Get R done?

The long and windy road to health care reform takes many twists and turns. Here is where we are at right now.

If legislation doesn't get 60 votes in the Senate, it's likely dead. To make it pass, Dems are trying to make reform measures palatable to those on the fence. That means the bill is expected to morph and change.

Many Dems want a public option and see it as the only way to force health care prices down. But, if a public option survives, it's likely states will be able to opt of it. Or there will be a trigger. Meaning if rates don't drop by so much in a specified time frame, the public option kicks in.

For me, I want to see lower costs for real people. Period. If we get that from public option, then I am all for it. If it can only come from tort reform, okay. The bottom line is Republicans and Democrats need to work together to make this crap cheaper.

Have you been to the hospital lately? Me, neither. Last time it costs a couple thousand dollars. And I have insurance.

Chase is 14

My first-born turns 14-years-old today. His official name is Chase Alexander Brown, but he's gone by a variety of names over the years. Chasey. Chaser. Chasey-poo. Chaser-baser-big-boy. And Stinky.

When he was a baby, he was the laziest baby in the world. He loved just rocking in his car seat, and though we took him out quite a bit, he didn't seem to care too much. He was content wherever he was. He didn't walk until he was 18 months old. But, it worked out perfect for me. He was my introduction to the world of babies, and as it turned out, I couldn't screw up a thing. I was a success as a dad as long as I was around to make faces at him.

At 14, Chase is like me in almost every measurable way. Well, except for the Wilkinson blonde hair. He's smart, but not so smart that he's overly burdened. Lucky for me he got the ridiculously corny Brown sense of humor. I can joke with him about anything and he just gets it. When I start singing "All the Single Ladies" out of the blue, Chase is always there to join in.

He loves sports, and just like me at his age, he is always ready for a pick-up game of basketball or a quick football toss in the yard. He's not the fastest or strongest at anything, but he's competitive. Just like dad.

Chase is great because he rolls with the punches. He can get really upset of course, but he never holds onto it. That's a rare thing, you know.

He is funny. He's nice. He's laid back. He's a goofball.

In a mixed up confusing world, we understand each other. And I'm he's biggest fan. But, don't let him know.

Today, I'm going to take him to the court and play him one-on-one. I'm going to beat him down, and hopefully, make him cry a little. Then, I might sing him a song about how much it sucks to be a loser. He'll laugh.

Happy Birthday, Chasey.

Jackie's tough

According to updates from her husband and friends, it seems local blogger and former CFP politico Jackie Melton is making a recovery from a rather serious staph infection. Her husband, Larry Melton, said she had antibiotic staph pneumonia. She has been in the hospital for at least a couple of weeks now. Her last post was in mid-October.

Jackie became a friend of mine when I was still an intern at CFP. Her blog, Jackehammer, is widely followed and respected. She has covered City Council forever it seems, and usually not for money. She seems to know everyone involved in local politics, and she is probably the best researcher I have ever met. She has always been very helpful and kind to me and I am very glad to hear she is getting better.

Perception

I found this story about perception on Stumbleupon. This is the kind of dorky stuff I find interesting.

School bond bummer

I must now apologize to my younger self.

As one who attended Springfield Public Schools, I remember days staring at the chalk board and sweating in my chair. At certain times near the beginning and end of the school year, it was inescapable. The heat. On the hottest days, they'd let us bring our own water bottles.

Occasionally at Parkview, a wasp would fly in one of the seemingly thousands of open windows and terrorize the class while a distracted teacher would tell us to 'just ignore it.' We couldn't, of course.

I am sure I was not the only student who found it offensive that the only part of the school that was air-conditioned was the administrative offices. Rumors were that it was also air-conditioned in the teachers' lounge, but I never went in there.

I'm apologizing now because today I did something I never thought I'd do. I voted against air conditioning some Springfield Public Schools.

Here's the thing -- and I only learned this after reading Ralph Plank's letter to the editor -- two of the schools they want to air-condition, Reed and my alma mater Jarrett, are schools they want to tear down and build again. A look at current bond projects and future proposed projects reveals a disturbing pair of competing priorities.

While I am not as convinced as he seems to be that a new middle school at Westport is a bad thing, I don't quite understand why the school district is pressing forward with plans despite the objections of parents in that area. They say they'll save money consolidating the alternatives' programs, but I'm not sure why that's needed either. Obviously, the facilities are already in place.

Plus I'm bummed out that the district feels its necessary to move its administrative offices to a place its going to have to remodel anyway. Neither Gerry Lee nor Norm Ridder laid out strong arguments for the move when I interviewed them for my ballot story. And neither would say that's a permanent move.

I'm not someone who is against stimulus funds. In fact, I like that they were trying to take advantage of the available dollars. Dollars that won't be there if the bond measure fails. But I don't understand why the district is looking to air-condition schools that they want to tear down soon. And as Bob Mace points out (page 6 on the link), I don't like that the district is holding any events in University Plaza when the Doling building or any number of its other buildings is available.

I voted for the 2006 bond issue, but I couldn't bring myself to vote for this one. Perhaps if voters send a message to the district now, it will remember this is real money its playing with. Real money from property working adults buy after they work. Sorry kiddos. Take a water bottle.