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december 30 2016-january 5, 2017 • Oc/Ie aSIan jOurnaL
People of color and the poor will be... PAGE A1 California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), to give journalists an overview of what California, the state that took the lead in implementing some of the key provisions of Obamacare, could face if trump makes good on his threat. Among those provisions were expanding Medi-Cal (California’s name for Medicaid) and setting up a health insurance marketplace for people to purchase federally subsidized coverage best suited to their budget, said Amy Adams, CHCF’s senior program officer. Additionally, even before the ACA became law, the state banned the prevalent practice of gender-based premium cost variations – younger women were paying more than men. As a result of its robust implementation, the state’s uninsured rate for residents under 65 fell by nearly half, from 22 percent in 2009 to 9.5 percent in 2015, according to a California Health interview survey (CHis). More low-income people who historically were shut out of health insurance were able to gain coverage, as were people in minority communities. the survey showed that uninsured rates fell by nearly 7 percent
among Asian Americans and African Americans, and 6.5 percent among Latinos. More than 10 percent of the populations in the counties of Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, san Bernardino, san Joaquin and tulare got coverage, according to a just-released UC Berkeley Labor Center study. A repeal would mean that California would lose around $20 billion in annual federal funding for Medi-Cal expansion and Covered California subsidies, making it virtually impossible for it to continue offering those programs. “it is a very large amount of money and would be difficult for the state to generate a comparable amount of revenue,” to go it alone, pointed out Adams. “it would be difficult for any individual state to try to raise the money required and provide benefits comparable to the ACA,” Levitt said. “that would put the state significantly at odds with other states in terms of tax rates and public benefits.” But critics of the ACA say that one of the least popular provisions of the law – forcing individuals to have health insurance and com-
Dateline USa
panies to cover their employees or face a penalty – would be eliminated with a repeal. An estimated $1.3 billion would be lost in eliminated penalties. One idea trump’s advisory team has been floating is to allow insurance carriers to sell insurance across state borders, something some insurers already do. that could come with its own set of problems, Levitt said, because it could drive people to states where the insurance industry is less regulated. He said California has been able to rein in its providers to some degree because of “its stringent regulations.” Levitt pointed out that the safety net provided by Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC), clinics that provide health care to underserved communities, would weaken if the ACA were repealed. those unable to retain their insurance coverage would likely flock to FQHCs, putting an extra burden on them. “there are a lot of moving pieces,” at this time, Levitt said. “no doubt that people are split on the ACA,” he said. “But ACA is status quo.” (Viji Sundaram/New America Media)
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GIFTS TO BARANGAY EXECS. President Rodrigo Duterte meets barangay (village) officials in Davao City, where he reportedly gave cash gifts drawn from his excess campaign funds. Malacañang photo
Obama on election: I could’ve won again by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
President Barack Obama said that given his progressive platform and eagerness to bring his promised change to the nation, he could have “won again” if he ran for a third term. “i am confident in this vision because i’m confident that if i had run again and articulated it, i think i could’ve mobilized a majority of the American people to rally behind it,” the president told his former senior adviser david Axelrod in an interview for his podcast “the Axe Files” on Monday, december 26. For Obama to run again, however, violates the 22nd Amendment of the U.s. Constitution, which states that “no person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice.” But Obama asserted that he believes that his eight-year legacy brought change to the nation and that many Americans would have re-elected him on that platform, if given the chance. “i know that in conversations that i’ve had with people around the country, even some people who disagreed with me, they would say the vision, the direction that you point towards is the right one,” Obama said. in response, President-elect donald trump — a long time attacker of Obama and his policies — once again took to twitter to express his dissent to the president’s hypothetical statements. “President Obama said he thinks he would have won against me. He should say that but i say nO WAY! — jobs leaving, isis, OCare, etc,” the president-elect tweeted on Monday. in the interview, Obama also shared his analysis of the elec-
tion in regards to trump’s historic upset. He defended the efforts of the democratic Party to garner support for its candidate, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, but acknowledged that it could have expanded its ground game. “see, i think the issue was less that democrats have somehow abandoned the white working class. i think that’s nonsense. Look, the Affordable Care Act benefits a huge number of trump voters,” Obama said. “the problem is, is that we’re not there on the ground communicating not only the dry policy aspects of this, but that we care about these communities, that we’re bleeding for these communities.” “it means caring about local races, state boards or school boards and city councils and state legislative races and not thinking that somehow, just a great set of progressive policies that we present to the new York times editorial board will win the day,” the president added. Obama also gave insight into his post-presidential plans which includes a massive effort to mobilize the democratic Party. He
said he plans to develop young, emerging democratic leaders — including politicians, communication practitioners and campaign organizers — who can rally behind the party and garner more support. Moreover, he said that he will carry out his “duties and obligations” as a private citizen and continue to voice his opinions and weigh in on crucial issues during the trump administration as he did while campaigning for Clinton. But before he does any of that, Obama said that he plans to adopt a lower profile and spend quiet time with his family and writing a book about his historic era in office. After eight years, Obama admitted sentiment when thinking about his run as president, expressing that leaving the White House felt “like the band is breaking up.” “i have to be quiet for a while,” Obama said. “And i don’t mean politically, i mean internally. i have to still myself. You have to get back in tune with your center and process what’s happened before you make a bunch of good decisions.”
A snowman peeks into the Oval Office as President Barack Obama signs end-of-the-year bills last Dec. 16. Staff moved four snowmen that were decorating the Rose Garden just outside several Oval Office windows to greet the President when he arrived in the office. White House photo by Pete Souza
‘Only invasion will prompt declaration... PAGE A1 duterte, however, believes present conditions in the Philippines do not warrant martial law. “it will lead to the downfall of the country. i will never declare martial law,” the president told GMA news. in a separate interview, duterte described martial law as “useless.” He claimed that sen. Panfilo Lacson was the one who floated the idea of declaring martial law in Mindanao. “For me, martial law is use-
less… if everything is in sham- a war against the republic of the bles, all you have to do is declare Philippines,” he added. a state of lawlessness,” the Presiduterte admitted though that dent said. he wants to change the present duterte said a state of lawless- constitutional provisions on marness is enough to address rebel- tial law. lion. Under the present charter, When asked what would im- Congress and the supreme Court pel him to declare martial law, should concur with the presiduterte replied: “Maybe an in- dent’s declaration of martial law. vasion from other country but “Just bring back the 1935 rebellion and insurrection, wala Constitution, you add the omyan (that’s nothing). budsman and all commissions “Just declare a war against including human rights,” he them. You don’t have to declare said.
Trump’s latest Cabinet appointees, how they differ on issues by Klarize
Medenilla AJPress
in a previous report by the Asian Journal, President-elect donald trump has already begun selecting his picks to head his administration, and many of his latest picks — like his earlier ones — have had no experience in public office. trump’s latest cabinet picks (as of press time) include exxonMobil CeO rex tillerson (secretary of state), four-star Marine Corps General James Mattis (secretary of defense), texas Governor rick Perry (secretary of energy), Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. CeO Andrew Pudzer (secretary of Labor) and U.s. rep ryan Zinke of Montana (secretary of the interior). the president-elect has also appointed other top roles like U.s. rep. Mick Mulvaney for Budget director, former U.s. Army infantry officer Vincent Viola for secretary of the Army and his campaign manager Kellyanne Conway for counselor to the president. However, the views of several of his appointees differ from those of trump himself on issues like climate change, trade, the budget deficit and U.s./russia relations. On climate change, trump has declared the scientist-proven phenomenon a hoax implement-
ed by China “in order to make U.s. manufacturing non-competitive,” he tweeted in 2012. When tillerson became CeO of exxonMobil he made several changes to the nation’s largest oil company that made it more conscious of climate change: lobbying for a tax on carbon dioxide emissions and seized funding of organizations that reject climate change. Although he doesn’t believe in eliminating the use of fossil fuels, tillerson has poised exxonMobil to become a leader in natural gas and other “greener” alternatives to coal. “Our plan B has always been grounded in our beliefs around the continued evolution of technology and engineered solutions to address and react to whatever the climate system and its outcomes present to us, whether that be in the form of rises in sea level...to changing agricultural production due to changes in weather patterns that may or may not be induced by climate change,” tillerson told investors last year. Mulvaney has been a staunch opponent of raising the debt ceiling, but trump’s promise of high tax cuts and more spending for defense and infrastructure will increase that deficit, economists say. the highly revered Gen. Mattis also harbors foreign policy
stances that differ from the incoming commander-in-chief, especially regarding russia. Mattis has been extremely critical of russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and russia’s plans with Ukraine, while trump has downplayed criticism the russian leader. it’s not uncommon for new administrations to include officials and leaders with differing views. When he was elected in 2008, President Barack Obama appointed his opponents during the election race to high positions in his administration and had maintained good relations with them, including Vice President Joe Biden and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton. But what makes this administration different is the amount of individuals at the core of the White House leadership with no government experience: secretary of Commerce Wilbur ross, Jr., White House Chief strategist stephen Bannon, Head of small Business Administration Linda McMahon, tillerson and, of course, trump. “the key here is not the fact that these are smart, successful people who view the world differently,” Mr. naftali told the Wall street Journal. “that’s not new. it’s the fact that the center of the operation has absolutely no experience managing policy differences.”