The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 120, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 22, 2010 Page: 2 of 40
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RECORD
ESTABLISHED 1893
INCORPORATED FEBRUARY 1998
PO Box 898, Canadian, TX 79014
Phone: 8DB.3Z3.B4BI
Fax: 80B.323.5738
BEN EZZELL Publisher/Editor
Publisher 1948-1993
NANCY EZZELL Publisher
LAURIE EZZELL BROWN Editor
editOrScanadianreccrd.com
MARY SMITHEE Business Manager
mary@canadmnrecord.com
ADVERTISING Holly Henderson
Jaquita Adcock
advertising@canadianrecord.com
NEWS/FEATURES
Cathy Ricketts, Julia Schaier
news@canadianrecord.com
SPORTS Jason Turner
jas:tfil@canadianrecord.com
DESIGNS PRODUCTION
Laurie Brown, Cathy Ricketts,
Holly Henderson, Jason Turner
PHOTOGRAPHY
Laurie Brown, Jason Turner.
Cathy Ricketts, Alan Hale
CONTRIBUTORS: Mary Jane McKinney,
Bob Rogers, Ruth Beasley,
Robin Mitchell
USPSD87-9BD
Periodicals postage paid atthe Post
Office in Canadian (Hemphill County),
TX. Published weekly in Canadian by
Nancy M.Ezzell
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to The Canadian Record, PO Box B9B,
Canadian,TX 79014
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
S30/S3B/S42 Annually
Online Subscriptions S35/Annually
www.canadianrecord.com
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RECORD
and theEzzell Family
WINNERS OF THE
2DD7 Gish Award
FOR CHUIWGE,TENACITY'S INTEGRITY
IN COMMUNITY JOURNALISM
Drop the lawsuit
By F. Scott McCown
TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL GREG Ab-
bott is asking a federal eourt to declare national
health care reform unconstitutional. I respect
Abbott, having served with himas a state judge,
so I carefully read his legal papers, only to dis-
cover he is terribly wrong.
Under reform, Congress expanded Medic-
aid to cover more poor people and created fed-
erally subsidized state exchanges where every-
one else can buy private health insurance. With
some exceptions, everyone must obtain health
insurance or pay a tax.
Abbott objects to the "individual mandate"
that we all obtain health insurance. Under re-
form, however, insurance companies cannot
deny coverage to those with pre-existing condi-
tions, making the individual mandate essential.
Otherwise, people could wait until they got sick
to buy coverage, leaving insurance companies
operating with only a pool of sick people. With
a mandate, everyone is in the pool which keeps
premiums affordable.
The Constitution's Commerce Clause gives
Congress authority "to regulate Commerce...
among the several states." The Supreme Court
reads this provision broadly. As long as an ac-
tivity has a substantial effect on interstate com-
merce, Congress can regulate it. Choosing not
to purchase health insurance is an activity with
a big, interstate effect on the price and availabil-
ity of health care in our interdependent federal-
state health care system
The Constitution also gives Congress the
power "to lay and collect Taxes...to provide for
the...general Welfare ofthe United States." The
Supreme Court also reads this provision broad-
ly. It includes the authority to tax for a regulato-
ry purpose, such as taxing polluters who chose
not to install pollution controls or residents who
chose not to purchase health insurance.
Under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause,
federal law trumps state law.
To counter, Abbott plays the Tenth Amend-
ment: "The powers not delegated to the United
States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it
to the States, are reserved to the States respec-
tively, or to the people." But the Tenth Amend-
HELDMLS
ment does not limit federal power; it merely
says who has the power.
Abbott has previously endorsed an individu-
al mandate; he personally got a state law enact-
ed requiring parents who pay child support to
buy health insurance for their kids. Parents who
can't afford a policy or aren't eligible for a pub-
lic program must buy a policy designed by the
Attorney General from an insurance company
chosen by the Attorney General or face going to
jail on the motion of the Attorney General.
While Abbott's program isn't up and run-
ning, its individual mandate plays the same role
as the federal mandate, creating a larger in-
surance pool. Nothing in federal law required
this new program; Abbott sought it because he
thought it was a good idea.
Unfortunately, unlike insurance purchased
from the new federally subsidized exchanges,
the Abbott plan isn't subsidized, which means it
will be too costly or cover too little. In any event,
it only covers kids who get child support. We all
need health insurance.
Abbott is simply not acting in our best inter-
est. More than one in four Texans laek health
care insurance and the growing costs add to
that number daily. Under reform, about a mil-
lion Texans gain health insurance through
Medicaid, and for every dollar the state spends,
it gets nine federal dollars. And for every per-
son who gains coverage through Medicaid,
about two others gain coverage by purchasing
affordable private insurance through the feder-
ally subsidized state exchange, bringing even
more federal dollars to Texas. State officials
have terribly exaggerated the cost to the state,
which pays only a modest share that is far out-
weighed by the benefits.
Abbott ought to drop his federal case and
support affordable, quality health insurance
for all Texans through national health care re-
form
EDITOR'S NOTE: McCown is executive di-
rector ofthe Center for Public Policy Priori-
ties.
HAVING LONG BEEN a vocal and ardent proponent of Cana-
dian's approach to community development, this weekend The
Canadian Record staff was a pleased and enormously proud ben-
eficiary of all that we have accomplished. We have spent the bet-
ter part of this week reading and responding to the gracious and
grateful e-mails of our fellow members of the Panhandle and Tex-
as Press Associations, as well as to those written by the many
speakers and sponsors who helped us throw this 100th Anniver-
sary Bash, and to whom we should be directing our thanks in-
stead.
What we can say with some assurance this week is that Cana-
dian, Texas, is ready for prime-time. This community has wise-
ly invested its time and resources in beautification, preservation
and restoration—an investment that was felt and appreciated by
all of our weekend guests, who responded with enthusiastic re-
views and unanimous affirmation.
"The rain did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of everyone
who attended," said Jed Moorhouse of Silverton.
"The facilities [were] so incredible and the support from the
community couldn't ever be beat," wrote Rollie Hyde of Shawnee,
Oklahoma. "Thanks for sharing your little part of heaven with
us."
"You really know how to throw a party in Canadian, Texas,"
said Tom Higley of Amarillo. "The Palace Theatre is something
else, as is The Citadelle. It was fun being in Canadian, and I'll do
it again. But next time I want to watch and hear a movie at the
Palace and see the art on display at The Citadelle."
Tom even commented on how clean The Record was, adding,
"At first I wasn't sure I was in a newspaper office."
We'll let that one go, though our fellow publishers may take
exception.
"You and your staff and the citizens of your community are to
be commended," said Phil Major of Decatur. "All did a remark-
able job hosting the event, and we are so glad we came."
Having drooled along with the rest of us over the wonderful
cookies baked by You Dough Girls' Bread Shop and provided by
the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Larry Thornton got right
to the point: "Have them send me a price for shipping a couple of
dozen to Muleshoe."
Wes Reeves of Xcel Energy wants to make Canadian "the
poster child for the rural renaissance I want to see before I die,"
and we'll be happy to help him any way we can. "The best PPA
convention ever," he added.
The point of all of this—besides just crass, unadulterated
bragging—is to tell the public officials who have advanced our
community development efforts, and the voters and taxpayers
who have supported them with their votes and their checkbooks,
that it's working. Don't stop now.
The other point is to offer from the bottom of our ink-bleeding
hearts our sincere thanks to all of those who sponsored our con-
vention, Better Newspaper Contest and door prizes—and the list
is a very long one. Thank you Amy and Bailey Peyton, Chef Casey
Bruni and the IV Lodge and Vineyard staff; to Palace Theatre
managers Kim and Shane Spencer; to Best Western Oasis Inn
Managers J.T. and Patty Patel and his staff and to The Citadelle
Art Foundation board and director Wendie Cook for the beauti-
ful venues you provided for our workshops, meetings, meals and
lodging. Thanks to Milton Cooke and the Cattle Exchange and to
Tim Alexander and Alexander's Deli for the incomparable meals
and gracious service you provided, and to Tresea Rankin and
The Bucket and You Dough Girls, and Ma Beasley's Donut Shop
for the breakfast goodies.
Warm thanks, too, to CanadianlSD for loaning a couple of bus-
es to transport our crew—including, on one occasion, the special
Wildcat bus that so impressed its passengers—and to bus driv-
ers Susie and Shaffer Baxter and Jerry Brewer* who we are sure
added a tasty touch of local flavor to their tours around town.
And thank you, good friends and neighbors, for the genuine
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 120, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 22, 2010, newspaper, April 22, 2010; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth220836/m1/2/?rotate=90: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hemphill County Library.