Category: Sarah Shemkus
It’s Not Easy Being Green
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14-Garry Barney hasn’t had to pay an electric bill since last March.
Before he installed an array of 18 solar panels on the roof of his Rochester home, Barney’s electric bill averaged $100 each month. After going solar in December 2003, he watched his bill drop steadily until it finally disappeared entirely early this year.
“I was tired of paying my electric bills,” Barney said, explaining why he turned to solar power. “They kept going up and up and up.”
With residential electricity prices in Massachusetts 13 percent higher now than they were a year ago, Barney is not alone in seeking sustainable alternatives to conventional retail utilities. The global market for photovoltaics, the solar technology that powers Barney’s house, has grown by an average of 35 percent each year since 2001, according to Noah Kaye, spokesman for the Solar Energy Industries Association.
In Massachusetts alone there are now close to 500 photovoltaic installations-29 in the South Shore area-that power everything from fire stations and high schools to churches and low-income housing, according to data from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, a state agency for renewable energy development. More than 65 percent of these systems provide electricity to private residences.
“Interest increases whenever conventional prices increase,” Kaye said, noting that there haven’t been similar levels of interest in solar power since the oil embargoes of the 1970s. “Many people feel we are in an energy crisis again-one that we may not be able to turn back from.”
Local solar professionals also have noticed an uptick in business. Herbert Aikens, the owner of Lighthouse Electrical Contracting, a Pembroke-based solar installation company, said he noticed interest increasing about three years ago, and more recently, he added, it has only intensified.
“Over the last two years it has really started to pick up,” Aikens said. “Oil cost probably has a lot to do with it.”
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita also have contributed to the growing interest, said Nancy Hazard, executive director of Northeast Sustainable Energy Association, a renewable energy education and advocacy group. Not only did the storms leave surging oil and natural gas prices in their wake, she said, they also sparked public awareness about the importance of clean energy.
“People started understanding a little better the connection between energy use and climate change,” Hazard said. “They were all of a sudden motivated to find a better way to meet their energy needs.”
Many reports this summer theorized that global warming was a major contributor to the devastating hurricanes. Burning oil, coal,or natural gas for electricity releases gases that can contribute to this type of climate change.
Photovoltaic technology, in contrast, converts the sun’s energy directly into electricity. Because there are no emissions, solar power is clean and non-polluting.
Another major factor encouraging this growth is the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that was signed into law in August. Provisions of the legislation provide tax incentives to consumers and businesses that install solar power systems in their homes and facilities.
Under the bill, which was pushed heavily by President Bush, homeowners who install photovoltaic systems are eligible for a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of installation. The incentive applies to systems installed throughout 2006 and 2007, and the total allowable credit is capped at $2,000 for this entire period.
“The energy bill was an historic step by the federal government to recognize the potential of solar energy to make a major contribution to the United States’ energy supply,” Kaye said.
Evidence indicates that the incentives are working. Since the bill became law, Aikens said, he has noticed a slight increase in inquiries. The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, which offers rebates for renewable energy projects, gave out $256,000 in grants in October-more than triple the amount awarded in April.
Though the potential benefits of solar energy-opportunities for savings, social responsibility, increased energy independence-are compelling, there are also serious challenges.
One common concern in the Northeast is that the region might not experience enough sunlight to generate sufficient power. However, while New England, with its notoriously fickle weather, is not the ideal environment for the use of photovoltaics, solar energy can still be an attractive option.
Because the cost of retail electricity is significantly higher in the Northeast than in the southern states-the average price in Massachusetts in 2005 is 40 percent higher than in Florida, according to the Energy Information Administration-there is a greater incentive for New Englanders to investigate alternative options, experts said.
“We may have cold weather and we do have some cloud cover,” Hazard explained, “but also our energy prices tend to be higher, so the cost equation is quite positive.”
Nor does the comparatively limited sunlight need to be an obstacle.
“The entire United States has, as a whole, very good solar resources,” Kaye said.
During the sunnier summer months, in fact, Barney is able to power his entire house with his solar array. The extra electricity he generates is sent back into the public grid, for which he receives credit against future bills that he may incur during the sunlight-deprived winter months, a practice called net metering.
Barney said that he expects to pay “a little bit” for electricity in December, January, and February, but that he anticipates being self-sufficient again by March.
Cost-effectiveness is, perhaps, the main question many consumers have about solar power.
Barney, one of the recipients of funds from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative’s Small Renewable Initiative, estimates that the money has reduced the out-of-pocket cost of his system from $35,000 to $10,000 or even less.
The initiative offers rebates of up to $50,000 for residential and small commercial renewable energy installations. The goal of the program is to facilitate the addition of more than 400 new renewable energy projects statewide.
Barney is unsure, however, if the results of his installation ultimately will be worth the expense.
“The jury’s still out on that,” he said. “I originally estimated that in seven or eight years it would pay for itself. Without the grant money it probably wouldn’t be worth it-the payback would be way too long.”
Maintenance costs also can add to the total expense, Barney explained.
The price tag, however, continues to shrink, said Kaye, who estimated that the cost of solar power has dropped 95 percent since the 1970s and may be comparable to conventional retail electricity within ten years.
“A typical [photovoltaic] system without incentives can be comparable [in cost] to buying a used car,” Kaye said. “But it’s also like buying a used car with all the gas you’ll ever need in it.”
In addition, federal and state initiatives can ease some of the financial burden.
“Tax incentives, the rebates and loan guarantees can reduce the cost substantially,” Kaye said.
Massachusetts is, in fact, among the states with the best collection of renewable energy policies and incentives, according to rankings by the Union of Concerned Scientists. In addition to net metering provisions, the commonwealth has a renewable energy fund and comprehensive standards to encourage development of sustainable energy resources.
These provisions have earned the state a second-place ranking by the scientists’ group y for total standards and funding.
State law also requires electricity companies to disclose to customers the fuel mix and environmental impact of their product.
Indeed, policies that support renewable energy development can be a key factor in growth, despite other obstacles. Experts point to New Jersey, a northeastern state with weather patterns similar to those of Massachusetts. New Jersey’s renewable energy policies, widely considered the nation’s most progressive, have been given credit for the state’s rapid clean power growth rate.
The progress has not been without controversy, however. Many have criticized the national energy bill as offering too little support for renewable energy while continuing to provide inappropriate subsidies to fossil fuel industries.
“We felt like [the bill] was basically just a collection of subsidies and tax breaks to oil companies that are already experiencing record profits,” said Tiernan Sittenfeld, legislative director for the League of Conservation Voters, a national environmental advocacy group based in Washington. “It would do nothing to reduce our dependence on foreign oil.”
The $14.5 billion energy bill includes $1.3 billion in tax incentives for energy conservation and efficiency. However, no more than $55 million of that total is designated for solar projects. In contrast, fossil fuel provisions received $5.6 billion, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“It is largely a compilation of wish lists for energy industries,” said Dave Hamilton, spokesman for the Sierra Club. Despite including some incentives for renewable energy, he said, “it was nothing that changed the playing field.”
For Hazard, the issue of renewable energy comes down to a matter of determining and implementing national priorities.
“We want [our energy] to be secure, we want it to be affordable, we want it to advance our quality of life,” Hazard said. “I think we really need to step back, take a longer view, look at what we want as a society and make investments in energy that will deliver those qualities.”
Barney Frank: What It Means to Be a Liberal
WASHINGTON, Nov. 22-Barney Frank is outraged. And he wants everyone to know why.
Standing in front of a gaggle of reporters and congressional staffers in a small room on Capitol Hill, he grips the podium tightly with one hand and uses the other to gesture sternly at a chart that illustrates the source of his indignation-the sky-rocketing pay rates for corporate executives.
"I have not discovered a race of super-beings," he says, "who deserve this astronomical compensation."
Though the issue isn't as headline-grabbing as terrorism or avian flu, Frank speaks zealously and doesn't mince words. Even when answering questions from reporters, his responses are tightly reasoned and display the exhaustive knowledge and lightning-quick wit that have led him to be named one of Congress' brainiest and funniest congressmen in a recent Washingtonian poll of Capitol Hill staffers.
"He's always intense," said Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.) who has served in the House with Frank for seven years, and has known him for more than 25 years. "He knows how serious this is. The issues we deal with down here are not jokes and the impact things have is very real. He understands that."
Since Frank was first elected to the House in 1980-the same year Ronald Reagan won the White House-he has seen the Democrats lose control of Congress, defended a president in impeachment proceedings, and witnessed nationwide ideological shifts. Throughout it all, however, he has remained a constant force: fiercely intellectual, devastatingly sharp, and, above all, unabashedly liberal.
Being a liberal "means you are for an economic policy which seeks to reduce the inequality that the capitalist system produces," Frank said, explaining a political position that has not always been popular during his tenure in Congress.
"It means that you think the government should protect people against being treated poorly because of some characteristic of their personality that shouldn't be a problem for anybody else."
Frank's political passions come, at least in part, from his upbringing. Born in 1940 in Bayonne, N.J., Frank was raised by parents he describes as "very political." On Saturday nights, the family-Frank is one of four children-would buy the Sunday editions of the major area newspapers. Everybody, Frank said, read the papers.
"We had the enormous good fortune of being raised by parents that took politics seriously," said Frank's sister Ann Lewis, the director of communications for Friends of Hillary, Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-N.Y.) re-election effort. "Growing up we knew that who governed was important-talking about it, thinking about it-it was something that mattered."
One of Frank's earliest political memories is watching the Senate organized crime hearings held by Senator Estes Kefauver in the early 1950s on television and later the Army-McCarthy hearings.
After graduating from Harvard University in 1962, Frank did graduate work in political science before joining the staff of newly-elected Boston mayor Kevin White in 1968. In 1972 he was elected to the Massachusetts state legislature, where he served for eight years. He also completed a law degree at Harvard before winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1980, replacing Father Robert Drinan, who retired.
Despite his election, 1980 was a bad year for the Democrats. It was a landmark election in which many senior congressional Democrats lost bids for re-election and the balance of power shifted from Democrats to Republicans.
"[It] was the worst year for the Democrats before 1994," Frank said, drawing a comparison to the year in which Republicans regained control of the House for the first time in nearly 50 years. "A lot of liberals got defeated that year.and Reagan was in there and he was very popular."
Though the political climate was tending towards the right, the decidedly left-leaning congressman quickly made his mark, earning a reputation for a disarming sense of humor, thorough knowledge of the issues, and remarkable debating abilities.
"I consider him one of the best, if not the best legislator, in the entire Congress. He is probably the best debater," said Rep. Chris Shays (R-Conn.), a fellow congressman of Frank's for 19 years, and a colleague on the Financial Services Committee.
When President Clinton was impeached in 1998, Frank was one of his most vocal defenders.
"Not only was he smart, but he weathered his own scandal and knew what tricks were coming," said Bart Everly, a filmmaker who got to know Frank while filming a documentary about the congressman in the late 1990s.
In 1987, Frank publicly revealed that he was gay and was re-elected with 70 percent of the vote in the following election. In 1990, Frank was reprimanded, but not censured, by Congress after it was revealed that he had employed as a personal aide a male escort who was living in his house and running a prostitution service. Following his punishment by the House, Frank received 66 percent of the vote in the next election.
"All of his skeletons were out of the closet," Everly said. "Other people were scared of the Republican attack machine." But not Frank.
Frank has been re-elected 13 times, garnering at least 70 percent of the vote most years. Last year, he received 78 percent of the vote in his bid to represent the state's Fourth District in Congress.
Though Frank is known for standing firm on his principles, his colleagues note that he is also a fair negotiator.
"I think of Barney as being pretty much a moderate to liberal member, but I don't think of him as an ideologue," said Shays, a moderate Republican who often attempts to reach out to Democrats to find consensus on issues. "He's very comfortable finding the center ground."
This combination of ideology and pragmatism has made Frank a frequent spokesman for his party. As ranking member of the Financial Services Committee, he has a reputation for working productively with Rep. Michael Oxley, the committee's Republican chairman. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) calls Frank a "warhorse-someone we repeatedly go to to carry the banner for the Democrats."
Frank also has the respect of trade and labor groups.
"Anytime there have been issues [important to New Bedford], he's been very responsive," said Jim Mathes, president of the New Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce. "You'd be hard pressed to find someone with better constituent service."
Frank's popularity extends even beyond the borders of his district. On a recent visit to the capital, Nicole Harrington of Lanesboro in western Massachusetts stopped by Frank's office even though he is not her representative.
"It's really admirable for someone to be in his position and be so open about his choices," Harrington said.
And among the donors to Frank's re-election campaign are award-winning authors, Broadway producers, and notable playwrights from places as close as Cambridge and as far away as California.
"He espouses many compassionate ideals that I share and respect," said Robert Lopez, a contributor to Frank's campaign and one of the creators of the Broadway musical Avenue Q . "He has also been an outspoken opponent of the increasingly rabid right-wing Republican majority."
Frank's style-a businesslike approach to politics leavened with moral outrage and sharp sarcasm-may be one reason for his wide appeal. At a recent press conference, he spoke in detail about the laws that govern executive compensation, but it wasn't until he noted that a particular idea "makes intelligent design look like really hard science" that he really won the room.
Speaking about the ongoing debate surrounding the intelligence that supported the decision to go to war in Iraq, Frank has quipped that "the problem with the war in Iraq is not so much the intelligence as the stupidity."
"He's so bright that he is able to understand what people are saying, then . he is able to throw it back at you in ways that can tie your tongue," Shays said.
This sense of humor has been apparent in Frank since his youth, said Lewis, and is not just a part of a public persona.
"What you see in public is what we see in private-he is smart, he is funny, he is quick-he is also extra warm and loving to children in the family," Lewis said.
Indeed the walls and shelves of Frank's office display framed pictures of his nieces and nephews and their children. A handmade, and well-worn, paper nameplate on his desk reads "Uncle Barney" in a childish scrawl.
Family, said Frank, has been important to him politically as well as emotionally. In the early 1980s, his mother appeared in campaign ads for her son, his brother was his campaign manager and his younger sister acted as campaign treasurer, a position she still holds.
"My campaigns are a family affair," Frank said.
Frank is occasionally perceived to be surly, a phenomenon some attribute to his intensity and an impatience with those who are less serious about important issues. He doesn't say goodbye before hanging up the phone and he eschews small talk.
"He doesn't suffer fools gladly and he doesn't go in for niceties," said Everly, adding that "I think it's fun for him on a certain level."
It is, then, in keeping that Frank is brutally forthright about his political opinions. The congressional vote on the Terri Schiavo case was "one of the most unpopular things I've seen this place do in a long time," he said, and the war in Iraq has been "incompetently handled." Tax cuts? "A disaster for the country."
And while other politicians play it coy about their ambitions to higher office, Frank openly admits that he was planning to run for John Kerry's Senate seat if Kerry had won the presidency.
Though Frank said that President Bush "used the prestige and political leverage that he gained from Sept. 11 to move the country further to the right than it wanted to go," the congressman also expressed hope that Americans were starting to understand and object to some of the administration's policies.
"I think where we are is a period of awakening," Frank said. "Saying 'I did it because George Bush needed me' has now become a liability more than an asset."
Frank said that he thinks this political evolution will give Democrats an "increasingly good chance" to regain control of the House next year, an event that would make him the chairman of the Financial Services Committee.
"That's a dream job for me," Frank said, "to get us back to the housing business and working with the financial services industry constructively while also helping consumers."
Frank hopes he'll get that chance soon, but in the meantime he'll keep using his signature brains and wit to fight the Republicans from the trenches.
"I think Barney is the quintessential legislator-he's good at it, he enjoys the process, he's well-respected by everybody, even those who don't agree with him," Capuano said. "And he's fun."
Sex Education and the Teen Pregnancy Rate
WASHINGTON, Nov. 15-Sarah Brown, director of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, has some good news.
At a seminar last week at the National Academies, an organization that advises the federal government on issues of science, engineering and medicine, Brown said that national teen pregnancy rates have declined by one third since 1991. She attributed the phenomenon to two main factors: the number of teens engaging in sexual intercourse is down and contraceptive use among adolescents is up.
But Brown also had a warning.
"Whatever the progress, do not be lulled into a sense of complacency," she said. "Celebrate the progress, but do not give up and go home."
South Coast schools seem to have gotten the message. Though the number of teen births also has been declining in New Bedford and Fall River, the two cities are still struggling with rates much higher that the state average. To combat this trend, they have merged comprehensive sex education curricula with a pro-abstinence message.
"Abstinence-first puts abstinence as the most healthy choice an adolescent can make," said Denise Gaudette, spokeswoman for New Bedford's health education program.
However, citing data from a youth risk behavior survey of the city's students, she noted that "many students are not abstinent, even at middle-school age. So we have to be realistic in meeting their needs."
Though abstinence-only education has been the subject of national controversy, the comprehensive approach taken by New Bedford and Fall River closely matches national opinion. More than 80 percent of teens and 75 percent of adults nationwide believe that adolescents should be getting more education about both abstinence and contraception, Brown said.
Both promoting the importance of abstinence and offering education about contraceptive are intended to encourage the behaviors that Brown linked to the nation's declining teen pregnancy numbers.
New Bedford begins human sexuality education in sixth grade with basic information about anatomy and puberty, Gaudette explained, before moving on to teaching about sexually transmitted diseases later in middle school. Pregnancy prevention is addressed in ninth grade and an elective health course is offered in higher grades.
"We provide information across the spectrum, so all adolescents understand what they have to do to protect themselves from disease and unwanted pregnancy," Gaudette said.
The Fall River school system, which also considers its program abstinence-based, begins teaching puberty information in fifth grade. In middle and high school, students receive education that covers a range of topics from the emotional and physical risks of sexual activity to contraceptive use, refusal skills and dating violence.
"It's important to. encourage kids to wait," said Sue Sterrett, health coordinator for Fall River schools. "But so many are sexually active that you really want to talk about safety and helping them make better choices."
Teachers of Fall River's middle-school curriculum were trained by Abstinence Challenging Teens in Our Neighborhoods, or A.C.T.I.O.N., a program of Catholic Social Services for the Diocese of Fall River.
Abstinence education is not just about saying no, explained Steven Gangloff, the coordinator of the program.
"There's a strong focus on. building character, communication, commitment, relationship-building," Gangloff said. "Choosing to wait can actually build the trust and the bond in relationships."
Although the program is associated with the Catholic diocese, the material taught in public schools does not contain religious teaching, Gangloff said.
Though comprehensive studies have not yet been done, available evidence suggests that a program that includes information on contraceptive use is likely to be more effective in delaying sex and increasing contraceptive use, Brown said.
Education programs are only a small part of the equation, however, Brown said, because questions of sexual morality and responsibility are larger social issues.
"This is really a war over American cultural values," Brown said. "Programs help, but I just don't think we can hang our hats on that intervention alone."
‘Two-hundred Million to Run a Corporation?’
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10-Rep. Barney Frank and Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin introduced legislation Thursday that they said would help control skyrocketing executive salaries and increase accountability at public companies.
"Corporations brag about cost controls, but they also brag about how much they pay their executives," Frank said at a press conference introducing the Protection Against Executive Compensation Abuse Act. "I have not discovered a race of super-beings. who deserve this astronomical compensation."
The payment of corporate leaders has become an issue of increasing concern in the past several years as many top executives received annual compensation packages exceeding $100 million, even, in some cases, after their companies lost money or entered bankruptcy. From 2003 to 2004, the median total compensation received by CEOs of the top U.S. companies increased 30 percent, according to data from the Corporate Library.
Frank's bill focuses on increasing the transparency of public companies' financial statements and requiring full disclosure of executive compensation plans and policies, changes that Frank contended would allow investors to make better-informed decisions about purchasing stocks and casting shareholder votes.
"If this bill becomes law, I think it would accelerate the trend towards bringing salaries under control," Frank said.
The bill also addresses CEOs who negotiate mergers or sales that may not be in the best interest of their company but results in millions of dollars of additional payment for the company's executives.
In such cases, companies would be required to hold a shareholder vote on any additional compensation that the CEO would receive as a result of the sale.
Galvin noted that under current law, merger and acquisition information is often very hard to uncover, specifically citing his own attempts to learn the details of Procter and Gamble's purchase of Boston-based Gillette. That deal earned Gillette chief James Kilts a reported $153 million and was expected to result in nearly 6,000 lost jobs.
Because many executive compensation plans include performance bonuses, the proposed legislation also contains measures to ensure that company chiefs are not hitting their goals through use of what Frank called "creative accounting."
Corporations would be required to take back incentive compensation if it is discovered that financial statements were manipulated or changed to indicate that performance goals had been reached.
Beyond the legal implications, Frank said, it is simply not acceptable for corporate executives to receive such large salaries.
"I am offended by this morally," Frank said. "Two-hundred million to run a corporation? Just for doing their job?"
Galvin expressed optimism that the bill, if passed, would have positive ramifications for shareholders and average workers.
"How do we protect the financial future of Americans?" Galvin asked. "This bill is an important part of doing that."
South Coast Seniors Prepare for Changes in Medicare
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10-More than 130 people crowded into Brooklawn Park in New Bedford last Friday to attend an information session about the new Medicare prescription drug benefit. So many people showed up, according to one of the organizers, that they ran out of chairs.
The attendees asked questions throughout the presentation, and afterwards approached Andrea Mendousa Priest, regional director of Serving the Health Information Needs of Elders (SHINE), with more concerns.
"People just want to make sure they understand what to do next," Priest said. "They're hearing a lot about it, but they're feeling in limbo."
Enrollment for Medicare's new prescription drug coverage begins on Tuesday, with benefits available beginning Jan. 1. The implementation of the program represents a milestone for Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly and people with certain disabilities.
"The key thing is that for the first time, everyone who is on Medicare will have prescription drug coverage," said Dr. Charlotte Yeh, administrator of the Boston regional office of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Medicare has traditionally covered hospital stays and routine medical care. However, only beneficiaries who purchased private supplemental insurance policies (so-called medigap insurance) or those enrolled in Medicare Advantage Plans-a managed care option akin to an HMO-received any prescription coverage.
The Medicare Modernization Act, signed into law in 2003, created a system for supplying this missing benefit. Private insurance companies will provide a selection of prescription drug plans that meet federal requirements for coverage and affordability.
Those currently enrolled in basic Medicare will have the option of selecting one of these plans or switching to an Advantage Plan that includes prescription coverage.
People who already have separate prescription coverage-from a union, a retirement plan, or one of the costlier medigap policies-will receive letters analyzing whether Medicare or their existing plan would provide better coverage.
Seniors who now receive their medications through Medicaid, the federal-state program for low-income people, will receive their prescription coverage under Medicare as of Jan. 1. They must choose a plan before that date or they will be automatically enrolled in a randomly selected plan.
Standard coverage will pay 75 percent of drug costs, after a $250 deductible, up to $2,250 in total drug spending. To protect against catastrophic expenditures, all of the prescription plans will pay 95 percent of all costs after a beneficiary's annual out-of-pocket drug expenses have reached $3,600.
Some plans will fill part of the coverage gap in exchange for a higher premium. And all plans call for co-payments by beneficiaries that vary according to the cost of the drug.
Monthly premiums for the 44 plans that will be available in Massachusetts range from $7.32 to $65, and some offer a reduced or no-cost deductible. The premiums are in addition to the premiums Medicare beneficiaries already pay for medical coverage.
Many low-income seniors will qualify for additional assistance that will reduce or eliminate premiums, deductibles and drug co-payments. In Massachusetts, people who are currently beneficiaries of the Prescription Advantage program may also receive aid to help them cover their expenses.
"The Prescription Advantage program will fill some of the gaps that are not covered by [Medicare]," said Charles Sisson, executive director of Coastline Elderly Services. "[It] kind of fills in the holes."
Seniors will be able to select a plan anytime between Nov. 15 and next May 15. For those who enroll before the end of the year, coverage will begin on Jan. 1. Those who miss the May deadline can still enroll, but will have to pay a premium penalty of 1 percent for each month after May they are not enrolled.
"It really behooves people to sign up for a plan so they don't face a penalty down the road," Dr. Yeh said. The new program will provide an average savings of around $1,000, according to Dr. Yeh.
Though the program is expected to provide a significant benefit to seniors, it is likely that navigating the complicated maze of options will be confusing to some.
"It's very clear that this is revolutionary," Sisson said. "But it's something that is quite overwhelming to many, many seniors."
Dr. Yeh recommended that all Medicare recipients, or their caregivers, prepare to make a choice by taking stock of their current prescription drug situation. She suggested that each person create a list of all the medications he or she currently takes, the costs associated with each of these and the pharmacies he or she uses.
"What I like to tell seniors is, 'Don't panic, you've got time to think this through,' " she said.
Once seniors have gathered the needed information they have several options. Online tools will be available at www.medicare.gov to guide users through the process of finding plans in their area that are affordable and cover all necessary prescriptions.
The less internet-savvy can call the Medicare help line or a local agency such as SHINE or Coastline Elderly Services (see sidebar). Trained counselors will collect information from the callers and help them select a plan that fits their needs.
"We have people that are trained to sit down with them, go over the various plans and . help pick the best plan for them," Sisson said.
Counselors will outline what options are available to each person, based on the beneficiary's needs and current Medicare coverage. Because not all plans cover all drugs, they will also help seniors make sure that they select a plan that includes all or most of their medications.
Coastline Elderly Services and SHINE are also running educational programs and information sessions.
The responsibility for selecting a plan, however, ultimately belongs to each individual, said Dr. Yeh, who used to work in emergency medicine.
"I used to see patients who got sick . because they weren't taking their drugs, because they couldn't afford it," Dr. Yeh said. "For those who don't have coverage-what a wonderful thing we are offering. But it doesn't mean that they're not going to have to act thoughtfully and make a choice."
Cranberry Growers Flooded with Funding
WASHINGTON, Nov. 3-In the middle of one of the worst growing seasons in 15 years, Massachusetts cranberry growers have received some good news: $460,000 in federal funds for water conservation efforts and agricultural research is expected to come their way.
"The cranberry industry is a vital part of the southeastern Massachusetts economy and culture," Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass) said in a press release. "These funds will help area growers operate more efficiently and in ways that promote environmental preservation."
The money was included in the Agriculture appropriations bill that the House passed last week. The Senate must approve the bill for it to become law.
Massachusetts growers produced 180 million pounds of cranberries in 2004, second only to Wisconsin's harvest, said Jeffrey LaFleur, executive director of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association. This year, however, the yield has been significantly lower than the 170 million pounds projected by the National Agricultural Statistics Service, likely the result of an unusually cold winter followed by an unseasonably dry summer, LaFleur said.
The majority of the money-$300,000-would be used to pay for two conservation planners, who would work with cranberry growers, evaluating farms' water resources and creating strategies for managing them.
These funds will be administered through the U.S. Agriculture Department's Natural Resources Conservation Service, which has received money for this purpose since 2002.
"The overwhelming issue is that we need access to clean, fresh water and we need to conserve that water," LaFleur said.
The remaining $160,000 would be spent on cranberry and blueberry research at University of Massachusetts facilities in Dartmouth and West Wareham. This would be the sixth straight year that UMass has received such a grant.
Researchers are investigating ways of predicting and preventing cranberry disease and techniques for controlling insects and weeds, said Carolyn DeMoranville, director of the UMass cranberry station in West Wareham. These findings, she said, could help cranberry growers save money, use more environmentally friendly farming methods, and increase crop yields.
"It's really important to stay scientifically in the forefront if we're going to remain competitive as a cranberry-growing region," DeMoranville said.
Approximately 400 cranberry growers operate in Massachusetts, concentrated in Barnstable, Bristol and Plymouth Counties, LaFleur said. More than 70 percent of these farmers, however, cultivate less than 20 acres of land, and many work only part time.
The federal funds are especially effective at addressing specific, local needs, said Tom Bewick, national program leader in horticulture for the Department of Agriculture agency that manages the conservation grants.
"From the standpoint of local and regional agricultural problems, these grants have had a big impact," Bewick said.
Two Competing Immigration Reform Plans Being Considered
WASHINGTON, Oct. 20-Helena Marques, executive director of Greater New Bedford Immigrants' Assistance Center, hears stories she describes as horrendous.
The illegal immigrants who call her for assistance tell of paying large sums of money to human smugglers or walking for days upon days in the wilderness, just to get into the United States.
When they arrive-many from Guatemala or Brazil-they are often the victims of scam artists promising working papers or green cards, Marques said. They find what jobs they can, working in fish factories or restaurants, often for wages below the federal minimum.
"No one else wants to do their work because they are working jobs that no one who is legal in the United States wants to do," Marques said. "At any time they can be picked up by immigration, and a lot of them are living in fear."
Illegal immigrants like those in the SouthCoast region represent an increasingly thorny problem for legislators. While increased enforcement of existing laws could improve national security, many employers insist that undocumented workers-a population of more than 10 million, according to Pew Hispanic Center estimates-fill low-earning jobs that no Americans will take.
"There are a number of industries that are suffering from chronic worker shortages, and it is expected to worsen," said Deborah Knotkin, president of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "Employers need these workers. Badly."
Two competing immigration reform plans, receiving widespread attention this week, are attempting to address the situation.
"The good thing about both bills is that they realize that this problem can't get fixed with an enforcement-only measure," Knotkin said.
Sens. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) have introduced a bill that aims to improve border security, establish a temporary worker program by which new immigrants could legally seek jobs in the United States and create opportunities for undocumented workers to pay penalties and become legal residents.
Kennedy said that it was important for any legislation to look beyond simply strengthening border control.
"We have spent $20 billion in the past 10 years on enforcement, and it isn't working," Kennedy said during a joint appearance with McCain at an immigration reform conference at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.
Reps. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.), Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) and Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), have introduced the same legislation in the House.
An alternative bill, sponsored by Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), contains similar programs. In their bill, however, undocumented immigrants would be allowed to get guest worker permits but, before applying for legal residency, would be required to return to their home countries when the permits expired.
The McCain-Kennedy legislation would require undocumented immigrants to pay a fine of $2,000 but would allow them to stay in the United States while they apply for citizenship.
The President has proposed a plan with a requirement similar to the Cornyn-Kyl bill.. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao defended the administration proposal at a Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday.
This provision could cause problems for undocumented immigrants whose children were born here and are therefore American citizens, or whose children came to the United States at such a young age that they do not remember their home country, Knotkin said.
Marques said that this difference would be likely to make the McCain-Kennedy bill more appealing to illegal immigrants in greater New Bedford.
"I do not see that undocumented population going back to their countries and standing in line," she said. "They will definitely find the money to pay the fine."
The McCain-Kennedy bill has garnered support from more than 60 business, labor, religious and immigrant groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Immigration Law Center and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
"The bill allows for greater access to legal entry, and it addresses the undocumented immigrant population here in a fair, humane manner," said Ali Noorani, executive director or the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, which also has endorsed the legislation. "By those two factors it increases our national security."
McCain said that it would be difficult to get the legislation passed this year, but both he and Kennedy expressed confidence that their plan would succeed.
"I'm convinced that we have an approach that is the right one, that ultimately will be accepted," Kennedy said. "We could really do something. that is in the interest of our national heritage."
Senate Again Rejects Low-income Heating Assistance
WASHINGTON-For the second time in two weeks, the Senate Thursday rejected a bill that would have increased funding for the federal fuel assistance that thousands of New Bedford area residents are expected to receive this winter.
"These actions in the face of one of the toughest heating seasons we've ever seen will do nothing but hurt the low-income and elderly population we serve," said Bruce Morell, executive director of People Acting in Community Endeavor, a local community assistance agency.
Last year, more than 9,000 households in the New Bedford area received federally funded heating assistance, and an additional 400 or 500 are waiting to apply for the coming winter, Morell estimated.
The measure, an amendment that would have increased funds for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program from $2.183 billion to $5.1 billion, was thrown out when a procedural move prevented the measure from being voted on.
On October 6, the same maneuver was used to avoid a vote on a nearly identical amendment to an earlier appropriations bill.
"It's time Washington stop playing games, get with the program, and start figuring out how we're going to keep the heat on for American families this winter," Sen. John Kerry said in a press release Thursday.
The average price for a gallon of heating oil in Massachusetts is currently $2.51, an increase of 30 percent over last year's price, according to data from the Energy Information Administration.
"The time to increase [low-income heating assistance] funds is now," Sen. Edward Kennedy said in a press release Thursday. "We will not give up the fight."
Massachusetts Delegation Urges Federal Flood Aid
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18-As flood waters continued to pressure the Whittenton Pond Dam in Taunton on Tuesday, Massachusetts' congressmen urged the federal government to take action in the rain-soaked region.
"This is an emergency situation, and Massachusetts communities urgently need federal disaster funds to rebuild homes, businesses and public roads and buildings," Senator Edward Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday. "The damages are escalating with each day."
Nearly 2,000 people were evacuated from Taunton on Monday when the dam began to show signs of potential collapse.
Rep. Barney Frank offered Taunton mayor Robert G. Nunes any assistance he could provide.
"You tell me what you want the federal government to do and we'll do it," Frank recalled telling the mayor.
Frank's office researched potential federal funds available to help repair the weakened dam.
A Frank aide contacted the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, which provides emergency funds for dam rehabilitation and repair when there is substantial risk to life or property.
Two engineers and a geologist from the agency's Massachusetts office inspected the dam on Tuesday afternoon, in consultation with a private engineer hired by the dam's owner and representatives from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
The inspectors had not yet filed reports, but Frank's staff believes that the dam would likely be eligible for funds. A final eligibility decision will come from the Agriculture Department in Washington.
"The federal government should be prepared to provide whatever resources and assistance necessary to protect the people and property of Taunton," Sen. John Kerry said in a press release on Tuesday. "With the devastating floods in Massachusetts this past week and the developing situation in Taunton we must have the ability to act quickly to assist our communities in need."
Disaster assessment teams representing federal and state emergency management agencies, the Small Business Administration, the Massachusetts Highway Department and the Red Cross are currently evaluating the damage the recent rain has caused to the Commonwealth, said Peter Judge, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
To qualify for federal aid, the state must meet a minimum threshold of approximately $6.5 million in damages, Judge said.
"We feel pretty comfortable that we are going to get [aid] out of this," Judge said. "Within the very near future we'll find out where we stand."
Big Decisions Loom for Medicaid
WASHINGTON, Oct. 13-More than 250 patients a day-children getting vaccines, elderly pneumonia sufferers, pregnant young women-pass through the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center.
"Approximately 50 to 55 percent of the patients we see are on Medicaid, so obviously it's very important," said Peter Georgeopoulos, executive vice president and chief financial officer of the center.
The future of Medicaid-on which more than a third New Bedford residents depend-will be at stake in upcoming weeks as congressional committees debate how to shave $10 billion from the program's budget over the next five years. Medicaid, financed by the state and federal governments, pays for health care for low-income persons.
Some call the anticipated changes inappropriate cuts, while others characterize them as much-needed reform.
"Medicaid is already strapped for cash," said Jodi Seth, spokeswoman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats. "Obviously [cuts] would have a devastating effect on states and the people who depend on [the program]: pregnant women, children, seniors."
A budget resolution passed by Congress in April requires a $10 billion reduction in spending on entitlement programs over the next five years. It is widely expected that this money will come from the Medicaid budget.
Another element of the budget resolution calls for $70 billion in tax cuts. Some Democrats say it is inappropriate to continue reducing tax revenue while cutting programs for the needy.
"If the President wants to restore fiscal responsibility, he should insist on shared sacrifice and roll back his tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans instead of cutting the lifeline many kids need to get immunized and see a doctor," said Sen. John Kerry in a statement to the Standard-Times.
Kerry is a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which is charged with making the Medicaid cuts.
The federal budget for Medicaid in the current fiscal year is $157 billion.
Those who support the spending reduction characterize the upcoming legislation as a reform package, rather than a budget cut. They hope that allowing states more flexibility in the way they administer the program would cut costs while actually improving quality of care.
"States should have greater flexibility to better target scarce resources and offer coverage that better meets each patient's needs," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, in an editorial last month.
Though specifics are not yet available, the suggested reforms include measures to reduce fraud, target wasteful spending and increase Medicaid recipients' financial responsibilities.
Some congressmen, concerned that such measures could reduce the ability of the most disadvantaged to receive needed health care, are hesitant to sign on to the leadership's proposals.
"Reduced access is most likely the biggest concern," said Jill Gerber, GOP spokeswoman for the Senate Finance Committee. "The discussion hinges upon whether that's a legitimate concern or whether there's enough waste in the system to cut back."
One possible reform would require some recipients to pay premiums for their Medicaid coverage or increased co-payments for services. Some critics are concerned that such measures could prevent people from seeking treatment.
"You don't want patients delaying necessary care for want of some co-payment money," said Paul Wingle, spokesman for the Massachusetts Hospital Association. "When they do that, their health fails and a preventable problem becomes a medical emergency."
In Massachusetts, hospital officials are concerned about the possible effects of the budget cuts. Even at the current level of funding, hospitals are not receiving enough money to cover the services they are providing, said Wingle.
"In Massachusetts at least, every time we serve a Medicaid patient we lose money," said Wingle. "It's a reduction any way you look at it-the labels are a product more of spin than of substance."
In the greater New Bedford area, need is even greater due to above average poverty levels.
"We have a disproportionate share of Medicaid patients," said Joyce Brennan, spokeswoman for Southcoast Health Systems, which includes hospitals in New Bedford, Fall River, and Wareham. "Any cut in an already underfunded program is going to be substantial for us."
