I Think We've Got A Bleeder Right Now

Ashley Freund, 20, on break at 
Applebees
Originally uploaded by baileyw

Bailey Wilkins

December 10, 2009-Ashley Freund has the same common worries as many of her fellow young people: work, bills, friendships, boyfriends, the list continues. However, Freund has an additional worry that is becoming more and more common for people her age, that being health care.

Freund, 20, lives in Grand Blanc with her parents. They previously had health care from her dad’s job, but since being laid off in September, the entire family has gone without coverage. Without income, the have no money to provide basic needs, nonetheless health insurance.

“The biggest problem I have is the stress I know it causes my parents,” says Freund. “They hate that they can’t provide for me, but I don’t blame them. I just wish I could take care of myself.”

Taking care of herself provides yet another obstacle. Freund works as a hostess at Applebee’s. The company does not provide benefits, however they do try to help their employees get coverage.

“Applebee’s teamed with Aflac to try to provide ‘affordable’ coverage,” says Freund, “but I make like $500 a month. Just the $80 a month for benefits is too much.  I can’t afford any of it.”

This is an issue that causes a lot of additional stress for people of all ages.  Nationalized health care was one of the main issues that Obama was elected president on (for more on his plan, see the video below). The House of Representatives recently passed their own form of a health care bill and the Senate appears to be on track to do the same.  If they do, both legislative groups must conference to agree on one bill for a vote, and if passed, then the president must sign the bill into a law.  

According to a Gallup report, 16 percent of Americans do not have health insurance coverage of any kind.  Over 31 percent of Americans age 19-29 are currently living without health insurance. However, there are some programs out there trying to help.

The World Is Spinning Around Out Of Control Again

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In the most important political news of the past week, last Tuesday President Obama gave his West Point Address (part one of the speech can be viewed above).  While the topics varied to things like job creation and healthcare, most of the focus was on the War in Afghanistan.  The Huffington Post did a story covering the speech just hours after it ended.

"Declaring "our security is at stake," President Barack Obama ordered an additional 30,000 U.S. troops into the long war in Afghanistan Tuesday night, nearly tripling the force he inherited as commander in chief. He promised an impatient public he would begin bringing units home in 18 months.

The buildup to about 100,000 troops will begin almost immediately – the first Marines will be in place by Christmas – and will cost $30 billion for the first year alone.

In a prime-time speech at the U.S. Military Academy, the president told the nation his new policy was designed to "bring this war to a successful conclusion," though he made no mention of defeating Taliban insurgents or capturing al-Qaida terrorist leader Osama bin Laden."
[Read Full Article Here]

Obama went on to say that we must not give al-Qaida a "safe haven" and we must prepare the Afghani government to handle this issue on their own.  There has been slightly odd reaction to the speech.  In an unusual event for this nation's politics, there is not a clear partisan divide on the opinion of this speech.