidizing their health care.
Tradespeople employed by contractors risk their health at a higher rate than typical office workers in other industries. Workplace injuries are more common for plumbers, electricians, construction workers, roofers, carpenters, and those in similar professions. While workman’s compensation insurance is a legal requirement for these firms, it often does not cover the complete expense associated with overuse injuries and other health problems not directly associated with an on-the-job injury. A quality health insurance plan may make them more effective employees in the long run.
Of course, some associations representing the building trades, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Home Builders, are unhappy with the last minute insertion. They believe that the mandate will result in tens of thousands of jobs lost, at a time when the unemployment rate is over 10 percent. Although small businesses will be able to take advantage of two years’ tax credits for buying a health insurance plan, trade associations believe that the credits will be insufficient. Republican Senators are also opposed to what they feel is a high amount of “pork”, or sweetheart deals for certain districts in exchange for votes. The Merkeley provision was, in fact, one of those 11th-hour deals struck by Majority Leader Harry Reid.
The House rejected a similar proposal during its own negotiations last fall. With a smaller majority, the Senate needed to shore up union lobbyist support. That constituency is increasingly concerned with the impact health care reform will have on their existing plans: by extending the length of time insurers must allow adult children to remain on a health insurance plan, as well as eliminating lifetime and annual limits on coverage, their costs will increase significantly. Labor unions also oppose the tax that the Senate plans to impose on the generous “Cadillac” insurance plans more prevalent among union workers. Democrats claim that such a tax is necessary in order to pay for part of the cost of healthcare reform. It remains to be seen if construction workers remain a special case when both chambers of Congress are finished combining their respective bills.
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Yamileth Medina is an up and coming expert on Health Insurance and Healthcare Reform. She aims to help people realize that they can find a quality health insurance plan right now. Yamileth lives in Miami, FL.
Wells Fargo Loan Modification Through Obama’s Home Affordable Plan
Posted on 27 August 2010 by admin
Under the Home Affordable federal subsidy plan, homeowners struggling with their Wells Fargo mortgage may now apply for a loan modification. They have finalized its plans to participate in the Treasury Department’s aggressive loan workaround program. Find out here what is involved, and how to apply.
Borrowers will need to prepare and submit a loan modification application. Qualified borrowers must prove that they meet the standardized approval guidelines. The basics are as follows:
1. The federal subsidy program is available only for owner occupied homes.
2. Your current mortgage must exceed 31% of your gross monthly income.
3. Your mortgage must have originated before January 1, 2009, and total less than $729,750.
4. You must demonstrate a qualifying financial hardship situation.
Under the Wells Fargo loan modification terms, your current mortgage may be modified as follows:
1. The interest rate may be reduced to as little as 2%.
2. The loan’s term may be extended to as long as 40 years.
3. Some of the loan’s principal balance may be deferred.
While not every homeowner will qualify, applicants who complete and submit all paperwork properly, to demonstrate clearly that they meet the approval criteria, are likely to succeed. Above all, borrowers must demonstrate that they are able to pay and maintain the modified mortgage payments. The federal government is encouraging homeowners to work directly with their lending banks, rather than through attorneys or other third-party middlemen, who are likely to charge high fees for their services. The program is straightforward enough for homeowners who do their homework to get the help they need. Apply for a Wells Fargo loan modification to avoid foreclosure on your home, and
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When Your Cobra Coverage Runs Out, You Need a Short-Term Health Insurance Georgia Plan
Posted on 22 August 2010 by admin
According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of adults going without a health insurance Georgia policy has been increasing, due to the perception that costs are too high. One factor that has contributed to this perception is the news that the COBRA subsidy has ended. COBRA requires group health insurance Georgia plans sponsored by companies with 20 or more employees to offer employees an opportunity to extend their health insurance Georgia benefits if their employment is terminated, and under certain other conditions. In addition, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), allowed for a premium reduction, which is the federal subsidy that has just recently ended (May 31st, 2010).
Therefore, unemployed individuals have just now become wholly responsible for the cost of their health insurance Georgia plan monthly premiums. Some people will not be able to continue their group health insurance Georgia plan coverage through COBRA because the costs are too high without the federal subsidy. Group health insurance Georgia plans are more expensive than individual health insurance Georgia plans because groups are prohibited from enrolling high risk members. Since health insurance providers can deny coverage to high risk individuals for individual health insurance Georgia plans, they keep those monthly premiums lower. This is why many individuals will now start considering individual and family health insurance Georgia plans they can buy on the private market, rather than continuing to pay group health insurance Georgia plan premiums.
Of course, it is very important to be aware of your chances to be denied coverage for an individual plans. There are certain health factors that will have a negative effect on your application process. A big obstacle is smoking, and another is being overweight. Your age will also play a factor. Most every insurance provider will raise the premiums for smokers, because smoking has been shown to negatively affect many different health conditions, even possibly leading to lung cancer. Being overweight also can result in diabetes, high blood pressure, and many other health risks. All of these things cost money in medical treatment, so the health insurance Georgia plan premiums for an individual or family member with these factors will be quite high. There is also the chance of denial under these circumstances. If that is the case, then the individual would be better off continuing their group health insurance Georgia plan.
A big concern for a family who believes they can no longer afford their COBRA coverage is to purchase a new health insurance Georgia plan without a gap, in order to keep their continuous creditable coverage. This means that there is no time that the individual or family went without coverage, and it will protect them should a medical condition arise early on in the term of the health insurance Georgia plan.
A Short-Term Health Insurance Georgia Plan Can Help
There are many short-term health insurance Georgia plans available to those who are in between jobs, or recently unemployed, or just cannot afford their current health insurance Georgia COBRA policy. Assurant Health offers a limited-benefit short term medical plan called Health Saver, which is low cost. Many other health insurance Georgia companies also have short-term plans. Coventry Health Care also offers some short-term health insurance Georgia plans.
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Employers Mandated To Provide Health Insurance Plan? Maybe Not
Posted on 19 August 2010 by admin
The newest wrinkle in healthcare reform comes from the Senate. There has been much speculation on the possibility of an employer mandate, which would require that businesses of a certain size offer a health insurance plan to their employees–considered by some as a surefire way to get more Americans insured. However, anonymous Senate officials have told the Associated Press that such a mandate won’t be included in the final Senate bill. Health insurers were counting on such a requirement, in addition to a similar one for individuals, to gain more business. Still, this doesn’t mean that private companies can can feel free to avoid offering more affordable group health insurance to their employees.
According to these sources, there will be penalties levied against large companies whose employees are forced to apply for government subsidies. The subsidies are intended to help people buy individual health insurance on the open market, which tends to cost more than an affordable group health insurance plan. Unlike the Senate Finance Committee’s version of the bill that charged businesses fines based each employee who needed the federal subsidy, this rumored proposal will multiply the fee by a company’s total workforce regardless of how many employees were actually uninsured. It will only apply to companies with over 50 employees, but the fine could be as high as $750. A firm at the small end of that range could see a significant bite into their revenue, if only two or three of their employees applied for the subsidy.
Is this a good strategy? It is unclear. For one thing, most large companies falling under this regulation already offer a health insurance plan to their employees. They may not be ideal, but there are generally comprehensive options available that are at least partially covered by the employer. Therefore, this negative reinforcement doesn’t seem to be necessary. A major percentage of the uninsured population consists of people who work for the small businesses that, combined, employ most Americans in the private sector. The size of their workforces aren’t big enough to allow them to acquire health insurance at the cheaper rates for large groups. Unfortunately, they either have to pass all of the cost onto their employees or forgo offering health insurance altogether. This proposal also won’t be much help to the unemployed, whom will probably be unable to afford health insurance even with subsidies. Granted, it’s possible that the fines levied on big employers will be used to partially fund subsidies for everyone else. It might be a Plan B for Congress if they’re unable to push the public option through.
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Yamileth Medina is an up and coming expert on Health Insurance and Healthcare Reform. She aims to help people realize that they don’t have to go without a health insurance plan while waiting for a public option, if it ever gets passed.
yamileth@vitalonehealth.com
Dems? health plan would limit immigrant aid
Posted on 15 August 2010 by admin
The latest loser in the political pandemonium over health care reform may be immigrants living in America, an estimated 24 million people likely to be bartered in order to win support in Congress from fence-sitting Democratic moderates and conservatives.
Just as House Democratic leaders sacrificed the wishes of abortion-rights activists in a successful gambit to win the votes of anti-abortion Democrats last week, the Senate leadership has included provisions in its health care proposal that would bar any aid to illegal immigrants and would restrict assistance to immigrants residing legally in the United States.
The hesitation to include more immigrants has substantial implications for states like Texas, which has the highest number of uninsured immigrants in the country — at least 1.5 million people, some legal permanent residents, some not, according to an October study by the pro-immigration Migration Policy Institute in Washington.
The concessions to immigration critics have shaken Latino rights groups, who have strongly backed Democratic attempts to overhaul the American health care system.
“Diseases know no boundaries,” says Elena Rios, president of the National Hispanic Medical Association. “The best idea would be to have everyone have health care.”
Tougher than House bill
Hispanic members of the House — there are none in the Senate — are furious. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., calls the Senate provisions “mean-spirited” and “dehumanizing.”
But Senate Democratic leaders feel they have little choice but to make concessions. With no Republicans voicing support for the plan Majority Leader Harry Reid unveiled Wednesday, they need all 58 Democrats and both independents to side with them in a procedural showdown today to prevent a GOP filibuster that would kill any hope of reform. The result: Moderate-to-conservative Democrats such as Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, along with independent Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, effectively have veto power over the bill.
None of those senators represents states with large immigrant populations. According to McClatchy Newspapers, Nelson said Friday that he’d vote to proceed, but stressed that his vote “is not for or against the new Senate health care bill. … It is only to begin debate and an opportunity to make improvements.”
Landrieu and Lincoln, who is seen as the most reluctant holdout, remain undecided.
A look at the legislation
The losers, at least in the legislation as written by Reid, are immigrants.
Like the recently approved House version, the Senate bill would deny federal subsidies to help illegal immigrants buy insurance. But the Senate bill goes further, barring undocumented immigrants from participating in health insurance exchanges — even if they pay full price with their own funds.
The Senate also penalizes legal immigrants, imposing a five-year waiting period before legal residents who are not citizens can access any federal subsidies. The House measure had allowed some low-income, permanent residents to obtain government subsidies to defray health insurance costs.
Medical providers in cities like Houston think that not only immigrants but also taxpayers will be the ultimate victims of a plan that would keep immigrants away from primary doctors and funnel them to public hospitals’ emergency rooms.
“Those problems are not going to go away” unless immigrants can obtain access to primary-care physicians rather than using emergency rooms as a first resort, said David Lopez, CEO of the Harris County Hospital District. “I think it needs to be addressed now.”
America’s deep recession and a regional backlash against immigrants in socially conservative Southern states make the issue politically explosive.
“Public mood for lavish public spending for people who have no right to be in the country has ended,” said Dan Stein, president of the Washington-based Federation for American Immigration Reform, which supports immigration limitations.
Texas has the highest number of uninsured immigrants in the nation, with 54 percent of legal permanent residents uninsured and 70 percent of illegal immigrants uninsured, according to an October study by the Migration Policy Institute in Washington.
‘At the breaking point’
Of Texas’ 6 million uninsured residents, about 1.5 million are not citizens, said Anne Dunkelberg, associate director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities in Austin. About 900,000 to 1 million of those are in the country illegally, while the rest are legal permanent residents.
Health insurance coverage for immigrants was an undercurrent early in the health- reform debate, and many Latino groups remained in the background in a bid to avoid bitter public argument over immigration policy. But the issue burst onto the national stage in September when Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted “You lie!” after President Barack Obama — speaking to a joint session of Congress — promised that health care reforms “would not apply to those who are here illegally.”
“Our health care system is in critical condition as a result of the debt incurred by those living here illegally,” said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble. “We are at the breaking point now because of this abuse, and we simply cannot afford to continue this.”
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How the Revised Renewable Energy Plan Affects Solar Energy
Posted on 15 August 2010 by admin
Copyright (c) 2010 Nadine Davis
If solar technology has been out of your financial reach in the past, 2011 may be the year for you. Changes to the Renewable Energy Target plan are going to make buying solar panels, solar hot water systems and other products more affordable than ever. Find out the details by reading on below.
How Solar Energy Comes into Play:
Beginning on 1 January 2011, the Renewable Energy Target is going to include two parts. The Small Scale Renewable Energy Scheme, or SRES, will cover small scale technologies like solar hot water water systems and solar panels. It will provide $40 per megawatt to homeowners who install these types of products. Investing in solar power products will come with great incentives for homeowners, thanks to this change.
Under the new SRES scheme, a household that installs a 1.5 kilowatt solar panel system in the year 2011 will receive an estimated $6,200 upfront subsidy. The typical solar hot water system will garner homeowners an upfront subsidy of around $1,200. In other words, investing in – and using – solar panel and other products will be more affordable than ever. Since they will reduce energy bills, they are doubly cost effective. Those home owners that have been putting thought behind the purchase of a solar panel system or solar hot water system may choose to wait until the changes come into reality on the 1st of January next year (2011).
Help the Planet and Save Money:
The goal of the revised Renewable Energy Target plan is for 20% of Australia’s energy in 2010 to come from renewable sources. Thanks to the new changes, this goal looks to be more attainable than ever. Its clear to see that these revised items improve the plan, and it’s definitely good news for households who are a little short on cash but would like to do their bit to assist in making this big goal an actuality. If you’re one of them, 2011 is going to be a prime year for finally investing in this eco-friendly technology.
The Large Scale Renewable Energy Target, or LRET, portion of the plan concerns large scale projects like wind farms and geothermal and solar enterprises. Although these organisations are expected to do a lot of the “heavy lifting,” the help of private homes is going to be essential for success. With everyone pitching in, it is hoped that that 20% goal will be met and exceeded. This will help reduce energy costs and, more importantly, will help save and protect the planet. If you’d like to do your own part, you can read more about these changes online.
You can learn more about the great deals to be had on Solar Panel Brisbane systems and other products by talking with an experienced Solar Power Brisbane contractor like Eco-Kinetics. Soon, you’ll be able to take advantage of subsidies that will save you considerable amounts of money on these products.
Abortion in Health Plan Tests a Pennsylvania Senator
Posted on 09 August 2010 by admin
Senator Bob Casey of Pennsylvania wants to talk about health care, Medicare, children’s insurance, a public option — anything but abortion. But that is pretty much impossible because Mr. Casey is the country’s most prominent “pro-life” Democrat. He credits his political career in large part to the popularity of his late father, the anti-abortion firebrand Gov. Bob Casey, who challenged Roe v. Wade all the way to the Supreme Court.
The reputation that came with the Bob Casey name is now turning the senator into a pivotal if reluctant player in one of the most contentious debates in the health care overhaul: how to avoid using taxpayer money for abortion while extending insurance subsidies to millions of Americans. As the only senator committed to remaking health care and opposing abortion, he is the lone senator actively working for a compromise that might defuse the issue, a position that has made him a special target of attacks.
“Both sides shooting at you,” Mr. Casey said Wednesday in an interview.
And both sides draw ammunition from the memory of his father. “I always get comparisons,” Mr. Casey acknowledged, “and often not to my benefit.”
Eager to be known for something besides his father’s fight over abortion, Mr. Casey has publicly avoided the issue for months, working on the abortion provisions behind the scenes with Senate Democratic leaders while devoting his public statements to preserving the current children’s health insurance program.
“I don’t know how many speeches I have given saying, ‘No child worse off,’ ” he said.
But that was before the abortion question blew up in the House of Representatives, threatening ultimately to derail the bill. A group of about 40 Democratic opponents of abortion forced tight restrictions on abortion financing into the chamber’s bill just before passage and are now insisting that those provisions be in the final version of the legislation. Meanwhile, abortion rights supporters are threatening to block any bill that contains the restrictions, though their numbers and resolve have not been tested.
The current Senate bill incorporates the looser provisions preferred by abortion rights supporters. It would require insurers, including the proposed government-run plan, to pay for abortions only with money from private premiums and to keep any federal subsidies in a separate account — an arrangement that abortion opponents call an accounting sham.
The Senate is expected to debate an amendment that would fully bar the use of federal subsidies for any health plan covering abortion just as the House did. Among the 60 senators who typically can be counted on to support Democratic positions, as many as 10 sometimes cross party lines to vote for restrictions on federal financing of abortion.
The Democrats need 60 votes to pass the bill, and one crucial senator, Ben Nelson, Democrat of Nebraska, has said the inclusion of the looser rules on abortion financing would be reason enough for him to block passage, though, unlike Mr. Casey, Mr. Nelson has other objections, too, his spokesman said Wednesday.
The Casey family’s commitment to the Roman Catholic faith is well known. Abortion rights advocates said they were pressing Mr. Casey to lend the special credibility of his family name to validate the idea that the system of segregating the federal money would do enough to block taxpayer financing of abortion, an endorsement that would give cover to other Democrats who oppose abortion. Even his father, they note, was a strong supporter of universal health care.
“I know he feels a lot of pressure from the Catholic bishops, but the bishops did not elect him and a lot of pro-choice women did,” said Laurie Rubiner, a lobbyist for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America who said she met with Mr. Casey for 45 minutes last month to make her case. “He needs to let the Catholic bishops know that what they are doing could bring down the bill.”
Abortion opponents, on the other hand, are reminding Mr. Casey of his father’s vocal opposition to the Clinton administration’s health care proposals because they would finance abortions. The National Right to Life Committee is passing out copies of a fiery speech that the elder Mr. Casey gave on the subject at the National Press Club in July 1994.
Frank Cannon, a Republican consultant, published a column on the Web site of National Review suggesting that the late Mr. Casey would be watching and judging his son from above. “The governor’s son and namesake, the current junior senator from Pennsylvania, will be tested by the standard his father set,” Mr. Cannon wrote.
Mr. Casey took issue with such comparisons. “My father’s situation was a broader argument and broader discussion about the issue,” he said. “This is a huge piece of health care legislation, and what I am trying to do is to recognize that we had a consensus about public funding for abortion, and we are trying to continue that.”
Mr. Casey said he set his course on the issue last summer, when the question came before him in the Senate health committee. He broke with his party to vote in favor of an amendment adding the same abortion restrictions as the House bill. But when the amendment failed narrowly, he voted to approve the resulting bill anyway.
In a statement when the Senate opened debate last Saturday, he repeated that he thought the current segregated-accounts provisions still fell short of avoiding taxpayer financing of abortion and “will require more work as the bill is debated on the Senate floor.” But he again stopped short of threatening to vote against the measure as it is.
Senate Democratic aides and outside advocates, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the legislation was still being shaped, have said for weeks that Mr. Casey and his staff members were quietly conferring with Senate Democratic leaders about modifying the bill in a way that might make it easier for those opposed to abortion to support.
Among the ideas said to have been discussed were removing a requirement that an insurance plan covering abortion be available in every market, precluding the government-run insurer from paying for the procedure, or fortifying the accounting rules to segregate any federal subsidies from abortion payments. Mr. Casey declined to give details but confirmed that he had been working since the summer to persuade Senate leaders and others to revise the provision. But, he said, he had met little success so far.
“Human nature being what it is, people don’t want to acknowledge that a problem exists when they know they have 35 other problems to deal with,” Mr. Casey said. “Like everything else, hindsight is 20-20.”
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Equipment manufacturing industry in driving engineering machinery industry upgrade plan
Posted on 26 July 2010 by admin
Equipment manufacturing restructuring and revitalization of the Regulations issued
HC Engineering Machinery Network Equipment manufacturing industries for the national economy to provide a strategic technology and equipment industry, industry association and high, strong ability to absorb employment, capital-intensive technology is the industry, industrial upgrading and technological progress of the important security and embodies the comprehensive national strength .
To deal with international Financial Impact of the crisis, the implementation of the CPC Central Committee, State Council on the capital growth, expand domestic demand, readjusting the structure of the general requirements, to ensure the smooth development of equipment manufacturing industry, speed up structural adjustment, enhance independent innovation capability, enhance the level of autonomy, promote industrial upgrading, especially the preparation of the planning, equipment manufacturing as an integrated response to the action.
Proposed high-speed rail planning, urban Track Road transportation construction, coal mining and other key project areas of focus to the progressive realization of products manufactured in China, and as soon as possible to enhance fundamental parts, large castings and forgings and special raw materials and other ancillary products of technology. Established as soon as the first (set) made equipment risk compensation mechanisms; increase the export credit systems; support equipment manufacturing joint restructuring of key enterprises.
Construction Machinery Within the equipment manufacturing industry as one of the most important sub-sector, its development will be directly affected by the development of equipment manufacturing industry. This time, the revitalization plan for the settlement of construction machinery and equipment manufacturing related fields such as industrial upgrading, technological advances, the market survival of the fittest, and key Parts Bottleneck will be a breakthrough technology “direct benefit” of good news.
1, equipment manufacturing industry in planning the content and interpretation
1.1 Planning the content of the equipment manufacturing industry
2009 5 12, the State Council Office of the official release equipment manufacturing restructuring and revitalization plan for the 2009-2011 planning period. The plan put forward in order to maintain stable production and operation of the equipment manufacturing industry, increase the value of the proportion of the country’s total industrial added value increased gradually; to improve the quality of domestic equipment levels, making the rate of domestic equipment to meet the domestic market stable at 70%; the formation of furniture there is international competition power industry and trade integration of large enterprise groups, forming a group to participate in international division of labor “specialized, refined, and unique” specialized parts and components manufacturers.
The program has four main tasks:
(A) relying on ten key projects in the field, the revitalization of the equipment manufacturing industry. Ten areas in the efficient and clean power generation, ultra high voltage power transmission, coal and metal ore extraction, pipeline and liquefied natural gas storage, transport, high-speed rail, urban rail transport, agriculture and the rural, infrastructure, ecological environment and people’s livelihood and the major science and technology special. In these ten areas, most of them are related to construction machinery industry.
(B) seize the nine industries key projects, implementation of the autonomy of equipment. Plan that will rely on other sectors of industry self-revitalization plan to advance technology equipment.
(C) enhance the level of the four complementary manufacturing and consolidate the basis for industrial development. Plan that will focus on the development of large castings and forgings, basic components, processing aids and special raw materials.
(D) promoting the seven priorities, changes in industry, mode of development. Plan that will accelerate the adjustment of industrial structure. Focus on supporting key enterprises cross-industry equipment manufacturing, trans-regional, cross-ownership structures, and gradually form a general contracting, system integrators, international trade and financing capacity of large-scale enterprise group. At the same time, also called for greater capacity for independent innovation, improve professional standards.
The plan also specifies the relevant policy support measures. Among them, the central budget investment projects to support innovation technologies and equipment; establish the use of domestic first (set) equipment risk compensation mechanism to encourage insurance companies to carry out domestic first (set) of major technical equipment insurance; development, “the equipment manufacturing industry technological progress and technical transformation project and product catalog, “support the use of domestic first pieces (sets) of major technical equipment.
Plan also said it will improve the export tax rebate policy, appropriately increasing the part of the high-tech, high value-added export tax rebate rate of equipment. Subsidies for energy-saving products with good funds, the purchase of energy efficient equipment, products, end-user subsidies, first launched in 2009 to promote the application of efficient motor subsidies. Carry out the work well Agricultural Machinery With purchase subsidies, early cash home.
1.2 Interpretation of the equipment manufacturing industry planning
Equipment manufacturing industries for the national economy, technology and equipment of all strategic industries, reflecting a country’s economic and technological power. Academic Committee of NDRC told the Secretary-General Miss Song Qun planning content and planning of the related industries in detail the meaning of interpretation.
In general, the introduction of the revitalization plan is in an extraordinary stage. During this period, the entire national economy by the international economic and financial crisis of enormous impact, “economic crisis” in 2008 to the year 2009, more than a keyword. And the planning and revitalization plan in 2006, compared with four features.
First of all, this time more focused on the revitalization of the planning objectives, respectively, in three areas: 1, equipped with the revitalization of the industry to rely on key projects. 2, to increase the technological transformation and accelerate the ability of independent innovation and system building. 3, with emphasis on inter-firm merger, reorganization, restructuring.
Followed by more focused. The revitalization plan emphasized the project’s large scale equipment, the localization of key projects. There are also automation equipment. In addition, there are basic components of matching the level of product technology and products to improve the focus will be more prominent.
Again is the revitalization of planning tasks more explicit. In 2006 about 16 crucial areas, the proposed six areas of localization of major projects that focus on promoting the domestic. There are three industries that Steel , Automotive and textile, focus on increasing level of automation. Also raised a number of large castings, components of these products and technologies based on components level. Finally, the revitalization of
planning more targeted measures. One is for the current financial crisis affecting the entire industry, will also bring some opportunities. How do we seize the opportunity to improve their skills, enhance independent innovation capability of enterprises, more targeted in this regard.
Second aspect, the combination of the introduction of the 4 trillion investment plan, relying on key projects to promote the technical level of major technical equipment and the level of development. Song group planning and revitalization of the Secretary-General think that this compared to 2006, equivalent to highlight the four “more” means “head
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