Table Gaming Comes To The Ohio Valley

I just wanted to quickly mention that today marks the start of table gaming in two Northeastern West Virginia counties.

With a snip of a ribbon, poker games were officially under way at Wheeling Island Racetrack & Gaming Center Friday morning.

Both Wheeling Island and Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort were given the official OK to start poker play Friday.

About 80 new employees at Wheeling Island began their first eight-hour shift after a 10 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. Bob Marshall, president of Wheeling Island Racetrack, said the poker room will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Earlier in the morning, people lined up waiting to put on their poker faces and win big. Some, like Leroy Waddell and his wife, drove from Columbus for the debut. Others, like Terry Kadan, came from Pittsburgh to be one of the first to play cards at the facility.

While most of the focus was on Friday's unveiling, there is still much more to come, Marshall said. Construction continues on the main gaming floor, where they will have games like craps, roulette and blackjack. Marshall said if all goes well, opening the main gaming floor could come as early as Jan. 1, 2008.

The Wheeling Island racetrack and Gaming Center is also reporting that all of it's hotel rooms are booked for the weekend.

I'm sure these table games will bring some problems to our area but I'm also extremely hopeful. I think that they could, when added to other recent developments, be exactly the shot in the arm that the local economy needs.

Source: Poker Players Lay Down Their Chips In Ohio Valley - News Story - WTOV Steubenville

Zack Space Not Ready To Give Up On SCHIP

Today's attempt to override the SCHIP veto may have fallen 13 votes short but 18th district Rep. Zack Space isn't calling it quits just yet.

“The President and his Congressional allies have sunk to a new low. Providing health insurance to kids in working families seemed like a no-brainer, but apparently I was wrong.  I am sincerely worried about the health of those currently enrolled in the program and those who would have been enrolled had this bill passed.”

“I will not give up this fight.  Continuing coverage for the 145,000 children in Ohio and making sure everyone eligible has the funds to join the program will remain one of my top legislative priorities.”

A press release from Space's office yesterday included the following:

SCHIP Reality vs. Rhetoric

White House Rhetoric:

Under the bipartisan SCHIP legislation, families making $83,000 per year would be eligible to be enrolled in the SCHIP program. 

Reality:

The bipartisan SCHIP bill vetoed by the President does not raise the eligibility level for SCHIP.  In addition, no state currently offers SCHIP coverage to families making $83,000.  The state of New York applied to do so -- and was denied by the Bush Administration. Under the legislation the President vetoed, the Bush Administration would continue to have the ability to determine New York eligibility levels.

White House Rhetoric:

“Poor kids first”

Reality:

We agree. That’s why we cover them with Medicaid, that’s why we fixed the states’ constant shortfalls under this administration, and that’s why 90% of families covered by SCHIP are living under 200% of poverty.

White House Rhetoric:

The bipartisan SCHIP legislation covers illegal immigrants.

Reality:

The bipartisan SCHIP bill states clearly that “Nothing in this Act allows Federal payment for individuals who are not legal residents.”  In fact, the bipartisan SCHIP bill does not provide benefits for legal immigrant children.  

White House Rhetoric:

The SCHIP measure will lead to government-run socialized medicine by taking children out of private health care and put them in government run health care.

Reality:

77% of children in SCHIP receive their health care through private insurance companies. The American Medical Association, the Association of Health Insurance Plans, and PhRMA – hardly advocates of socialized medicine – all support the bill.

While today's release contained the following poll numbers:

STRONG MAJORITY OF AMERICANS FAVOR BIPARTISAN SCHIP BILL

CBS Poll: Four out of Five Americans Support SCHIP Bill.  According to polling this week from CBS News an overwhelming majority of Americans, 81%, favor the bipartisan plan to cover more uninsured children through the state children’s health insurance program.  [CBS News, 10/17/07]

NPR Poll: 70% Support SCHIP Bill.  According to a survey released this week by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health 70% of Americans support adding $35 billion to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. [NPR, 10/17/07]

AMERICANS STRONGLY SUPPORT OVERRIDING BUSH’S VETO

NPR Poll: Nearly Two Thirds Favor SCHIP Veto Override: According to a survey this week by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health 64% of Americans favor overriding the president's veto of the children’s health insurance bill and 67% disapproved of the President’s veto. [NPR, 10/17/07]

CNN Poll: Over 60% Favor SCHIP Veto Override. According to a CNN poll this week, 61% of Americans say Congress should override the President’s veto. [CNN, 10/17/07]

I definitely wouldn't call this fight over yet.

Charlie Wilson Still Votes To Override SCHIP Veto

Rep. Charlie Wilson followed through with his promise to vote to override President Bush's veto of the SCHIP bill despite his recent surgery.

The override vote tally was 273-156, short of the two-thirds needed. According to Wilson:

“I’m disappointed we weren’t able to override the President’s unconscionable veto. This vote was so important; I had to stay to cast it.”

Wilson was pushed onto the House floor in a wheelchair by fellow Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan. Wilson will now head home to rest and recover.

Reprinted below is an Op-Ed piece Wilson wrote a few days ago on the subject.

CHIP is Crucial for Our Future

Congressman Charlie Wilson (OH-06) October 15, 2007 I just got out of the hospital after a 6 night stay. Nothing makes you appreciate the value of good healthcare like a near-death experience. I didn’t know I was going to need that level of care on Monday, yet on Tuesday, there I was, in the hospital, in desperate need of quality care. By Thursday I underwent emergency surgery to correct a problem caused by a routine screening colonoscopy. I have always supported the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Still, as I lay in my hospital bed getting ‘round the clock care from the best doctors and nurses a patient could have, I grew angrier that the president would think it’s OK that I have care and that he has healthcare, but that millions of children don’t. Everyone deserves quality healthcare in this country. The bipartisan plan will cover 10 million children. That’s 10 million children who wouldn’t have insurance otherwise. And we’re paying for it; we’re not putting this on the credit card. It’s going to take some doing – and I may even need to be wheeled onto the floor of the House to cast my vote – but I will do everything in my power to vote to override the president’s unconscionable veto to reauthorize funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program. This is a bipartisan plan that insures 10 million children whose families are struggling to make ends meet. This program was created to provide health coverage for children in families who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but not enough to afford private insurance. In other words, these are the children who fall through the cracks. It’s no wonder that 69 Senators including 18 Republicans, and 43 governors including 16 Republicans support this program. This bill preserves coverage for 6 million children currently covered by CHIP and extends coverage to 4 million more that lack insurance. There are 122,000 uninsured children in Ohio who would gain health coverage. The president says the program is too expensive and we can’t afford it. He’s wrong. First, it’s paid for. Second, we can’t afford not to. It costs less than $3.50 a day to cover children through CHIP. Insuring kids is much more cost-effective than emergency room care. And we all know a healthy child is more likely to succeed in education and life. This vote on Thursday is a vote for children and for our future. I want to reassure the citizens of Ohio’s Sixth District that far from preventing me from voting, my recent emergency hospital stay will propel me onto the House Floor to cast that vote for children.

Jeb Bush Jr. Apparently Forgot To Stop And Think

The Rudy Giuliani campaign announced a huge endorsement today according to MSNBC. Apparently they've secured the support of Jeb Bush Jr., the son of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.

Why is this news? Look at the following MSNBC story, specifically the part after the big green "Update".

From NBC's Mark Murray
The Giuliani campaign announced today that Jeb Bush Jr. -- the son of the former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who is President George W. Bush's brother -- has endorsed Giuliani.

But there appears to be a split in the family. Jeb Bush Jr.'s more famous brother -- George P. Bush -- previously endorsed Fred Thompson.

*** UPDATE *** This is the same Jeb Bush Jr. who was caught having sex in a car in a Tallahassee, Fla., mall parking lot in 2000 when he was 16 (no charges were filed) and charged with public intoxication and resisting arrest  in Austin, Texas in 2005.

You know, you'd think that they'd check on stuff like that before announcing an endorsement.

Source: Jeb Bush Jr. backs Rudy - First Read - msnbc.com

You Can't Leave A Child Behind If No One Is Moving Forward

It's not real often that I write a post just to highlight someone else's post. In fact it's something I specifically try to avoid unless I have something to add to it.

Anyway's I'll just get right down to it, you need to read this post about the effect that "No Child Left Behind" is having on our schools. I have a lot of relatives that work in schools and I've heard a lot of similar stories, but never anything that bad.

Church Sends Silly String To Soldiers In Iraq, Saves Lives

When the students in the Wintersville (near Steubenville) Church of Christ Vacation Bible School decided to include silly string the care packages they sent to soldiers in Iraq they probably had no clue how useful it would be.

Shortly after sending the care packages they got a letter that included the following:

“I want to mention that your package contained a can of Silly String. I don’t know if you knew this but many soldiers use Silly String to find trip wires on bombs when searching houses. I gave your can to our patrol and they found a bomb the very next day. So you likely saved several lives with your box. Isn’t God cool?”

Source: Herald Star Online

Charlie Wilson Is Released From The Hospital

Earlier today Representative Charlie Wilson was released from the hospital following his emergency surgery to repair a perforated colon.

I have to say that Wilson has earned a whole new degree of respect from me today when his office announced that he would be staying in D.C. so he could vote to override the Presidents SCHIP veto. After the vote is cast he'll be heading back home to rest and recover for a few weeks.

“I have always supported the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but there’s nothing like a week’s stay in the hospital to highlight just how crucial good healthcare is. Everyone deserves quality healthcare in this country.”

-- Rep. Charlie Wilson

I have to respect that kind of conviction and dedication from anyone, no matter what the issue was.

As for his recovery, Wilson said:

“I want to thank everyone who has sent along their good wishes and offered up prayers for my recovery. It really means a lot.”

Rosemary Palmer Still Wants Dennis To Debate

I know it's sad, but for some reason the Rosemary Palmer campaign still thinks it's possible for them to arrange a debate between their candidate and the incumbent Dennis Kucinich. Don't you people get it? Dennis has moved on to bigger and better things, his ten year stand with your district is over.

Okay, so maybe I went a little too far with that intro (but it was so much fun!). The point, however, remains that Dennis seem to have forgotten his House seat to once again pursue his long shot presidential bid.

The Palmer campaign, which has been trying to get Kucinich to agree to a debate, put out the following press release today.

Forty days after Rosemary Palmer, candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 10th Congressional District of Ohio, issued her challenge to Congressman Dennis Kucinich to hold a series of five debates, the silence from the Congressman is deafening.

 

Meanwhile, Mr. Kucinich has continued his long-shot presidential campaign with events across the country, including a slew of late night talk show appearances.  Today, Congressman Kucinich will be in New York City as a guest on The Colbert Report. 

Host Stephen Colbert issued a challenge of his own to the Congressman- to empty his pockets and reveal their contents on the show.  Mr. Kucinich accepted Colbert’s challenge within days and immediately scheduled an appearance on Comedy Central's highly rated satire show.  “Once again the people of the 10th District are left without a dedicated, full time Member of Congress,” Palmer said of his latest publicity stunt.  “He is continuing in search of celebrity instead of a committed pursuit of results for Northeast Ohio,” she said.

 

Palmer Campaign Manager Anthony Fossaceca said “the challenge to debate still stands.  We’ve been waiting for over a month, and still no response.”  Fossaceca also criticized the Congressman’s pursuit of the limelight.  “His jet-setting about the country to make these appearances is like throwing salt in the wound,” he said.  “Not only are we expected to tolerate an absentee Congressman, but then he goes on national television to be exposed as the butt of late night jokes.  It’s painful to watch.”

 

The Palmer campaign has released a satirical YouTube video which chronicles Congressman Kucinich coast-to-coast traveling and his irreverence to the people in the 10th District.  To view the ad, visit www.rosemarypalmerforcongress.com

 

I wish them the best of luck getting Kucinich to agree to a debate but I'm not holding my breath.

And just for archival purposes, the video mentioned in the press release can also be found here.

Update: I didn't watch the video before this post (dial-up, remember?) but it definitely fits with the first paragraph's style.

China Considering Shutting Down Heavy Polluters

One of the biggest arguments against working to reduce global warming in this country has been that developing countries like China were also creating pollution. I've always thought of this as a really lame excuse, we do a lot of things that China doesn't.

In any case, the excuse my soon be thrown out the door if China implements the new pollution rules that they are considering. Under these new rules companies violating environmental regulations would have their foreign trading licenses suspended for a year or two. These companies would also be able to get their licenses back by showing that they have brought their company back into compliance of the regulations.

Source: China reportedly to consider suspending polluters' licenses - MarketWatch