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Show The Garfield County Insider Page 6 HATCH VOTES AGAINST CHIP BILL IN SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE Says Original Intent to Cover the Truly Needy Is Overshadowed by Partisan Measures Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) joined six other members of the Senate Finance Committee today in voting against the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) bill currently pending in the U. S. Senate. “After two years of working out bipartisan agreements on CHIP, this Congress is much more interested in making this program a partisan production,” stated Hatch. “Several measures have been added to this legislation which were never agreed upon in the bipartisan bill that was passed in 2008.” In 1997, Senator Hatch was successful in working with Sens. Kennedy, Rockefeller and Chafee to pass the original CHIP program. The program was up for reauthorization in 2007, and Hatch once again successfully helped to negotiate a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the CHIP program for five years. Two CHIP bills were passed with overwhelming support, but unfortunately, both were vetoed and Congress was unable to override those vetoes. In the end, Congress simply extended the CHIP program through the end of March 2009. “The original 1997 legislation achieved a fine balance between providing health care coverage for children of the working poor and balancing the federal budget,” Hatch said. “Unfortunately the original intent that has worked so well for more than ten years is lost in the partisan amendments found in the current version.” One of the changes to the bill that Hatch opposed allows legal immigrant children and pregnant women to be covered by CHIP at the state option. Hatch stated, “It is our first responsibility to cover those low-income, uninsured children who are not only eligible for CHIP coverage but are also U. S. citizens. There are six million uninsured, lowincome children who are eligible for either CHIP or Medicaid. In fact, two years ago before the current economic crisis, we struggled to find money to pay for the CHIP reauthorization bill. I do not know how we can keep adding more and more people when we first need to take care of the children the program was intended to help. Unfortunately, many are ignoring that there is a limited pot of money to pay for the CHIP reauthorization bill.” Another of Hatch’s concerns involves the “crowd-out policy” that was worked out in the 2007 CHIP bills, but is not included in the bill currently being considered by the Senate. In 2007, Senators had worked out a provision that capped the CHIP program to avoid the crowd-out problem; however, that compromise was not included in this year’s bill. “As someone who does not believe that CHIP should be available to children of higher-in- come families, I was very pleased with the 2007 policy,” Hatch said. “However, this bill reverts back to the policy that permits states to receive the Medicaid matching rate, known as FMAP, for children in their CHIP programs whose family income is over 300 percent of poverty.” And following that trend, this bill would also allow a state to cover higher-income children through its state Medicaid plan. This is also of serious concern to Hatch. “Medicaid is a program that was created to provide health coverage to the poorest of the poor,” Hatch said. “To me, it makes absolutely no sense to allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to higher-income children. The legislation approved by the Senate Finance Committee today would give states that option. “We were so close to working out a bipartisan CHIP agreement that is now mired in a partisan product,” Hatch added. “I urge Senate leadership to reconsider their strategy.” Full Time Professional Real Estate Services Serving Escalante, Boulder, Brian Head & St. George www.trailsendre.com For Great Real Estate Service.... Come Visit Us at 10 W. Main St., Escalante or Call Leslie Venuti 435-668-0540 or Denise Olson 435-680-4663. We can show all properties in the area and assist you with all your buying or selling needs. LISTINGS – ESCALANTE - Custom 2 story brick/stucco home with full bsmt on 2.5 acres. Large kitchen, fantastic views, detached salon & much more. Two parcels. Call Leslie for details. - B&B w/ great financials & recent appraisel. Turn-key; ready for you to live your dream. Call Denise for more details. - 3.79 acres Res/Comm property w/ 6 trailers, great potential. Call for details. - 13 Acres. You’ll love the views when you drive up this road to the perfect homesite. Bring your plans or your yurt and start building today! Only $99,900. Bring All Offers. - 11+ Acres in the center of town with culinary meter and 4 irrigation shares. Great price at $150,000. Listings--Boulder - 171 Acres in Town with Views, Views & more Views! Lots of irrigation and a pond. Can be subdivided. Price Reduced. Listings--out of area - Nice Clean Mobile Home on rented lot - Only $23,000 w/ furniture. St. George. - Cute & Clean 2 bed/1 bath Cottage in Beaver on .41 acre for only $139,900. January 22, 2009 HELP WANTED Panguitch Elementary School Assistant Cook SCHEDULE: Monday – Thursday, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm (3 hours per day, 4 days a week) SALARY: $ 10.49/per hour The Elementary Assistant Cook supports the site Lead Cook assisting in preparation and serving as well as cleanup. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Depending upon the individual assignment, the Elementary Assistant Cook may perform all or a combination of the following: 1. Assist in food preparation, serving students and staff and cleanup of facilities. 2. May assist in maintaining accurate National School Lunch Program reporting procedures. 3. May function as Lead Cook when necessary. 4. Perform other related duties as required. QUALIFICATIONS 1. Ability to follow verbal and written instructions. 2. Must be informed about individual student allergies and aware of each special circumstance for substitutions as necessary. 3. Ability to observe guidelines for serving of food in matters of temperature, appearance and portion sizes. 4. Possess a valid food handler’s permit and meet regulations specified by the Department of Health. 5. Ability to observe safety rules and regulations. 6. Maintain a neat personal appearance and a pleasant attitude with students, staff and parents. 7. Must be in good physical health and possess adequate strength to lift up to 50 lbs. repetitively. APPLICATION: Interested individuals should submit a Garfield County School District Classified application. For file to be complete there should be a completed application, resume and 3 current letters of recommendation. Please direct job related questions to: LyNese Miller, (435) 676-8821. For applications or questions about applications please contact Annie Eldredge, (435) 676-8821. Online application available www.garfield.k12.ut.us Applications will be screened and the most qualified candidates will be granted interviews. DEADLINE: January 23, 2009--- 12:00pm reNTALS For Rent 1 bdrm apartment, utilities paid, cable and high speed internet, upstairs over the Art Gallery at 63 North Main, Panguitch, Utah, No smokers or pets. Not recommended for children. 435 690 9795 or 801 885 2870 Team Coach: Duties include working directly with students 13 – 17 years old. Must be a positive role model, interacting with students during evening and weekend recreational activities. All shifts available. Qualifications: Must be 21 years old, have a high school diploma, current driver’s license and able to pass a background check. Wage DOE. Receptionist Needed. Full-time, Great phone etiquette is a must, able to multi-task, prior experience helpful but not necessary. Must be 21 years old and able to pass a background screening. Interested individuals may send cover letter and resume to Lee Ann Fielding at 435-676-8482 or fax 435-676-8488 lfielding@ silveradoboysranch.com Biennial Hay & Forage Symposium Scheduled for January 29-30 Utah Farm Bureau and USU Extension will again co-sponsor the Utah Hay & Forage Symposium set for January 29-30, 2009, at the St. George Holiday Inn Resort. The two-day seminar begins Thursday, Jan. 29, at 12:30 p.m. and concludes at 12:15 p.m. on Friday, Jan 30. Presenters include forage agronomists Dan Undersander from the University of Wisconsin, Glenn Shewmaker Extension Forage Specialist from the University of Idaho, and Scott McKendrick Coordinator of the Statewide Small Acreage Programs from Utah State University Extension. Alfalfa breeder Peter Reisen from Forage Genetics International along with Utah hay growers and numerous Utah State University Extension specialists will also contribute to the conference. A wide variety of topics will be addressed at the symposium this year, including fertilizer management, market forecasts, marketing, hay sampling, Round-Up Ready Hay updates and more. There will be an alfalfa pest identification display as well as commercial and educational booths. Registration, which includes a breakfast buffet on Friday morning, will be $65. Rooms are available at the Holiday Inn for $70 single occupancy or $88 double occupancy. Make your own reservations by calling 800- 457-9800 or 435-628-4235. To secure the $70/$88 rate mention ‘Utah Hay Symposium’ when you call. To see the hotel property visit http://www.histgeorgeutah. com. There will also be a hay judging contest and several door prizes for conference goers. For more information, please contact Peggy Estrada at 801-233-3011 or visit www.utahhay.usu.edu. Media Contacts: Spencer Gibbons, Utah Farm Bureau Northern Regional Manager, skg@xmission. com or 435-770-4590. Peggy Estrada, Utah Farm Bureau Programs Assistant, peggy.estrada@fbfs.com or 801-233-3011. Erin Hodgson, Utah State University Extension, erin@biology. usu.edu or 435-797-5689. Grandmother Faces Food Stamp Repayment THE ELDERLAW FORUM Professor Michael Myers Federal and state govern- pline caller, a 68-year-old stallments. ments each month mail mil- woman who had received I informed her that the lions of checks to millions notice she had mistakenly department will likely of people —social security received $480 more in food agree to withhold $48 per checks, disability checks, stamps than she was en- month for 10 months or $40 Medicare and Medicaid titled to. over 12 months. Generally, checks, food stamp checks, “They want me to pay social service departments farm subsidy checks, sup- them back and I simply seek to recover overpayplemental security income don’t have the money,” she ments within a year. checks and on and on. said. “I am raising two of There is a possibility she Each check is filtered my grandchildren on lim- may qualify for a waiver through eligibility screens ited Social Security mon- since the overpayment was involving income, size of ies--$1,800 per month-- not her fault and if she were household, time periods, which isn’t very much when able to establish that repayage, and other factors. you think about it. Can they ment would cause “severe Mistakes are made. Some make me pay for their mis- financial hardship.” A $40 are underpayment mistakes; take?” she asked. monthly food stamp withsome are overpayment mis“Probably, but not nec- hold over 12 months within takes. essarily; it depends on how an $1,800 monthly income When there is an under- poor you are,” I advised. would probably not meet payment, the error is most Overpayments are creat- the “financial hardship” often immediately detected ed in one of three ways: (1) test. by the recipient, followed By fraud (intentional mis“You should be prepared by a demand for additional representation or conceal- to make the repayment,” I payment. But what if there ment); (2) By inadvertent advised. is an overpayment? And household error (uninten(Pro bono legal informawhat if the overpayment tional misrepresentation), tion and advice is available was the result of the gov- or (3) By agency error. In through the USD Senior ernment’s miscalculation? this case—where the mis- Legal Helpline, 1-800-747“It was their fault! They take was made by the agen- 1895; mmyers@usd.edu. acknowledge it was their cy—the department will Opinions solely those of the fault—a miscalculation!” generally seek to recoup the author and not the Universaid the senior legal hel- overpayment in monthly in- sity of South Dakota.) |