The Health Care Debate Rages On, Are You Up-To-Date?

The healthcare debate has been, well...confusing. With a lot of disinformation, yelling, and emotion, it is hard to ignore, and harder to understand.

Congress is heading toward floor debate on health care reform...the furthest the U.S. has ever gotten in passing a significant reform of our health insurance system.

Here's just some of what's happening now:
U.S. Senate: Working to combine two committee bills
U.S. House: Working to combine three committee bills; awaiting analyses from Congressional Budget Office
Insurance Industry: On the offensive with tv commercials and more

Tonight, though, you have the opportunity to learn more about it, hear from people who know what's up, and ask the tough questions.

Speakers include:
Sidney Watson, Professor of Law, St. Louis University - specializing in health law and health care access for the poor
John Carlton, Editorial Writer focusing on health care, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Amy Smoucha, Missouri Health Care for All and Health Care Organizer with Missouri Jobs with Justice
Moderator: Don Marsh, St. Louis Public Radio (KWMU)

The event is 7-8:30 at CRC

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Through the haze, I see the dawning of a Smoke-Free St. Louis

Is it possible that St. Louis will go smoke-free in public places? Can it be true? It's going to take joint leadership and political courage, but I smell it coming (pun intended).

Efforts to enact a public smoking ban have failed in the past, so the battle is nothing new. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported today on the renewed attempt.

Whether the new effort succeeds might depend on whether the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County could enact a ban simultaneously. None of their leaders wants to go it alone and put their bars and restaurants at a disadvantage against competitors in a neighboring jurisdiction.

Not wanting to wait for government action on the issue, many establishments have decided to (gasp!) voluntarily go smoke-free, and kudos to them. St. Louis City has good representation of smoke-free places: the Royale, Erato, the Gelateria, Bailey's Chocolate Bar, the Gramophone (Y!- I know you're all over that one), the ChurchKey, etc, etc.

There are community efforts surfacing to make this happen. Check out Smoke-Free St. Louis City on Facebook or on their website. You can voice your opinion on KSDK's poll about a smoke free ban.

I think it goes without saying that smoking is unhealthy and poses a public health threat, so I'll leave it at that. Wouldn't it be great if this ban goes through and St. Louis does something moderately forward-thinking? Already 34 states have either full or partial smoking bans, and in those states without one, countless cities and counties have enacted their own. We definitely wouldn't be the first city, but we won't be last either!
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