CAVALIERS SUSPENDED BYNUM INDEFINITELY, SPORTS B1 LEESBURG, FLORIDA Sunday, December 29, 2013 www.dailycommercial.com GETTING INVOLVED: 2 people qualify to HIGHER EDUCATION: Older students run for Groveland City Council seat, A3 opt for on-campus experience, A3 Obama’s presidency beset by fits and starts JULIE PACE and NANCY BENAC one more time,” Obama Associated Press said quietly. “I’m not go- ing to see this again.” WASHINGTON — There was so much It was a moment for Obama could not — or Barack Obama to savor. did not — see then, as His second inau- he opened his second gural address over, term with a confident Obama paused as he call to arms and an ex- strode from the podi- pansive liberal agenda. um last January, turn- He’d never heard of ing back for one last Edward Snowden, who glance across the ex- would lay bare the panse of the National government’s massive Mall, where a support- surveillance program. ive throng stood in the Large-scale use of winter chill to witness chemical weapons in Syria was only a BRETT LE BLANC / DAILY COMMERCIAL the launch of his new term. threat. A government Jerry Smith, director of Lake Emergency Medical Services, poses for a photo at Lake EMS in Leesburg on Dec. 17. Smith said he must contend with a new anomaly: fewer transports. Lake EMS reported 49 fewer transports this year compared “I want to take a look, SEE FIVE | A2 to 2012. As a result, the service’s budget has been substantially reduced, with a projected half a million less in revenue. TAVARES Fixing emergency services LIVI STANFORD | Staff Writer Fire Rescue for transport help. the problem in March 2013. [email protected] In nine separate incidents He also brought the issue to over four months at the begin- the Lake EMS Board of Direc- he call Jerry Smith re- ning of this year, Lake EMS did ASSOCIATED PRESS ceived last winter illus- tors, which instituted a policy not have one ambulance avail- trated a problem that con- change in June requiring hos- In this Jan. 16 file photo, President Barack Obama, T able to respond to medical pitals to accept patient care accompanied by Vice President Joe Biden, gestures as he tinued to get worse: numerous emergencies. talks about proposals to reduce gun violence, in the South ambulances were tied up at transfers within 30 minutes of “There were numerous the ambulances’ arrival. Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington. It was a the hospitals, with Lake EMS times we were waiting over moment for Barack Obama to savor. paramedics and EMTs waiting Since then, Smith said hos- two hours to offload patients,” pital offload times have been to offload patients, sometimes Smith said for hours. substantially reduced to an av- Paramedics were spending erage of 11 to 16 minutes for As a result, there were no an average of 29 to 61 minutes ambulances available to re- all four hospitals. offloading patients at three of Further, hospital officials Circle these dates: spond to medical emergencies. the four hospitals, according to said substantial improvements On that one occasion, Smith, Lake EMS. have been made. executive director of Lake For the first time in four Smith, who became interim EMS, had to call Rural Met- years, Smith began meeting Health law’s key executive director of the am- ro ambulance service in Sum- with the hospital’s chief ex- ter County and Marion County ecutive officers to mitigate SEE EMS | A2 tests in 2014 New year springs to life Wednes- day, after nearly four The world braces for retirement crisis brings big years of political tur- challenges for moil and three months Associated Press work well past the traditional The problems are emerging of enrollment cha- retirement age of 65 — to 70 or as the generation born after Obamacare os. Patients will begin A global retirement crisis is even longer. Living standards World War II moves into retire- showing up at hospitals bearing down on workers of all will fall, and poverty rates will ment. CONNIE CASS and pharmacies with Associated Press ages. rise for the elderly in wealthy “The first wave of under- insurance coverage Spawned years before the bought through the na- countries that built safety nets prepared workers is going to Great Recession and the finan- WASHINGTON — tion’s new health care for seniors after World War II. try to go into retirement and cial meltdown in 2008, the crisis The new year brings marketplaces. In developing countries, peo- will find they can’t afford to was significantly worsened by ple’s rising expectations will be the big test of President The course of 2014 do so,” says Norman Dreger, those twin traumas. It will play frustrated if governments can’t Barack Obama’s belea- will show whether out for decades, and its conse- afford retirement systems to re- a retirement specialist in guered health care law: Obama can get afford- Frankfurt, Germany, who works quences will be far-reaching. place the tradition of children Will it work? able care to millions of Many people will be forced to caring for aging parents. SEE RETIRE | A2 The heart of the law SEE HEALTH | A2 INDEX CROSSWORDS C3 OBITUARIES A4 Vol. 137 TODAY’S WEATHER $1 CLASSIFIED C3 DIVERSIONS E5 SPORTS B1 No. 363 Detailed forecast 76˚/57˚ 5 sections COMICS INSIDE LEGALS C4 VOICES C1 on page A8. Strong thunderstorms Call Our Experienced Physicians For Family Medicine Podiatric/Foot Careand Chiropractic Treatment 357-8615 ~ www.lakehealthcarecenter.com 910 Mt. Homer Rd. ~ Eustis Paul Austin, MD Victor M. Torres, DPM Randy Glisson, D.C. John Heiligenthal, D.C. James Fernandes, D.C. Most Insurance Accepted Family Practice Foot & Ankle Care Back & Neck Care Back & Neck Care Back & Neck Care Serving Lake County Since 1963 ~ Founded by Dr. Jim Glisson Board Certified Podiatric Surgery Nutrition & Acupuncture Palmer Graduate A2 DAILY COMMERCIAL Sunday, December 29, 2013 The 90th percentile refers EMS to the time it takes an ambu- FIVE FLORIDA FROM PAGE A1 lance to respond to 90 percent FROM PAGE A1 of the calls. LOTTERY bulance service in Septem- The audit stated: “Nation- shutdown and second debt crisis ber 2012 after the resignation al benchmarks should be seemed improbable. His health care SATURDAY of Jim Judge, has confront- considered when establish- law, the signature achievement of his CASH 3 ...............................................6-2-4 ed numerous other challeng- ing response time goals. EMS presidency, seemed poised to make the Afternoon ..........................................4-4-3 es in the organization from achieved an overall response leap from theory to reality. inaccurate response times re- time of 14:30 as compared to Obama had campaigned for re-elec- PLAY 4 .............................................2-8-9-4 ported to addressing fewer the benchmark of eight min- tion on the hope that a second term Afternoon .......................................4-9-5-9 ambulances in service when utes and 59 seconds” set by would bring with it a new spirit of com- employees call in sick to in- promise after years of partisan rancor FRIDAY the American Ambulance As- creasing the number of am- on Capitol Hill. FANTASY 5 ............................... 1-6-9-22-27 sociation. bulances available 24 hours a “My expectation is that there will be 2 of 5 wins free ticket 3 of 5 wins $8.50 day. Smith said the agency is some popping of the blister after this 4 of 5 wins $97.50 5 of 5 wins $235,031.15 Now, Smith said he must now reporting the 90th per- election, because it will have been such MEGA MONEY ......................... 7-9-35-36-5 centile in addition to the aver- a stark choice,” he’d said. contend with a new anoma- With Megaball Without Megaball ly: fewer transports. Lake EMS age response time. Instead, great expectations disap- Powerball alone wins Free ticket .............2 of 4 wins $2 reported 49 fewer transports He said the ambulance ser- peared in fumbles and failures. 1 of 4 w/Megalball wins $2.50 ............. 3 of 4 wins $56 2 of 4 w/Megalball wins $24.50 ......4 of 4 wins $5,897 this year compared to 2012. vice does not have the re- Obama’s critics doubled down. Frac- 3 of 4 w/Megalball wins $538.50 ...................... Rollover As a result, the ambulance’s sources “economically to meet tured Republicans, tugged to the right 4 of 4 w/Megalball wins $550,000 budget has been substantial- the 90th percentile.” by the tea party, swore off compromise. The president’s outreach to Congress ly reduced, with a projected “We are going to report it half a million less in revenue, was somewhere between lacking and and advise the board of where non-existent. Obama’s team dropped Smith said. we are,” he said. Commissioner Jimmy Con- the ball — calamitously — on his health THE NEWSPAPER OF CHOICE FOR LAKE AND SUMTER COUNTIES SINCE 1875 “In these economic times it care law. Snowden’s revelations had The Daily Commercial (ISSN 0896-1042) is published daily for ner, who is also vice chairman is extremely difficult to meet Democrats and Republicans alike call- $91.59 per year (plus Florida sales tax) by Halifax Media Group of the Lake EMS board, said at 212 East Main Street, Leesburg, Florida. Periodicals postage is the 90th percentile.” ing for tighter surveillance rules. paid at the USPO, Leesburg, FL. POSTMASTER: Send all address he believed the hospitals have changes to The Daily Commercial, P.O. Box 490007, Leesburg, FL But fire and EMS, including been very cooperative. 34749-0007. All material contained in this edition is property of ALS responders, were meet- The Daily Commercial and is protected under the copyright laws of “As best as I can tell we have the United States of America.