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Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Sun archives
The chief of the state’s consumer health assistance program in the governor’s office learned about a plan to abolish her office by watching Gov. Jim Gibbons’ State of the State address last month.
Valerie Rosalin said there was no warning until the address that the governor wanted to scrap the agency to save more than $400,000 a year.
Rosalin said the office, formed by the 1999 Legislature to help people navigate the health care system, has assisted 55,000 people and saved more than $30 million for consumers.
“No other agency in the state does what we do,” Rosalin told the Assembly Ways and Means Committee on Monday.
The nine-member staff reviews medical bills, helps people find free or reduced-price drugs and aids workers who are injured on the job.
“We have been successful in overturning medical denials,” she said.
Committee members made it clear the program would continue. Other agencies are unable to provide the services offered by consumer health, they said.
Assemblyman Joe Hardy, R-Las Vegas, a physician, said the agency has been “invaluable” and should continue.
Assemblyman Joseph Hogan, D-Las Vegas, said given the current economic situation, this is the worst possible time to eliminate an office that helps consumers.
“To eliminate this office would cost more in the long run,” said Assembly Speaker Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas, who led the effort to create the office in 1999.
State Budget Director Andrew Clinger said that as the governor’s team looked at ways to address the state’s $2.4 billion budget shortfall, difficult decisions had to be made. The governor, Clinger said, focused on retaining the core services of government.
“If we had the funding, the governor would want to continue it,” Clinger said.
•••
The roofs of Southern Nevada could feature more solar panels in the future, if a legislator has his way.
Assemblyman David Bobzien, D-Reno, wants to give municipalities the right to offer low-interest loans to homeowners to purchase renewable energy devices. Homeowners would make payments on the loans with their property taxes.
Utilities have some questions about the proposed program, one of several renewable energy measures before the Legislature, but passage seems possible.
Sun reporter J. Patrick Coolican contributed to this story.
Thumbs up to any program that puts solar into the mainstream.
Thumbs down to the clueless Gibbons. He needs to feed his monkey that tells him what to do.
Most people think that Reagan's friend died years ago. Not so, he is in his 90's and tells Gibbons how to cut the budget, mainly higher education.
This has always the only way to go to cut out the battery and transmission problem
I hate to see the consumer health assistance program go away. My wife and I used it twice to get a Las Vegas Hospital to properly bill us. We can afford to pay our medical bills but when a hospital attempts to bill us the balance of a non negotiated Health plan rate that is illegal. Attempting to get them to correct it for a year got us no where until we got this state department envolved.
I thank them and hope to see it stay.
There are dozens of great ideas that could help people. The problem is we don't have the money we used to and it is going to drop more. Thank you Pres Obama for making a trip to Las Vegas a moral sin (remember Wells Fargo). Now no company will want to risk criticism by booking a retreat here. As we lose jobs harry Reid worries about billions to ACORN for their help. thanks harry, at least you sold us for something for yourself.
Neiman, you are one thick person. It's not a sin to come to Vegas, even if you are a corporation. Now I'll spell it out slowly for you, because you keep bleeting on about this non-sequitur point:
Wells Fargo was in trouble.
They failed to turn a profit, and instead lost about 2 BILLION dollars.
They wanted an annual convention to congratulate each other for a good year.
They didn't have a good year (see earlier point).
Now here's the rub...
They got GOVERNMENT money (ie OUR money).
They want to spend that money (reminder: it is OUR money)by going to Vegas.
Instead of staying at more reasonably priced accommodations, they decided to stay at the Wynn and Encore.
Wynn and Encore are the two PRICIEST hotels on the Strip.
Now what part of all that makes sense neiman? Really I'll wait for the response of how the is financially responsible, especially with government money.
My spin is that these morons are at the core the reason why we are at where we are at. The Titanic is sinking and these people want to pay the band to keep playing on. How about get the band to start bailing water out with the rest of the people, or at least man the life rafts or something.
So in sum, if you are going to be utterly hypocritical and condemn the stimulus as excessive pork spending, but laud these dinguses for wanting to blow money out here for no good reason, at least admit it. That or change your name to cognitive dissonance.
Please write Governor Gibbons and tell him to waive his salary for the remainder of his term as a "Goodwill," gesture to let Nevadans know that he is truly doing everything possible to balance the budget.
Thanks everyone.