About Healthcare...

A tryout post I did for a media company:

While the U.S. healthcare public option lies dying in the Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on a $150 billion jobs bill this week that will provide $48 billion for construction projects, $27 billion for states to keep teachers, police and firefighters and also provide loans to small businesses. The $150 billion used will be paid for with money from the $700 billion fund to bail out banks Congress approved last year. "We make no apology whatsoever for trying to give the same amount of attention to Main Street needs as was given earlier to Wall Street needs," House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey told Reuters.


The only problem is that all these issues are tied up in one $626 billion defense spending bill that Congress is rushing to finish before leaving for vacation. A defense bill that contains a job bill, food stamps and money for small-business loans? Yes, one in the same. It's an attempt to throw all bills into one big pot so it takes only one quick vote before our Congressmen and women can literally rush out of the Capitol Building doors and and enjoy their winter break. The vote is scheduled for Wednesday but debate on health care could spill over into Christmas week, according to the Associated Press.


With so many eyes concentrating on health care legislation, few Congress members are spending time on anything else, including this bill which extends unemployment benefits and COBRA benefits, creates jobs and provides money for state-run health care and food stamp programs. It seems that many members of Congress don't even realize there have been month-long delays of unemployment checks in California and Wisconsin because of antiquated computer systems. They also don't seem to understand that more and more laid-off workers are facing homelessness, or that even subsidized COBRA benefits for a family cost about the entirety of an unemployment check. (Full Disclosure: Based on my own recent unemployment check.)


I would like to think that Congress has our best interests at heart, but so far no jobs have been created -- worse, it seems to be the last thing on our legislators' minds.

Hola!

Still here and just successfully pitched a story to the New York Times!

On a personal note, I did something horrid to my back (I blame my pygmy couch) and am trying all kinds of stretches to help push this along. I am still working on the anthology, although I am not half-way done yet. It's strange being a literary editor, but I'm learning a lot. (Isn't that how it's all done?)

Now a break for Mika:

Unwinding From a Month of Writing

Oh, man, I just spent a few hard weeks working on my manuscript in Southampton and in Squaw Valley. I think I would go again next year!

I'm teaching three classes in fall, so that's keeping me busy, but I also hope to finish my manuscript by December. Hope it all works. Will write more later.

Hey, sorry for not keeping updated

And if any of you out there are awaiting anthology news, just know I've been entirely swamped with work up until right now. So that means nothing new to report, but hopefully in the next 60 days!

This month I hope be on the right track and will let everyone know what's going on. I'm heading to New York (the Hamptons!) on July 14 and won't be back until August -- which means I'm then onto a Squaw Valley writers workshop where I'll get to meet with other writers, editors and agents. It's quite a little circuit I've got going.

Anyway, I will keep all of you posted.

It looks like I'm not posting . . .

. . . but I am, just not on this particular blog. Been busy working and juggling my various projects, including an anthology I'm in the middle of compiling. It's been a bit hectic, especially with a major holiday complete with family (and stress) and a master's thesis deadline.

My blog designer hasn't written me back. Perhaps I'll have to find someone else.