Beth, owner of Paradise Perks coffeehouse, is the newest member of IRC. Lucy introduced her to the club. She;s an OC local and graduated from UCLA in Political Science, and has an MBA from Claremont Graduate School. In 1984, she worked for the LA Olympics and from there became the special events coordinator for the City of Long Beach.
Beth parlayed this experience into a job at the Cityof Monterey Park as the assistant manager. After 4 1/2 years she ran for public office in 1992 and won. She administered the Cable Communications as public affairs maanger for Jones Intercable in Alexandria, VA. Her next stint was at Legg Mason and worked in the investment arena. While in VA she started fthe first Drumming Circle.
As the eldes daughter, she chose to move back to OC a few years ago to care for her mom. Needing more to do in her life, she began Paradise Perks, where "all my nerdiness comes out", says Beth. She's inflected some cool things into the coffeehouse including board game nights, networking and bringing people together, holding special events, participating in community events, and hosting a Comedy Night.
Please welcome Beth to our club!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Irvine Rotary Club meeting notes - RYLA
Two Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) recipients brought us up to speed on the latest RYLA weekend in Idlewylld. Aly and Chelsea, granddaughters of IRC club member Ed, were apprehensive about attending, because their grandpa said they had to. But now they are delighted they attended, and have a new respect for "family","it was the best day of my life," says Chelsea.
The theme of this year's RYLA was "You Can Do It", and they shared with us the Boojum Institute of climbing trees to zip lining, bungee cord jumps and more, enabled them to "Do It". Their RYLA family of 10 became lifetime buddies now. The activities and family unit taught them how to trust each other, do things they never thought they could do, and be happy with others. The only downside, was the sad ride home. Chelsea and Aly plan to return to RYLA next year as leaders of the program. This was a great investment of our resources!
The theme of this year's RYLA was "You Can Do It", and they shared with us the Boojum Institute of climbing trees to zip lining, bungee cord jumps and more, enabled them to "Do It". Their RYLA family of 10 became lifetime buddies now. The activities and family unit taught them how to trust each other, do things they never thought they could do, and be happy with others. The only downside, was the sad ride home. Chelsea and Aly plan to return to RYLA next year as leaders of the program. This was a great investment of our resources!
Irvine Rotary Club meeting notes - Laguna College of Art & Design
Jonathan Burke, President of Laguna College of Art & Design brought us up to date on the amazing work this accredited four year college is doing. LCAD holds regional accreditation and national accreditation for its art programs, not all art department in colleges receive this level of accreditation.
The school follows classical tradition of art, with a vast range of representation of students of all economic strata. Each student must master great illustration, then be able to take an idea and make meaning of it.
The hottest curriculum at the school is a new major-Game Art/Entertainment Illustration and Art. It was a strategic move for the school, the majority of Game Art companies are located in Southern California. The students learn character design, background painting, storyboarding, environment design, animation. Gaming is story driven through animation. The faculty have worked at Disney, Warner Brothers and major studios in LA. Every second of animation takes 24 drawings. Graduate project is a 5-6 minute film. Students team with IT students at UC schools to be able to team to totally develop a game.
LCAD is located in Laguna canyon with vast housing, senior studios, teaching studios, main campus, administration, galleries, MFA Building. They are land banking for future growth of the students coming to the school.
The goal of teaching is each student has a comprehensive ability to design. For students, the most challenging is grants and paying for school. 44% of students receive Pell grants, which maybe reduced in the next round of state budget cuts. The school partners with corporations like Nike for internships and service clubs and others to provide grants.
We got to see our contributions in action, with Charlene-The Designing Machine, a graduating student who has received a scholarship from IRC, presented her variety of art projects including an App for volunteerism, package design for lighting, and a Game for kids in Haiti.
The school follows classical tradition of art, with a vast range of representation of students of all economic strata. Each student must master great illustration, then be able to take an idea and make meaning of it.
The hottest curriculum at the school is a new major-Game Art/Entertainment Illustration and Art. It was a strategic move for the school, the majority of Game Art companies are located in Southern California. The students learn character design, background painting, storyboarding, environment design, animation. Gaming is story driven through animation. The faculty have worked at Disney, Warner Brothers and major studios in LA. Every second of animation takes 24 drawings. Graduate project is a 5-6 minute film. Students team with IT students at UC schools to be able to team to totally develop a game.
LCAD is located in Laguna canyon with vast housing, senior studios, teaching studios, main campus, administration, galleries, MFA Building. They are land banking for future growth of the students coming to the school.
The goal of teaching is each student has a comprehensive ability to design. For students, the most challenging is grants and paying for school. 44% of students receive Pell grants, which maybe reduced in the next round of state budget cuts. The school partners with corporations like Nike for internships and service clubs and others to provide grants.
We got to see our contributions in action, with Charlene-The Designing Machine, a graduating student who has received a scholarship from IRC, presented her variety of art projects including an App for volunteerism, package design for lighting, and a Game for kids in Haiti.
Irvine Rotary Club Meeting Notes-May 2, 2012--Irvine Police Department Public Safety Awards
IRC has a partnership with the Irvine Police Department. For two years, on a Quarterly basis, the club recognizes and awards Irvine citizens that assist the police with solving crimes and catching criminals. We have the pleasure of hosting the police officers, police chief, and the citizens during a rotary meeting and presenting checks as their just rewards.
The latest award program presented tennis instructor Chuck Brymer with a check for $125 each for their involvement in solving a string of burglaries that was occurring around the South Lake Tennis Club during the daytime, over a four month period of time. A keen tennis instructor made the initial identification that a strange car was driving around the lot, and noticed his trunk was open. Chuck ran out to the car and tried to grab the suspect, wrestling with him. Police were called by other tennis members, but things moved quickly. When the suspect jumped in his car, with his three year old son in the car, the car jumped the curb and died. The suspect grabbed his son and started running away. Vested community members witnessed this, stayed a safe distanced and followed the suspect. The final outcome, the suspect was arrested for robbery, burglary and receiving stolen property. Wallets, jewelry and computers in his car trunk were identified from other burglaries in another community.
Chuck donated his check back to the rotary! What a great guy!
The latest award program presented tennis instructor Chuck Brymer with a check for $125 each for their involvement in solving a string of burglaries that was occurring around the South Lake Tennis Club during the daytime, over a four month period of time. A keen tennis instructor made the initial identification that a strange car was driving around the lot, and noticed his trunk was open. Chuck ran out to the car and tried to grab the suspect, wrestling with him. Police were called by other tennis members, but things moved quickly. When the suspect jumped in his car, with his three year old son in the car, the car jumped the curb and died. The suspect grabbed his son and started running away. Vested community members witnessed this, stayed a safe distanced and followed the suspect. The final outcome, the suspect was arrested for robbery, burglary and receiving stolen property. Wallets, jewelry and computers in his car trunk were identified from other burglaries in another community.
Chuck donated his check back to the rotary! What a great guy!
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
IRC Meeting Notes - April 24, 2012 - Meeting Notes
Club member Tammy works at Grant Thornton International, and has traveled the world for her work as an accounting audit manager. Born in Taiwan, and raised in Hawaii, she graduated college from U of Michigan and moved to Washington DC in 2004where she began her work with GTI. She obtained a double major in economics and International Studies and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. She conducts audits for international companies including the US Marine Corps, she's travel around the world to Marine bases. In 2008 she moved to Hong Kong and lived in Asia for 6 months working with GTI, then moved to Beijing where she lived for 3.5 years. She shared her South Africa travel photos with us, what a treat. Where will Tammy go next? Welcome our Red Badger to the club.
April 17, 2012 Meeting Notes - IRC Supports Epilepsy Alliance
IRC member Diane Braasch advocates on behalf of children with multi-seizure epilepsy through the Epilepsy Alliance. Diane's granddaughter, Katlyn, has the disease. The statistics are staggering: 1 of every 50 children and 1 of every 100 adults are diagnosed with it. More than 50,000 people die annually from seizures. The Alliance provides support groups, community education, referrals to specialists, and education to empower people with epilepsy. Surgery may help relieve some or all of these symptoms. IRC made a donation to the alliance. Diane, we admire your perseverance.
The club also supports Cystic Fibrosis Society. Ed's grandson has CF, but he plays baseball, and deals with the disease. The test for CF is a sweat test. People with it do not absorb enzymes, mucus clogs up the body. The last two years there has been a big advance in drugs being approved by the FDA to affect the underlying causes. 30,000 Americans are impacted by CF. Lucy, Tom and Ed presented a $1,000 for CF research.
Richard was a teacher and today works in development for the Irvine Valley College. He's been a long time resident of OC, a resident of Signal Hill, and the last five years has worked at Mt. Sak College before coming to IVC. IVC has 45,000 students, with programs all around OC. 12,000 FT students at IVC with a diverse mix, 41% are Irvine residents. They offer 62 different degrees, and is the #1 transfer rate college in OC where students with an AA are able to transfer to a four year college to complete their Bachelor's degree. They acquired 62 acres in Tustin, being cleaned up now and will build the Advanced Technology Park, 50,000 sq. ft park where courses will be taught in high tech, clean tech, R&D, with corporate offices too. It's the College of the Future, right in OC.
The club also supports Cystic Fibrosis Society. Ed's grandson has CF, but he plays baseball, and deals with the disease. The test for CF is a sweat test. People with it do not absorb enzymes, mucus clogs up the body. The last two years there has been a big advance in drugs being approved by the FDA to affect the underlying causes. 30,000 Americans are impacted by CF. Lucy, Tom and Ed presented a $1,000 for CF research.
Richard was a teacher and today works in development for the Irvine Valley College. He's been a long time resident of OC, a resident of Signal Hill, and the last five years has worked at Mt. Sak College before coming to IVC. IVC has 45,000 students, with programs all around OC. 12,000 FT students at IVC with a diverse mix, 41% are Irvine residents. They offer 62 different degrees, and is the #1 transfer rate college in OC where students with an AA are able to transfer to a four year college to complete their Bachelor's degree. They acquired 62 acres in Tustin, being cleaned up now and will build the Advanced Technology Park, 50,000 sq. ft park where courses will be taught in high tech, clean tech, R&D, with corporate offices too. It's the College of the Future, right in OC.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Irvine Rotary Club meeting notes April 11, 2012
Irvine Rotary Club's newest member Jason Roberts provided a Craft Talk. Originally from San Luis Obispo, CA, born, raised and schooled there,, it's "Happiest Place in USA", and has some of the best wineries and a great tourist area, says Jason.
Jason works for Serve First which provides all solutions in electronic mobile payments for retail and ecommerce. He meets with clients and prospects and provides solutions. According to Jason there are no contracts, and he'll provide a free savings analysis for clients. The company is small, family owned and growing. He moved to Irvine just four months ago, and recently graduated from CAL Poly in business, packaging design and graphics communications.
He loves meeting new people, is an avid sports fan, anything having to do with the outdoors.
Welcome Jason!
Jason works for Serve First which provides all solutions in electronic mobile payments for retail and ecommerce. He meets with clients and prospects and provides solutions. According to Jason there are no contracts, and he'll provide a free savings analysis for clients. The company is small, family owned and growing. He moved to Irvine just four months ago, and recently graduated from CAL Poly in business, packaging design and graphics communications.
He loves meeting new people, is an avid sports fan, anything having to do with the outdoors.
Welcome Jason!
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Rotary International Peace Progream - Irvine Rotary Club Meeting Notes April 4, 2012
Long Beach Rotarian Alex Cotton is a candidate for the Rotary World Peace Fellows Program. Two Rotarians are awarded the fellowship each year. Alex's discussed his work for Merlin and his aspirations as a Rotary World Peace Fellow.
Alex was born and raised in France, and the first time he heard of Rotary International he heard of the World Peace Initiative. Then his father's involvement got him interested in the notion of world peace.
Merlin (Medical Emergency Relief International, a British non-governmental, non-profit organization ) does magical work, which is long lasting. Merlin's actions are focused on: Building Field Hospitals; Mobile Clinics going into rural areas; and providing primary healthcare hiring local health coordinators who conduct education on disease prevention. Worldwide the company employs 74 health promoters.
Alex met the organization and it's work when he was a volunteer for a Sudan humanitarian project. Today Alex is Merlin's Regional Director. Merlin specializes in rebuilding critical health services and systems in hard-hit areas of the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti. . Merlin focuses on recovery and the belief that "everyone has a right to affordable healthcare".
According to Alex, the key threats in the world are conflict, natural disasters e.g. Haiti; disease outbreak e.g. fever, cholera. Merlin maintains strong international connections, and comes into a stricken area and rebuild collapsed health systems. In Haiti, due to it's tight relationships with the Dominican Republic partners, Merlin was on the ground within 72 hours of the earthquake building field hospital, getting seven tons of medical supplies into the country, carrying out 392 life saving operations and treating 7,338 people in the first three weeks in Haiti. Hitting the ground running in a developing part of the world is almost unheard of. In addition to their partners, they hire local workers. In Haiti, some of their workers had lost loved ones, but it was all hands on deck helping all kinds of people.
Haiti operations included tents for post recovery, and surgical operations. Alex says these types of dyer situations brings you back to reality. As great as their hospital was, they were not able to handle everyone's need immediately.
"Creativity meets necessity", says Cotton. Merlin spent two years in Haiti and today the company supports 30 health facilities, performing 200,000 consultations, responding to two disease outbreaks; visiting 10,000 households visits; treating 13,000 people per month in mobile clinics.
From his volunteer stint in the Sudan, he pitched Merlin to hire him to open a US office, he was hired and has been with the organization ever since. Alex says you cannot get development if people are sick, that is why Merlin attacks the health system issues. This work brought him to desire to be a Rotarian Peace fellow, if he is awarded the fellowship, he will spend two years working for his degree.
The IRC club chose to support Alex's nomination for Peace Fellow.
Alex was born and raised in France, and the first time he heard of Rotary International he heard of the World Peace Initiative. Then his father's involvement got him interested in the notion of world peace.
Merlin (Medical Emergency Relief International, a British non-governmental, non-profit organization ) does magical work, which is long lasting. Merlin's actions are focused on: Building Field Hospitals; Mobile Clinics going into rural areas; and providing primary healthcare hiring local health coordinators who conduct education on disease prevention. Worldwide the company employs 74 health promoters.
Alex met the organization and it's work when he was a volunteer for a Sudan humanitarian project. Today Alex is Merlin's Regional Director. Merlin specializes in rebuilding critical health services and systems in hard-hit areas of the world, including Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti. . Merlin focuses on recovery and the belief that "everyone has a right to affordable healthcare".
According to Alex, the key threats in the world are conflict, natural disasters e.g. Haiti; disease outbreak e.g. fever, cholera. Merlin maintains strong international connections, and comes into a stricken area and rebuild collapsed health systems. In Haiti, due to it's tight relationships with the Dominican Republic partners, Merlin was on the ground within 72 hours of the earthquake building field hospital, getting seven tons of medical supplies into the country, carrying out 392 life saving operations and treating 7,338 people in the first three weeks in Haiti. Hitting the ground running in a developing part of the world is almost unheard of. In addition to their partners, they hire local workers. In Haiti, some of their workers had lost loved ones, but it was all hands on deck helping all kinds of people.
Haiti operations included tents for post recovery, and surgical operations. Alex says these types of dyer situations brings you back to reality. As great as their hospital was, they were not able to handle everyone's need immediately.
"Creativity meets necessity", says Cotton. Merlin spent two years in Haiti and today the company supports 30 health facilities, performing 200,000 consultations, responding to two disease outbreaks; visiting 10,000 households visits; treating 13,000 people per month in mobile clinics.
From his volunteer stint in the Sudan, he pitched Merlin to hire him to open a US office, he was hired and has been with the organization ever since. Alex says you cannot get development if people are sick, that is why Merlin attacks the health system issues. This work brought him to desire to be a Rotarian Peace fellow, if he is awarded the fellowship, he will spend two years working for his degree.
The IRC club chose to support Alex's nomination for Peace Fellow.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
South County Outreach Presents to Irvine Rotary Club
March 28, 2012....Nora, operations director for South County Outreach shared information about the valuable services this non profit provides. Most interesting, in Oct. 1996 Nora had a brain aneurysm, lost her job, home and husband. She received a second chance at life by surviving and now thriving, giving back through her work at this organization.
They provide emergency assistance and tools for the homeless to help themselves. They provide clients with food for five days; rental assistance; run a computer learning lab (2,000 classes annually), and give homeless the skills to get a job or increase their income. The Laguna Hills Thrift Store, located on Ridge Route, sells clothes for kids.
It's not all homeless they serve. During the summer, an increase in teachers who normally work summer school shifts, need assistance. Their backpack program provides for 700 kids. A holiday program, adopting 1,000 families by teaming with the community is popular (The Jewelry Box in Lake Forest also provides donations through their battery giveback). Seventeen homes provide transitional homeless program, and the social services tailored for each family as they move from homeless to a new home. Other services include:
-200 Easter baskets to give to families
-Homeless Prevention Program-helping people just making ends meet
-Donate food for their pets.
-Purchase food from Second Harvest Food Bank.
-They see singles, seniors, disabled, military, all living pay check to pay check. $6.72 buys food for a family of four for six days.
-Volunteers: 250 regularly scheduled volunteers help the six full-time staffers. 8% are seniors. 38,000 volunteer hours a year.
-Visit their website for a list of supply items they need, you can donate.
SCO goal is to keep residents in our community, we don't have alot of shelters in South County, so keeping them in their home is a goal. They provide a hub of service to help however they need help.
The Irvine Rotary Club donated $500 to this worthy organization; with a commitment to donate more later this year.
They provide emergency assistance and tools for the homeless to help themselves. They provide clients with food for five days; rental assistance; run a computer learning lab (2,000 classes annually), and give homeless the skills to get a job or increase their income. The Laguna Hills Thrift Store, located on Ridge Route, sells clothes for kids.
It's not all homeless they serve. During the summer, an increase in teachers who normally work summer school shifts, need assistance. Their backpack program provides for 700 kids. A holiday program, adopting 1,000 families by teaming with the community is popular (The Jewelry Box in Lake Forest also provides donations through their battery giveback). Seventeen homes provide transitional homeless program, and the social services tailored for each family as they move from homeless to a new home. Other services include:
-200 Easter baskets to give to families
-Homeless Prevention Program-helping people just making ends meet
-Donate food for their pets.
-Purchase food from Second Harvest Food Bank.
-They see singles, seniors, disabled, military, all living pay check to pay check. $6.72 buys food for a family of four for six days.
-Volunteers: 250 regularly scheduled volunteers help the six full-time staffers. 8% are seniors. 38,000 volunteer hours a year.
-Visit their website for a list of supply items they need, you can donate.
SCO goal is to keep residents in our community, we don't have alot of shelters in South County, so keeping them in their home is a goal. They provide a hub of service to help however they need help.
The Irvine Rotary Club donated $500 to this worthy organization; with a commitment to donate more later this year.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Irvine Rotary Club Meeting Notes - March 7, 2012--What is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act? Obamacare?
Lawyer Matt Kinley of a Downey Law Firm and member of the Long Beach Rotary Club, shed light on Obama Care and the Supreme Court Case to be heard later this year. Although he is not a supreme court lawyer or expert, he provided insight into The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the official title of what could change the face of healthcare and health insurance for every US individual.
PPACA is a living law, not only did no one know what was in the bill when it passed, it gave many bureaucracies, like the IRS, Health & Human Services, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the right to tens of thousands of pages of regulations.
This Supreme Court Case has the prospect of fundamentally changing the relationship between the states and the federal government. Not one Republican voted for this legislation. It is an intensely partisan manner compared to Social Security Act in 1935, or Medicare or Medicaid in 1965, or Medicare Part D in 2003. 26 states, all with Republican governors, have filed a class action against the US government to rescind the legislation; the first time ever this many states have joined in a case against the feds.
FYI, many states have filed amicus briefs in favor of the law, including CA.
The law does lots of things including: Insured can keep their children under their policy until age 26. No matter your health condition, you're covered, requiring insurers to offer the same premium to all applicants. Meaning insurance companies have to insurer the sickest along with the healthy. Also provides for a simplified enrollment in Children's insurance programs; requires rebate to purchaser of insurance if insurance companies fail to spend on certain things; co-payments are eliminated for preventive care; low income persons are subsidized; and minimum standards for health insurance policies are to be established and caps will be banned.
This is a unique law, called Individual Mandate, requiring all persons not covered by an employer sponsored health plan, Medicaid, Medicare or other insurance, to be covered or be in violation of Federal law.
For business, firms employing 50+ and not offering health insurance will also pay a shared responsibility requirement--about $2,000 per year per employee. Very small businesses will be able to obtain subsidies.
Effective Jan. 2, 2013: all employers with 200 or more full time employees must provide heath insurance. Under 200 not required.
The Act's provisions are intended to be funded by a variety of taxes and offsets. Major sources of new revenue include broadened Medicare tax on incomes over $200,000 and $250,000, for individual and join filers respectively. An annual fee on insurance providers, and a 40% tax on "Cadillac insurance policies.
Total new revenue from the Act will amount to $409.2 billion over the next 10 years. $78 billion will be realized before the end of fiscal 2014.
There are legal challenges: there are six cases filed against the law in federal court. The most significant is Florida v. US Dept. of Health & Human Services. Oral arguments are set for March 2012 with an extraordinary three days and five half hours for oral argument. At the time this is heard, there will have been over 150 briefs filed by parties and friends of the court brief.
Constitution and the Bill of Rights:
The Federal government can't do anything without authority to do so: Congress has certain enumerated powers. The constitution also has specific limits to what the federal government can do: Bill of Rights. These issues could redirect government in a way not seen since the New Deal.
The Administration's position is this is a $2.5 Trillion industry. It's an industry with particular need for federal intervention because if a state tries to reform healthcare, people who need healthcare move to that state. Classic intrastate commerce problem. Because there is mandated coverage, people can wait until after they are sick to buy healthcare.
The heart of the government argument is we must require people to buy insurance. And, we want to cover everyone, even people with preexisting.
The state's position: the young are the cash cows, needed to pay for all the sick out there. States argue the mandate is an inappropriate attempt to make people buy something or face a fine. If the feds can force you to buy something, what limits exist at all?
The Supreme Court has set 90 minutes for oral argument. If the court decides that the mandate is unconstitutional, the court will need to decide whether any of the rest of the ACA falls with it. Could Congress achieve its regulatory objectives without the minimum mandate?
So later this year we will know whether Obamacare stands or falls!
PPACA is a living law, not only did no one know what was in the bill when it passed, it gave many bureaucracies, like the IRS, Health & Human Services, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the right to tens of thousands of pages of regulations.
This Supreme Court Case has the prospect of fundamentally changing the relationship between the states and the federal government. Not one Republican voted for this legislation. It is an intensely partisan manner compared to Social Security Act in 1935, or Medicare or Medicaid in 1965, or Medicare Part D in 2003. 26 states, all with Republican governors, have filed a class action against the US government to rescind the legislation; the first time ever this many states have joined in a case against the feds.
FYI, many states have filed amicus briefs in favor of the law, including CA.
The law does lots of things including: Insured can keep their children under their policy until age 26. No matter your health condition, you're covered, requiring insurers to offer the same premium to all applicants. Meaning insurance companies have to insurer the sickest along with the healthy. Also provides for a simplified enrollment in Children's insurance programs; requires rebate to purchaser of insurance if insurance companies fail to spend on certain things; co-payments are eliminated for preventive care; low income persons are subsidized; and minimum standards for health insurance policies are to be established and caps will be banned.
This is a unique law, called Individual Mandate, requiring all persons not covered by an employer sponsored health plan, Medicaid, Medicare or other insurance, to be covered or be in violation of Federal law.
For business, firms employing 50+ and not offering health insurance will also pay a shared responsibility requirement--about $2,000 per year per employee. Very small businesses will be able to obtain subsidies.
Effective Jan. 2, 2013: all employers with 200 or more full time employees must provide heath insurance. Under 200 not required.
The Act's provisions are intended to be funded by a variety of taxes and offsets. Major sources of new revenue include broadened Medicare tax on incomes over $200,000 and $250,000, for individual and join filers respectively. An annual fee on insurance providers, and a 40% tax on "Cadillac insurance policies.
Total new revenue from the Act will amount to $409.2 billion over the next 10 years. $78 billion will be realized before the end of fiscal 2014.
There are legal challenges: there are six cases filed against the law in federal court. The most significant is Florida v. US Dept. of Health & Human Services. Oral arguments are set for March 2012 with an extraordinary three days and five half hours for oral argument. At the time this is heard, there will have been over 150 briefs filed by parties and friends of the court brief.
Constitution and the Bill of Rights:
The Federal government can't do anything without authority to do so: Congress has certain enumerated powers. The constitution also has specific limits to what the federal government can do: Bill of Rights. These issues could redirect government in a way not seen since the New Deal.
The Administration's position is this is a $2.5 Trillion industry. It's an industry with particular need for federal intervention because if a state tries to reform healthcare, people who need healthcare move to that state. Classic intrastate commerce problem. Because there is mandated coverage, people can wait until after they are sick to buy healthcare.
The heart of the government argument is we must require people to buy insurance. And, we want to cover everyone, even people with preexisting.
The state's position: the young are the cash cows, needed to pay for all the sick out there. States argue the mandate is an inappropriate attempt to make people buy something or face a fine. If the feds can force you to buy something, what limits exist at all?
The Supreme Court has set 90 minutes for oral argument. If the court decides that the mandate is unconstitutional, the court will need to decide whether any of the rest of the ACA falls with it. Could Congress achieve its regulatory objectives without the minimum mandate?
So later this year we will know whether Obamacare stands or falls!
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