The GW College Democrats put a lot of effort into electing President Barack Obama, and our work has paid off. We believed in Barack Obama because we thought he'd be able to enact change on a variety of issues that affect our lives - from health care to the environment, as well as issues that impact our image in the world, including Iraq and Guatánamo Bay. President Obama has made great strides in the direction of this change, despite enormous challenges.

The collapse of the financial sector devastated our economy and hurt the lives of millions of Americans. Immediately upon taking office, the president and the Democrat-majority Congress enacted the Recovery Act that has created or saved two million jobs and added between 1.5 percent and 3 percent to the GDP during the last quarter of 2009 alone. Millions of Americans are still feeling the pain of this deep recession, but due to the Recovery Act and other economic policies of President Obama and others, economic indicators suggest the economy is beginning to grow. One important economic indicator, unemployment, has not seen a drastic improvement yet, although without the Recovery Act it is likely that unemployment would have topped 15 percent - far worse than the current 10 percent. Graduating seniors such as myself ought to be delighted that economists predict the job market will be much improved by the time we enter the work force this summer.

 

Another of President Obama's first initiatives was commencing the closure of the Guantánamo Bay prison camp, which had been a dark stain on our worldwide reputation. Two days into office, he signed an executive order to close the site. The process is well under way with the selection of a prison in Illinois where criminal trials can commence.

 

The president has also begun to remove our troops from Iraq as conditions on the ground finally seem to be improving. December was the first month since the war began with no combat deaths. Hundreds of thousands of Americans our age have risked their lives in a folly of the previous president, and more than 4,000 have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Now with all American soldiers out of Iraqi cities, we're on track to only having a small residual force in the country by the end of the summer.

These aren't the only presidential accomplishments: Obama appointed Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court, strengthened credit card consumer protections, reformed military procurement, and was even more effective at cutting spending than the previous president.

 

Looking toward the year ahead, the CDs are excited to see even more progress on a variety of issues from Congress and the president. We expect health care reform to pass early this year. This reform will expand coverage to tens of millions of Americans who cannot afford it now, and will allow students to stay on their parents' insurance until they turn 26 - an important step for the youth generation. We will see legislation pass that will reduce our emissions of greenhouse gases causing global warming, a disturbing trend that will have a dramatic impact on our generation.

 

As an organization, we will be out campaigning for Democratic candidates nationwide to maintain and grow our Democratic majority in Congress in the November elections so the president continues to have a working majority to work with. We will continue to disseminate information about issues that are important to our generation in order to make sure the change the president promised is attainable.

President Obama has had a difficult year filled with obstacles beyond those that most presidents must face, yet he has met these challenges head on - in the process creating the basis for a better American life. In the year ahead, he will need all the help we can give him to ensure that our nation can grow and prosper.

By Tamia on January 22, 2010 1:58 PM

by Andrea Vittorio

Issue: 12/3/09

The D.C. Council voted 11-2 in favor of a same-sex marriage bill Tuesday morning, bringing the District one step closer to marriage equality.

Tuesday's decision was the first of two votes on the issue, with the second expected Dec. 15. All bills before the council require two votes by full membership and approval from the mayor and the U.S. Congress before becoming law.

"I'm elated," said Michael Komo, the president of GW's gay rights advocacy group, Allied in Pride. "I think it's a very historic vote. It's a very historic date."

Mayor Adrian Fenty, who supports the legislation, has promised to sign the bill. Congress, which has authority over D.C. law, will have 30 legislative days from the time of Fenty's signature to enact a joint resolution of disapproval, which would also require President Barack Obama's signature. Congress could also attach an anti-gay marriage rider to another piece of legislation to block the D.C. vote. If they don't kill the measure, it will become law.

A few states across the nation allow same-sex marriage, including Massachusetts, Iowa, Vermont, and Connecticut. New Hampshire will join them Jan. 1. The passage of the legislation would make D.C. the first jurisdiction below the Mason-Dixon line to allow full civil equality for gays and lesbians.

"I think it will get as far as Mayor Fenty," said senior Amanda Formica, who attended marriage equality protests in 2004 in her home state of Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage is already legalized. "Will it get past Congress? I'm not sure."

The bill has faced sharp criticism from the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, however, which said in a statement that it would discontinue some of its social service programs, including those for poor and homeless, if the bill was passed.

College Republicans chairman Brandon Hines said in an e-mail that the council should focus on other issues like "fixing failing schools, urban poverty, violent crime, and its 11.6 percent unemployment rate."

Openly gay councilmember David Catania sponsored the bill.

Before voting, the council heard two days of public testimony by witnesses, including senior legal advisers, religious leaders and members of GW College Democrats.

"I think it's remarkable that literally a dozen members of the GW College Democrats went down together and testified before the D.C. City Council," said Peter Weiss, president of the College Democrats. "I'm extremely proud of the College Democrats and I think they definitely had a hand in making sure that bill passed."

Weiss said he personally knows students with same-sex partners who would benefit from the law.

Allied in Pride, which has worked with various marriage groups in D.C., plans to continue its efforts across the District and to push for change across the nation.

"I think it's very significant that the capital of the United States of America is ready for marriage equality," said Komo. "I think that sends a strong signal to both the country and the world that the time for marriage equality is here and it's not going to stop any time soon."

http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2009/12/03/News/Gay-Marriage.Bill.Passes.Council-3844152.shtml

By Tamia on December 9, 2009 1:59 PM

Kaitlyn Willcoxon Issue date: 12/3/09

Health care reform has monopolized the dialogue of pundits and the attentions of elected officials for the past several months. Two student groups on campus have adopted healthcare reform as a pressing issue.

This year, MassPIRG, a state organization with a Smith chapter, lobbied for health care legislation at the national level. Students have spoken with many Congressional representatives about healthcare reform and its affect on young people.

"College students are among the most strongly affected by the problems in our current system," MassPIRG organizer Katie Drumm said. "They're hit hardest by rising costs due to their limited budgets, and the decreasing number of employers offering coverage to new employees makes it hard for them to get good care."

Drumm identifies the insurance exchange as a key benefit for the students.

The insurance exchanges will allow all people, but importantly college students and recent graduates, to purchase coverage. Also, a plan bought through an insurance exchange would be "portable coverage," not tied to a specific employer and beneficial because young people tend to change jobs many times.

MassPIRG is not alone in its efforts. Throughout this semester, the Smith Democrats have worked with Organizing for America to encourage people to call senators and representatives about health care reform. The club has also hosted phone banks throughout the fall, including two phone banks with the College Democrats of America's sponsored event, Health Care Days of Action.

"Health care reform is a crucial issue for young people. People between the ages of 19 to 29 comprise one-third of all insured Americans," said Claire Stein-Ross '10, co-president of the Smith Democrats.

Stein-Ross believes that under the status quo, the high cost of health care and the poor job market will prevent students from obtaining coverage after graduation.

Because current students are the future taxpayers, she sees health care reform as an especially important issue. "While health care affects all Americans, young people will bear the brunt of the problem, both financially and in terms of personal care, if nothing is done," she said.

Most important to the Smith Democrats is the eventual passage of a health care reform bill into law. Though the Smith Democrats disagree with the StupakAamendment in the House bill, which restricts abortion, overall the Smith Democrats were "very excited" that any bill was passed.

"We have not endorsed a particular plan, but instead are committed to supporting President Obama and the Democrats in Congress in working towards meaningful reform," said Stein-Ross.

According to government professor Donald Baumer, "The biggest potential effect on most Smith students is a provision in the House bill that would allow offspring to stay on their parents' health plan until age 27." Under most insurance plans, children stay on a parent's plan until they reach 24 or graduate from college.

Massachusetts law requires all residents to obtain health insurance. Smith provides a lower-cost insurance plan to students that do not have health insurance.

Leslie Jaffe, director of Health Services, reports that last year approximately 920 Smith students subscribed to the Smith insurance plan.

Should health care reform pass, "There may be fewer subscribers [to the Smith health insurance plan] if families have another option. I do not know, however, how many fall into that category," said Jaffe.

David Belanger, director of Student Financial Services, is similarly unsure of how the number of students on the Smith insurance plan would change should a healthcare reform bill pass.

"I can only guess that the number on Smith's program would go down," Belanger said. "Of coursed this will depend on the coverage they get elsewhere. It has to be as good as Smith's."

Smith students appear varied in their concerns about obtaining health insurance after graduation.

"I'm concerned about getting health insurance," said Bridget Rhinehart '12.

"Even my mom said 'I'm not sure what you're going to do about it in two years.' Especially because we're not going to be able to get jobs that offer health insurance," she continued.

On the other hand, Anne Nadler '12 is unconcerned. "I've never even thought about it. I think my parents will take care of it."

As of Nov. 30, a health care reform bill had passed in the House and the Senate had voted to move a bill to debate.

Health Care Reform 101:

The House bill, the Affordable Health Care for America Act, would:

• Extend coverage from the current 83 percent of legal residents under 65 to 96 percent of that same demographic by requiring individuals to have insurance and making employers with annual payrolls equal to $250,000 or more to provide insurance.

• Provide subsidies to purchase insurance for individuals and families with an annual income of up to 400 percent of the poverty level.

• Charge the Secretary of Health and Human Services with setting up and running a public plan.

• Introduce new income taxes on single people making more than $500,000 and couples making more than $1 million, a fee on medical device makers and $400 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid to pay for the reform.

The Stupak Amendment, presented by Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), prohibits the use of federal funding for abortion under the public plan and prevents the use of federal subsidies to purchase a health insurance plan that covers abortion.

The Congressional Budget Office says the health care reform under this bill will cost $1.05 trillion and reduce the deficit by $109 billion over 10 years.

In the Senate, Majority leader Harry Reid introduced the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act on Nov. 18. This plan would extend coverage to 94 percent of legal residents and would require nearly every individual to have health insurance. Companies with 50 or more full-time workers would pay a penalty if the company does not offer health benefits. However, there is no provision in the law that explicitly requires companies to provide health benefits.

The Senate bill would also:

• Offer tax credits for individuals and families making up to 400 percent of the poverty level.

• Create a public option. Although, the bill would provide an opt-out option for states. Also, the bill would create a non-profit co-op to compete with private insurers.

• Introduce an excise tax on high-premium insurance plans that cost at least $23,000 annually for families and $8,500 for individuals, a tax on elective cosmetic surgery and cuts to Medicare and Medicaid to pay for the bill.

In the Senate bill, the government will not provide subsidies for individuals to purchase abortions nor will the public plan provide abortions. The secretary of Health and Human Services, who will run the public plan, will ensure that in each insurance exchange at least one plan to cover abortions is available.

The estimate for reform under this bill, according to the CBO, is $848 billion and will reduce the federal budget deficit by $130 billion over 10 years.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Kaiser Family Foundation

http://media.www.smithsophian.com/media/storage/paper587/news/2009/12/03/News/Health.Care.Reform.On.Student.Agendas-3843606-page3.shtml

By Tamia on December 9, 2009 1:27 PM

by Kara Dunford Hatchet Reporter 11/19/09

Amid the bustle of staffers fielding calls from concerned constituents, surrounded by framed images of the senator, North Carolina peanuts and guides to the best Tar Heel barbeque, members of the GW College Democrats waited in the office of Senator Kay Hagan, D-N.C., office to voice their concerns on the health care reform debate consuming much of the country's attention.

With the Senate ready to begin tackling health care legislation in the coming month, members of the CDs Advocacy Team visited Capitol Hill on Wednesday to ensure that the voice of college students would be heard in the highly anticipated debate.

About 12 Democrats from GW met with legislative correspondents from the offices of Senators Hagan and Mark Warner, D-Va., to discuss what they believe should be included in the bill to help members of their generation. Political Affairs Director Emma Carpenter, a sophomore, said the advocacy team was a new idea started this year to connect members of the CDs with members of Congress and give students the opportunity to gain practical lobbying experience.

"It gives students a chance to feel like their opinion matters and that their voice is being heard," she said. "We want to empower our members and let them see that they can bring change to our country." To prepare for the meetings, members meet and come up with an "ask," a specific objective they want to persuade the member of Congress to do.

The ask for Wednesday's visit revolved around making sure college students benefit from the health care bill, specifically targeting what Carpenter described as the need for students to remain on their parents' insurance until the age of 27, a provision included in the bill the House recently passed.

"If we keep our ask simple and we speak from our experience as students, I think our message will resonate with members of Congress," Carpenter said.

Armed with talking points and a desire to voice the opinion of their friends and peers, the CD Advocacy Team met with the senators' staff members looking to convince the senators to support the a health care bill that would address the needs of college students.

"We're trying to represent our age group. Lobbyists are generally much older, so this was a great experience for our generation to speak out. We wanted to really represent our interests because this is an issue that will greatly affect us," sophomore Alex Conlan said.

Emerging from the meeting, which barred media, with smiles, the young lobbyists said they thought the chance to work towards enacting change and the practical experience gained made the meeting a success.

Sophomore Ben Wagner said the lessons learned from the meeting will help with future lobbying efforts.

"Understanding that you have to be on your game, because the person we met with is an expert on every piece of health care legislation, is important. You can't just make empty claims to be successful," he said.

Future meetings to lobby on health care reform as well as LGBT rights issues are in the works for the Advocacy Team. Carpenter said with the training and lobbying sessions will give members a leg up in future job interviews.

"Being able to say 'I have lobbied on Capitol Hill' will prove to be beneficial in job interviews," she said. "A straight political science degree isn't impressive, but being able to say you lobbied is very impressive."

http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/2009/11/1/News/College.Dems.Lobby.For.Health.Care.Reform.On.Hill-3836914.shtml

By Tamia on November 19, 2009 4:12 PM

By KEITH PARADISE
Staff writer

Shippensburg University students were gathering signatures Wednesday afternoon in favor of nationwide health care.

The Shippensburg College Democrats were stationed in front of the Ezra Lehman Memorial Library during the afternoon with petitions to be sent to U.S. senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Todd Platts.

The petitions to Casey and Specter ask them to continue to support a national health care system while the petition to Platts asks him to reconsider his stance on health care.

The organization was also handing out sheets with information on the health care situation on the United States. According to the handout, 46 million lack health insurance in the U.S., and costs have jumped 140 percent in the past decade for those who have insurance.

"We wanted to make sure our representatives knew that this matters to us and to make sure the students are informed," said Sam Rhodes, president of the College Democrats.

Rhodes said the organization expected to collect about 300 signatures from students who were coming from and going to classes during the afternoon.

One reason Rhodes believed the petition drive was attracting signatures was because many students could be without insurance when they graduate. Most plans allow students to remain on their parents' health care plans until the age of 25 -- or until they graduate.

"Once we graduate, we're off of our parents' health care insurance," Rhodes said. "This is an issue that students take really personally."

Graduates could then receive health care benefits with full-time employment, but many question if they'll be able to land work with unemployment rates hovering slightly below 10 percent.

Students also have concerns about the current health care system operates.

Nicole Stouffer of Mechanicsburg said her father has a degenerative disc disorder in his neck, which is caused by the erosion of the discs in the spinal cord. A surgery is currently available that involves artificial discs. However, Stouffer said the synthetic discs are not covered by insurance, making the surgery considerably more expensive.

Meanwhile, student Kacey Baker is one of the millions that currently doesn't have insurance.

"I'm praying that I don't get sick," Baker said.

http://www.publicopiniononline.com/localnews/ci_13717270

By Tamia on November 5, 2009 4:42 PM

Robert Singer

Issue date: 10/12/09 Section: News 

The College Democrats of Notre Dame co-sponsored the "Health Care for All" rally in downtown South Bend Saturday to support health care reform, a cause they say will make for a wiser system of medical insurance - and a healthier and wealthier nation. 

Attended by about 150 community residents and students, the rally kicked off at 1:30 p.m. in front of the Morris Performing Arts Center. 

"It becomes unaffordable for our businesses to provide health care for the people who work for those businesses," Congressman Joe Donnelly, a Democrat who represents Indiana's 2nd District, said at the rally, arguing the current system is unsustainable in the long term. 

The rally was intended to put political pressure on Indiana's Democratic elected officials, College Democrats co-president and junior Christopher Rhodenbaugh said. 

"The rally is about showing the widespread support in South Bend and the surrounding area for health insurance reform, showing the members of Congress that this is something that people really need and want and anyone who votes for it, this community will support and volunteer for them when they come up for re-election," he said. 

To demonstrate public support for health care reform, the College Democrats have been calling Indiana residents during a weekly phone bank. Their goal is to reach five thousand people before the health care bill is submitted for a vote, which should be in mid-November, Rhodenbaugh said. 

Rally attendee Sean Fritts shared the story of a family tragedy, which he believed could have been avoided with affordable health insurance. 

When his wife Jennifer sought medical care for a cold during her pregnancy, the hospital turned her away. The next day, feeling more ill, Jennifer went with Sean to a different hospital. There, they lied that they had insurance, and she was diagnosed with double pneumonia. But the finding came too late - 55 days later, she died in an intensive care unit. 

Citing a recent study by Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge Health Alliance that found 45 thousand deaths each year are linked to a lack of health insurance, Rhodenbaugh voiced a moral argument for health care reform.  

http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2009/10/12/News/College.Democrats.Rally.For.Health.Care.Reform-3800162.shtml

By Tamia on October 23, 2009 4:22 PM

By Robert M. Cook

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

DURHAM -- Nearly 1,000 small flags bearing red crosses in front of Thompson Hall Tuesday morning helped health-care reform advocates get the attention of University of New Hampshire students and faculty on their way to classes.

Patricia Donahue, a UNH freshman majoring in International Affairs and Political Science, said each flag represented 45 of the estimated 145,000 New Hampshire residents that currently do not have health insurance.

She and other volunteers affiliated with the UNH College Democrats and the New Hampshire Organizing for America grassroots project spent most of the day reaching out to UNH students and asking them to call their friends and family members.

Students were also asked to call the Washington, D.C., office of Republican U.S. Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire, who has said he does not support legislation in Congress that would create health insurance reform.

"We want to make sure that Senator Gregg knows it's a top priority for many of his constituents in New Hampshire," said David O'Connor, a field organizer with Organizing for America, which is a group that was created from the Obama campaign in 2008.

He said UNH College Democrats member Erin Thesing organized the event Tuesday that also included volunteers at the Granite Station mailroom inside the Memorial Union Building who reached out to students and encouraged them to call Sen. Gregg.

Volunteers were also scheduled to get together at the MUB Tuesday evening and conduct a phone bank to contact Durham residents and urge them to contact Gregg and other members of the New Hampshire Congressional Delegation to let them know they want Congress to pass President Barack Obama's health-care reform plan.

O'Connor believes events like the one held at UNH, Plymouth State University and at college campuses nationwide on Tuesday will make a difference when Congress votes on a final health-care reform bill that will emerge from a joint U.S. House and Senate conference committee later this fall.

The event at UNH was part of the Democratic National Committee's "Time to Deliver" health insurance reform events.

The goal was to get as many area residents to call their friends and neighbors to discuss President Obama's plan for health insurance reform and ask them to call their members of Congress to demonstrate that they support passing reform this year.

Organizers for America volunteers were hoping to set a record of 100,000 calls placed to members of Congress in a single day.

The issue of health-care reform has become more personal to Sean Kolb, a UNH senior and forestry major from Mont Vernon.

"This is my first year where I decided I really wanted to get involved," he said.

He said he has a girlfriend who is 19 and does not have health insurance benefits. Whenever she gets sick and needs a doctor, he said she has no way to pay for it.

"Everyone should have the ability to get seen by a quality physician," he said. "It shouldn't be based on how much money you make."

Kolb was one of the volunteers who manned the outside table by the 1,000 flags and encouraged his fellow students to get involved.

"It feels really good to have a cause, especially one you can relate to and believe in," Kolb said.

Inside the MUB's Granite Station mail room, UNH sophomore Leslie Mayo-Smith, a biology major from Franklin, said she cares about the issue because she realizes it affects everyone, not just the lower class or middle class.

She said also saw many students take time to stop and talk with her about contacting Sen. Gregg when they came to pick up their mail. Mayo-Smith said a lot of college students can identify with this issue or know someone who has been affected by not having access to affordable health insurance.

Besides events like the one held at UNH Tuesday, President Obama and several Democratic lawmakers have spent the last few months talking to their constituents to build support for the president's plan.

Three goals of the president's plan seek to provide stability and security to those who have health insurance; more quality, affordable choices to those who don't; and reign in the skyrocketing cost of health care for families, businesses and government.

The president has said he hopes to sign a health-care reform bill into law before the end of this year. 

 

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091021/GJNEWS_01/710219931/-1/FOSNEWS

 

By Tamia on October 23, 2009 4:13 PM

By: Nikki Schwab and Tara Palmeri

Washington Examiner

10/22/09 11:00 PM EDT

College Democrats are taking President Obama's lead and sending their GOP counterparts a message.

A long wooden stick complete with cloth tendrils.

The official youth outreach of the Democratic National Committee delivered mops to Republican offices Thursday and Friday to invite the right to help "clean up the mess" President George W. Bush made during his eight-year presidency.

And Obama clearly embraces the DNC's message.

"I don't mind cleaning up the mess that some other folks made, that's what I signed up to do," he said at a DNC fundraiser in New York on Tuesday night. "But while I'm there mopping the floor, I don't want someone saying, 'You're not mopping fast enough or you're not holding the mop the right way.' Grab a mop! Why don't you help clean up?"

Will Obama keep calling out Dubya, or call the mess his own?

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/yeas-and-nays/Scrub-up_-College-Dems-take-Obama_s-_clean-up-the-mess_-to-heart-8426343-65660112.html

The Bearkat Dems in Texas gained publicity while delivering a mop to their local Rep. Watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agZRnLuvylg

By Tamia on October 23, 2009 3:57 PM

By Danielle Curtis

The office of New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg received over 50 phone calls from UNH students last Friday asking the senator to support President Obama’s plan for the health care system.

The calls were made from a phone booth set up in the Memorial Union Building by the UNH College Democrats, and were just one part of the work the student organization is doing this semester to promote health care reform.

According to the Erin Thesing, president of the UNH College Democrats, the goal of Friday’s event, as well as other events held by the College Democrats this semester, is to bring the national debate over health care to a local level.

“The idea behind this work is to keep [the debate over health care] local,” Thesing said.   “We want to show voters that this is an issue that not only affects them directly but that they can affect directly.”

Thesing also said that while many current UNH students are not concerned with the health care reform, it is something that will directly affect them after graduating.

“Everyone has health insurance here at UNH, so it’s not something that we have to worry about right now,” Thesing said.  “But for a lot of students when they graduate from college, the first job they get into is not one that comes with benefits.”

Professor of Health Management and Policy at UNH, Bob Woodward, agreed that while most UNH students have health insurance through their parents or the university while enrolled in school, this could change upon graduation.

“As long as you are at UNH, you [as students] have little to worry about personally,” Woodward said.  “But the state of the health care system into which you will graduate is another question.  Those who get good jobs with large companies and expect to keep them will also have little to worry about.  But good jobs with good benefits are increasingly scarce in this recessionary economy.”

According to UNH College Democrats Treasurer Kaitlyn Dowling, this uncertainty of finding adequate and affordable health insurance after graduation not only demonstrates why young people should be paying attention to the ongoing debates over health care, but also why students should become more involved with the issue.

“Health care reform is something that affects literally every American,” Dowling said.  “I think that students are realizing that this is a piece of policy that will have a direct impact on their lives, particularly once they graduate.  The College Democrats are really working to harness that concern and channel it into positive action.  Unless our elected representatives are hearing from young adults they’re not going to know what we want and need.”

     According to the website of the United States Census Bureau, young people ages 18 to 24 had the highest rate of uninsured individuals in the country, with 28 percent being uninsured in 2007.
The members of the College Democrats working to promote Obama’s plan for health care say they believe his plan will help to change this statistic in several ways.

“It’s difficult to point to exact pieces of the policy because no one bill has gone to the full floor for debate in either the House or Senate as of now,” Dowling said.  “In general, reform will focus on lowering the cost of insurance and healthcare, increasing access to care, and bettering the quality of care—three areas that will benefit all Americans, regardless of their age.” 

According to Thesing, one of the most important ways that Obama’s plan for health care reform will help young people if passed is by allowing them to be insured under their parents’ health insurance until the age of 26.

“In New Hampshire there is already a law that allows young people to stay on their parents insurance until age 25,” Thesing said.  “But if you graduate from UNH and move to another state you may not have this.  Under Obama’s plan for health care, this law would be extended nationwide.”

Marc Hiller, a professor of Health Management and Policy at UNH, said that he supports the president’s plan for health care reform and that he hopes it will actually help young people.

“Since young people are among those often carrying no coverage or insufficient coverage for various reasons, I hope that that any proposal that might be adopted will require both meaningful and affordable health insurance coverage for all persons,” Hiller said.

Critics of Obama’s plan, however, say that his plan could actually hurt young people, causing them to pay more for more health insurance than they would actually use due to community rating.  Ideally, community rating requires that all patients pay the same rates for their level of health insurance coverage regardless of age or medical condition.

However, while this part of Obama’s plan would help many, critics say it could force young people, who typically have lower incomes and better health than older people, to pay more for insurance than they actually need.

UNH sophomore and Health Management and Policy major Nathan Oriol, said that while he is not sure if he supports the president’s plan for health care reform, he believes students need to pay more attention to the issue.

“I don’t think students really know what is going on and need to pay more attention,” Oriol said.  “Health care is an important issue.  I feel like most people only get one-sided opinions from the news. Everybody just yells ‘change’, but no one really knows what we need.”

According to Thesing, it is these diverse opinions regarding health care among students that have been not only helping to increase awareness of the issue on campus, but also helping to keep people involved in the College Democrats and similar political groups on campus.

“We have a huge core group of volunteers who are getting involved in this campaign,” Thesing said.  “It’s really exciting since it’s a nonelection year and we don’t usually get many new people on a non-election year.  But we have a lot of new student this year, both freshmen and sophomores, who are getting involved and really helping to run these events.”

The College Democrats plan on continuing to hold events like the one on Friday to support health care reform. 

The organization has been holding phone banks twice a week throughout the semester during which they call local citizens and ask them to call Senator Judd Gregg in support of Obama’s plan for health care will continue to do so, Thesing said. 

On Oct. 20, the College Democrats will be participating in a statewide final push to gain support for Obama’s plan by putting 1,000 flags on the lawn in front of Thompson Hall to represent the 145,000 New Hampshire residents currently without health insurance.

http://www.tnhonline.com/college-democrats-work-to-support-obama-s-healthcare-plan-1.779140

By Tamia on October 16, 2009 5:14 PM

By JARED MISNER, Alligator Writer

Posted: Thursday, October 15, 2009 5:15PM

A little rain didn't ruin this rally.

In the aftermath of the Senate Finance Committee's approval of legislation to revamp the country's current health care system, the UF College Democrats and the Alachua County Young Democrats held a rainy rally Wednesday on the Plaza of the Americas.

"We really hope to show Congress that young people care about and want health care reform," said Ben Cavataro, UF College Democrats' vice president for political affairs.

Gainesville city commissioner and mayoral candidate Craig Lowe also took the microphone. Lowe spoke without the protection of an umbrella, and his words were frequently cut short by the echoing microphone.

"Health care reform is definitely something that benefits all of us, regardless if we're in good health or bad health," Lowe said. "It's something that impacts the economy. It's something that affects our ability to do the best we can."

As Lowe concluded his speech, the Gainesville city commissioner asked rally participants to demand a public health option from their representatives in Washington.

The Senate Finance Committee's version of the health care legislation, which Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., voted to pass Tuesday, does not include a public option. The approval readies the bill for the floors of the House and Senate and faces heated Republican opposition.

Bryan Griffin, chairman of UF College Republicans, said the current legislation provides little oversight.

"Any reform that goes through with the public option, we as conservatives and Republicans cannot support," he said, citing veterans and government-run hospitals as some of most imperfect in the country.

Eric Conrad, editorial chair of UF College Democrats, reminded students that just because the Senate Finance Committee approved the health care bill does not mean the yet-to-be-finalized plan is in the clear.

"We can't stand by and let [our elected officials] decide how we live," Conrad said.

As the rain wore down to a drizzle and the rally ended, Ferdaouis Bagga, UF College Democrats vice president for community outreach, directed rally participants to sign a petition to urge Sen. Bill Nelson to support a public option plan. Bagga said more than 50 petitions were collected during the rally.

Pat McCullough, regional field director for the Democratic National Committee who also spoke at the rally, gave advice to UF students as she urged them to call upon their elected officials.

"We just need people to get involved. We need people to volunteer," she said. "What we need is boots on the ground."

http://www.alligator.org/news/campus/article_efa68606-b9cf-11de-8157-001cc4c03286.html

By Tamia on October 15, 2009 5:17 PM