People, Places & Events

Hensarling aide outlines health care legislation
By Kerry Yancey
Monitor Staff Writer
GUN BARREL CITY–One of the hot-button issues in Washington, D.C. this year is health care.
A reform bill now under consideration is worrisome, due to the anticipated costs, Cedar Creek Lake Kiwanis members heard at their weekly luncheon June 24.
Richard Sanders, aide to U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling, met with Kiwanis members to discuss pending health care reform efforts.
“Everyone does have the ability to get health care when they need it at the emergency room,” Sanders said. “However, that is the highest-cost care available.”
Folks without health insurance coverage typically do not have the ability to get preventative health care, in order to avoid illness before it strikes, because of the high costs involved, he said.
“The bill we’re debating now is 852 pages long,” Sanders said. The bill should pass the House of Representatives, but may get bogged down in the Senate, he added.
“It’s possible the bill could cost about 4.7 million jobs, because of the costs to small business it will require,” he said. “That’s the problem we see with mandatory (health) coverage.”
While many in Congress don’t object to providing health care cost savings for low-income families, “low income as defined in the bill is $88,200,” Sanders said.
Providing complete coverage to the 50 million people without health care coverage or inadequate coverage could cost as much as $1.6 trillion, in a time when federal budget deficits are running more than $1 trillion per fiscal year.
The U.S. issues debt notes – such as Treasury bonds – to come up with the money, but those notes eventually will need to be paid off.
“(Hensarling) is very concerned about leaving this sea of red ink for our children and grandchildren,” Sanders said. “Our national debt in 1974 was $4.5 trillion. Now, it’s about $13 trillion.
“We would like everyone to have access to health care, but we need to be able to pay for it,” he added. “The cost, right now, is a major problem for us.”
A major problem with one-payer health care systems, such as the government-funded systems used in England and Canada, is that some health care has to be rationed.
“If you need something, because of your age, you might not get it,” Sanders warned.
Also, if health care was extended to all of the 50 million people currently without health care, “there aren’t enough doctors to go around,” he pointed out.
Another concern is the cost of cleaning up carbon emissions. A tax on carbon emissions is included in a energy bill under consideration (and narrowly passed by the House last weekend).
Sanders said the $646 billion cost of the energy bill could raise Texans’ utility costs anywhere between $1,600 and $3,100 a year.
“(Hensarling) is very concerned about clean air and clean water, but we have to do that at a level we can afford,” Sanders said. “It could cost between 130,000 and 377,000 jobs in Texas alone.”
Those job losses point out another major problem for the federal government – revenues from taxes and fees are down at a time when federal spending is up sharply.
“China owns most of our debt, and at some point, we don’t know if we’ll be able to count on China to continue to buy our debt,” Sanders noted.
“We could have a lot of the things we need, if we could cut out most of the waste and fraud,” he added.
In club news, members were reminded there would be no meeting July 1, and they would meet in conjunction with the monthly chamber of commerce luncheon July 9.
At the club’s next meeting, Wednesday, July 15, a speaker will be providing information about the upcoming 2010 U.S. Census.
The following week, club members will accept an invitation to hold their July 22 weekly luncheon at the Cedarview House assisted living center.

Disabled vets receive property tax relief in Texas
Special to The Monitor
AUSTIN–Military veterans who are totally disabled or cannot work because of service-related injuries will pay no property taxes on their homes under a new tax exemption approved by the Legislature.
“Texas has done the right thing by providing property tax relief for our military men and women who have served their country and paid a heavy price,” Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said.
House Bill 3613 provides an exemption of the total appraised value of the homesteads of Texas veterans who have received a 100 percent disability rating or are considered unemployable by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The new law is effective for the 2009 tax year, and swift action is necessary to update local property tax rolls and ensure eligible veterans receive the new tax break.
Eligible disabled veterans must apply for the tax exemption through their county appraisal district.
An application form for veterans and appraisal districts to use can be found on the Comptroller’s Web site at http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/taxforms/vetexempt.pdf.
Veterans may also need to contact their mortgage lenders to adjust their escrow payments.

Independence Day Events
Monitor Staff Reports
CEDAR CREEK LAKE–This year, the nation is celebrating its 233rd birthday with holiday events all weekend. Here is a list of activities to assist you in planning your own Independence Day celebrations.
• Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake Pilots Party – A family-centered event starting at 6 p.m. Friday, July 3, at the Pavilion at The Pinnacle Golf and Boat Club in Payne Springs. Great food, music and dancing, pilot autographs and pictures. Tickets are $35 for adults and $15 for children. Call Bob O’Neil at (903) 681-4546 or order tickets on-line at ccveteransfoundation.org/AirShowTickets.php.
• Free Breakfast for military personnel, veterans and First Responders at 8 a.m. Saturday, July 4, at the First Baptist Church of Eustace, located at 209 Meredith St.
• Aircraft Display, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at the Historic Aviation Memorial Museum, Pounds Air Field, 150 Airport Drive, Tyler. For more information, call (903) 526-1945 or e-mail hamf1941@att.net
• A Tea Party in protest of federal policies and tax increases is set for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at the intersection of Harbor Point Drive and West Main Street near Gun Barrel City Hall. Bring tea bags, stamps and envelopes.
• VFW Post 4376 is hosting a freedom program and dinner in honor of returning soldier Mitch Kincaid. The patriotic program begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 4, with a musical presentation by Girls Scout Troop 3572. A free dinner of ham and all the fixings to follow.
• Four Mile Fourth of July begins at 3 p.m. Saturday, July 4, at Four Mile Lutheran, located off FM 90, 11 miles north of Mabank, with a worship service, followed by various events all day. The 161-year tradition of celebrating the fourth with a fund-raiser will benefit the Prairieville Fire Station and the church cemetery. At 5 p.m. an all-you-can-eat hamburger barbecue for $5 begins. Continuous live entertainment, a silent auction, bingo and a free water slide for the kids will be available, along with a bounce house, dunking booth, horseshoes, games of skill, prizes and fireworks.
•A July Fouth Celebration starts at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 4, in the Kemp City Park with a parade at 6 p.m.
• Thunder Over Cedar Creek Lake air show gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 4. Premium seating is available for $50 to $100 at The Pinnacle Club, with proceeds benefiting the Cedar Creek Veterans Foundation. Others view the air show from the lake on boats. To reserve a seat, call Bob O’Neil at (903) 681-4546, or order tickets on-line at ccveteransfoundation.org/AirShowTickets.php. A fireworks display follows the air show.
• Seven Points Volunteer Firefighters Fourth of July hosts a free fireworks show with support from local business owners. Gather at the park and library parking lot for best views of the display, which begins at dark-thirty, Saturday, July 4.
• The Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center hosts an Independence Day event with free admission after 4 p.m. Saturday, July 4, with free fishing right up until half an hour before the free Fireworks at the Fishery show begins, one of the largest fireworks displays in East Texas. Food venders will be set up most the day. The gift shop booth will sell ice cream and assorted souveniers and glow-in-the-dark items. The Center will open at 9 a.m. Prohibited in the park are pets, alcohol, tobacco products and private fireworks, including “snap caps” and sparklers. The Center is located next to Lake Athens. The event is accessible for the mobility impaired. For more information, call the Center at (903) 676-3377.