THE DAILY CITIZEN the DAILY CITIZEN Door Open to Tax on Benefits
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Dixie Youth play gets under way here today —1B TTHEHE DDAILYAILY CCITIZENITIZEN Thursday,june 25, 2009 •Dalton, Georgia •www.daltondailycitizen.com • 50 Cents THINGS Door open to tax on benefits TO BY DAVID ESPO AND PHILIP cessions from the nation’shospi- he ran for president, drewaquick coverage to the nearly 50 million CHECK ELLIOTT tals as theysought support for leg- rebufffrom organized labor. uninsured. Associated Press Writers islation struggling to emerge in Obama also fielded apointed Dr.Orrin Devinsky, aneurolo- OUT Congress. personal question during an ABC gist at the NewYork University 3 WASHINGTON — President “I don’twant to prejudge what News town hall at the White House Langone Medical Center,chal- ON THE Barack Obama left the door open they’re doing,”the president said, on Wednesday.The prime-time lenged Obama: What if the presi- INSIDE to anew tax on health care benefits referring to proposals in the Senate program wasthe latest in astring dent’swife and daughters got sick? Wednesday,and officials said top to tax workers who get expensive of events designed to build public lawmakers and the White House insurance policies. Obama, who support for his plan to slowthe rise were seeking $150 billion in con- campaigned against the tax when in health care costs and expand Shootout leavesFort ➣Please see HEALTH, 2A Oglethorpe police officer injured, suspectdead. Back-up on I-75 See page 3A 5companies Trade center revenue comes in under budget forMay. seek contract See page 5A Howdid S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford think he would get away with visiting his for ambulances mistress in Argentina? See page 7A BY JAMIE JONES [email protected] SERVICE BIDS The 10 boxes of bids for Whitfield County’sambulance service had to be wheeled into Administrative Building No. 2oN Wednesday. FROM TODAY’S The boxes contained documents from five companies: American FORUM MedicalResponseofGeorgia (operating out of LaGrange), Angel “Can the Whitfield County EmergencyMedical Services Five companies have submitted Sheriff’s Department find a (based in Catoosa County), Care bids to provide ambulance service better waytospend Ambulance Service (headquartered for Whitfield County.The county is moneythan by setting up in Montgomery,Ala.), Lifeguard currently paying Whitfield speed traps in Highland Ambulance (based in Pensacola, Emergency Medical Services Forest?” Fla.) and Whitfield Emergency $632,220 and providing an Medical Services (EMS), which is $85,000 Type 3ambulance for the “I sure am glad my apart of Hamilton Health Care current fiscal year.Here are the momma doesn’t have any System. bids, which were opened on tattoos.” Earlier this spring, the Whitfield Wednesday.Details from each bid County Board of Commissioners were not released: See page 2A put the county’sambulance service ■ American Medical Response out to bid for the first time. Whitfield EMS has provided ambu- of Georgia: $595,000 lance service for the county since ■ Angel Emergency Medical WEATHER 1986. Bid details were not released. Services : $635,000 JeffreyPutnam, director of the ■ Care Ambulance Service: Forecast: Sunny county’sEmergencyManagement Option 1-$720,000; option 2- Today’sHigh: 95 Office, said county staffwill make $420,000; option 3-$300,000 Tonight’sLow:68 arecommendation to the board of ■ Lifeguard Ambulance: Option Details, Page 12A commissioners in about four weeks 1-$578,000; option 2-$250,000 after reviewing the bids. ■ Whitfield Emergency Medical Commissionerswill choose the Services: Option 1-$1.25 million; INSIDE winning bidder. option 2-$975,000; option 3- Classified..............6B “We’ve got apretty good time- $658,800 plus one ambulance line,”Putnam said. Comics..................5B The county is paying Whitfield Crossword..............4B EMS $632,220 and providing an lance service while still providing a Dear Abby.................5B $85,000 Type 3ambulance for the high levelofservice. The proposed contract runs to Horoscope.............4B fiscal year from July 2008 through June 30. Commissioners earlier this Dec. 31, 2012, with an option for Lottery..................2A twoadditional one-year terms. The month lengthened the county’scon- RACHEL BROWN/The Daily Citizen Movies..................4B tract with Whitfield EMS until winning bidder will provide at least Obituaries.............10A Sept. 30. The county is paying five advanced life support ambu- Avehicle fire one mile south of exit 333 (Walnut Avenue) on Opinion................4A Whitfield EMS $158,055 for the lances for 24 hours aday,seven Interstate 75 South shut down the interstate forabout 15 three-month extension. By bidding days aweek. The county owns the minutes around 2p.m. on Wednesday. Whitfield 911 opera- Sports......................1-3B the ambulance service, county offi- eight ambulances Whitfield EMS torssaid no one was hurt.The fire began from the engine of cials hope to save moneyonambu- currently uses. apickup truckthat was towing another vehicle. Sims-Verheyen VW taking salaried 7 69847 00001 6 honored for job applications CHATTANOOGA (AP) — Volkswagen executivesiN workwithkids Chattanoogasay theyare accepting applications for salaried positions and will start taking applicationsfor BY RACHEL BROWN hourly-paidproduction workers in late fall. [email protected] VW-Chattanoogahuman resourcesvice president Hans-Herbert Jagla said Tuesday that about 100 salaried Cynder Sims-Verheyen didn’tlikeschool when she positions have been filled, from about 18,000 applications wasgrowing up in Wisconsin. already received. There are about 400 more salaried jobs to Sims-Verheyen says she took alot of teasing during be filled. her younger years because she wasoverweight. Not The Chattanoogaplant is to start production in early monster.com until she spent some extra time listening to the wisdom 2011 and create about 2,000 jobs. and of amiddle school homeroom teacher who convinced Jagla said VW will start hiring hourly-paid production her she could eventually create her owndestinydid Cynder Sims-VerheyeN workers early next year and he expects more than 100,000 THE DAILY CITIZEN applications. VW-Chattanoogaspokewoman April Working Together! was recentlyhonored with the Louise Eddings Wortham said the automaker is not yet ready to reveal how 706-272-7707 • 706-272-7703 ➣ Please see HONORED,3A Service Award. much it will pay hourly workers. NEW! $ 00 off ANY 1 MEDIUM OR sandwich ¢ off ANY 75 sMAll 1325 W. Walnut Ave.•Dalton sandwich 706-217-2867 Offer expires 8/30/2009. Limitone coupon per person, per visit.Not valid with anyother offer, MealDeal, Combo MealorKid’s Meal. Good only with originalcoupon at the participatingW.Walnut Ave. Schlotzsky’s® restaurant. ©2009Schlotzsky’s FranchiseLLC. Fax: 706-217-2877 All rights reserved. lOTTERY WINNING NUMBERS – FOR JUNE 24 ATYOUR Georgia: MiddayCash3:7-3-5, Cash4:1-9-5-9,EveningCash3:3-1-3 PAGE 2 Win forLife: 1-12-20-22-35-36, Free Ball: 30 SERVICE Tennessee: MiddayCash 3: 5-3-3, Lucky Sum: 11; Cash 4: 1-6-2-2, Lucky Sum: 11, Evening Cash 3: 2-8-2, Lucky Sum: 12, Cash 4: 9-0-4-9, Lucky Sum: 22 Ourmailingaddress: 2A Thursday, June 25, 2009 P.O. Box 1167 Dalton, Ga. 30722-1167 Ourshipping address: TODAY’S FORUM /2&,)#"-(1%#&.!)# *.-& *1+)+ $1 )1'.-(#1+0").! *.-& 308 S. Thornton Ave. In 2007, employer and individual private insurance accounted for 35 percent of the $2.2 trillion health care Dalton, Ga. 30720 Editor’snote: Please “Animals do not have expense in the U.S., while hospital care absorbed athird of the funds. keep your comments as rights.” Where the money comes from Where the money goes OurWeb site: brief as possible.Get to the Employer andindividual 2007 Hospital care 697 billion www.daltondailycitizen.com point! Longer comments “People don’tneed to be private insurance Health care should be submitted as let- worried about afew chickens $775 billion expenses ters to the editor.Ifyou in people’syards. Theyneed Our offices are locatedonthe include aname, please spell to be worried about these Out-of-pocket 269 Private Physician and clinical services 479 west side of the intersection of it. Call 706-272-7748 to dopeheads selling dope to the spending Thornton Avenue and Morris $1.2 trillion reach Today’sForum. children.” Other private 162 Street in downtownDalton. Prescription drugs 228 We’re open 8a.m. until 5p.m. “Obama better pay atten- “Wow!What afront page Public Medicare 431 Monday through Friday. tion to what’shappening in item! Who wasproviding spending $1.0 trillion Iran because if he keeps up Omega 3grass when herds of Program administration 156 How to call us: his government be-all, do-all, buffalo passed gasonthe Medicaid* 338 Nursing home care 131 Main number: 706-217- that’swhat we’ll have in the plains in our earlier years.” *Includes State Children sHealth NEWS streets of the United States.” Insurance Program **Includes dental Other spending** 550 Other public 266 services, home health care, research (That’s706-217-6397) “I am a79-year-old lady and retail sales of medical products Whenyou’renot sure with whom “Tothe person who said if and no coward. Iwill say the Health care spending, by type you need to speak, our operator Jesus wasalive today he last eight years have been the $5 trilion will makesure you’retransferredto would be persecuted by the worst in the United States Medicare and Medicaid spending (public funding) 2.1 trillion the person who can best help you. liberals and the media: Who because of Mr.Bush and Mr. 4 is projected to account for nearly half of health are you to knowhow Ifeel? Cheney.” care spending by 2018. 2.2 trillion Delivery: 706-272-7705 Youhavenoclue.” 3 “The wages at the Real Our staffcan take your subscrip- 1.2 trillion tion and delivery-relatedcalls “Jesus has atattoo, too. Silk Hosiery Mill were 70 2 See Revelations 19:16.” and 75 cents an hour.I 1965: Medicare and Medicaid are signed Private from 6a.m. to 5p.m. Monday into law by President Lyndon B.