Public option and mandatory coverage considered; WL Commissioner Fleenor makes stunning announcement; Back to School!

Public Option and mandatory health coverage under discussion..

U-S Senator Ron Wyden wrapped up his swing through the state during the congressional recess with a town hall meeting in Florence over the weekend. The main topic, as at dozens of town halls held around the country, was health care reform. When lawmakers get back to work this week, they’ll find four competing bills on the subject in the U.S. Senate. One of those bills, S.B. 391, was introduced before the break by Wyden and, he says, it has bi-partisan support.
202 – “Co-sponsored by 15 US Senators, evenly divided, pretty much, between the Democrats and the Republicans.”

The main key to the “Healthy Americans Act” is that it would require all Americans to have some form of health insurance, while allowing some to opt out. Wyden says it contains key provisions…
203 – “Gives everybody more choices which is the key to competition and holding down costs.”

One area of contention in the current debate has been whether or not that coverage should be provided by the government.
204 – “I’ve said that I’m open to a public option. I’m open to any kind of delivery system, you know, public option, private option, as long as they contain costs.”

Congress will take up the health care debate again this week.

Pointing out that he’s only about two-thirds of the way through his term, Bill Fleenor says he has yet to achieve his most significant accomplishment as a Lane County Commissioner. The Mapleton resident stunned many, including those closest to him, when he announced last week that he would not seek re-election to the five-member panel. Fleenor did recite a list of some of the things that he set out to do and accomplished. Among those, increasing the level of involvement between county government and residents. He used a number of means to achieve this, including passage of a ‘good governance’ order at the board level; opening and maintaining a district office mostly at his own expense; holding hundreds of town hall meetings; and working with individual constituents as an advocate when they would run into bureaucratic hurdles. Fleenor says his reason for not running again was a personal decision and he declined to elaborate. But, he added, he does expect some – quote – “heavy lifting” in the months remaining and he’s committed to maintaining his workload and intensity as he continues the remaining 16-months in his term.

It’s the first day of school in Western Lane and Douglas Counties… that means dozens of yellow school busses are on streets and roads. More important though, are the hundreds of students, some as young as five-years old waiting alongside those streets and roads for those busses. Police say they’ll be focusing on areas near schools, paying special attention to school zone traffic. They’ll also, no doubt, be watching as the students stream to schools in Florence, Mapleton and Reedsport each morning this week, and then again as they head home in the afternoon.

TAKING A LOOK INTO COAST RADIO SPORTS:

Northwest League Baseball:
The Tri-City Dust Devils made quick work of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes with a two-run shutout last night in the opening game of the Northwest League Championship Series. Game two of that series is set for tonight in Pasco, Washington.

On the Schedule:
The prep sports season gets underway officially for local schools as the Mapleton Sailors open up on the road with Mountain West League Volleyball in Eugene against the Oak Hill Falcons in Eugene. The Reedsport Braves Cross Country team will be on the course today as well for the Tugman Invitational in Lakeside.