Ocean City Today
OPINION www.oceancitytoday.net
PAGE 36A
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
Fighting over ad money not doing any good It’s often been noted in newspaper circles that the greatest human need is neither love nor hate, but the desire of one person to change the writing of another. Although that might be an accepted truth in this business, it is not true anywhere else, especially in government, where the overriding desire of officials, outside of being reelected or reappointed, is to control the money. Hence, the long-running financial feud between Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan and others and the Worcester County Commissioners. Although the absence of a county tax differential for Ocean City property owners is the central issue, the latest grumble involves only a couple of hundred thousand dollars that is earmarked for the resort advertising, but only if it also recognizes the county’s tourism Web site. Generally speaking, the easiest way to do this would be in print advertising, which the city eschews these days in favor of television and other media. Even so, the city doesn’t really want to work with the county on much of anything, resulting in a great deal of griping whenever this advertising money is used. It is difficult to see how this tussle is helping anyone or how giving county tourism equal billing on roughly just under 5.5 percent of the resort’s total advertising package is going to siphon off visitors to the beach. A safe bet would be that anyone vacationing in northern Worcester County is going to come to the beach at least one time, and probably more. Also, considering that most of the lodging industry is in this end of the county is located in Ocean City, a vacationer who plans to spend all his or her daylight hours elsewhere, will more than likely sleep here. Accepting that the county and Ocean City just don’t get along, this comparatively small amount of advertising money is not worth fighting over, especially at a time when businesses will be happy to take everything they can get.
Ocean City Today P.O. Box 3500, Ocean City, Md. 21843 Phone: 410-723-6397 / Fax: 410-723-6511.
EDITOR .................................................... Phil Jacobs MANAGING EDITOR ............................ Lisa Capitelli STAFF WRITERS.......... Nancy Powell, Zack Hoopes STAFF WRITER/COPY EDITOR.......... Clara Vaughn ACCOUNT MANAGERS ...................... Mary Cooper, ................................................................Shelby Shea ADVERTISING ASSISTANT ................ Megan Elkins CLASSIFIEDS/LEGALS MANAGER .... Terry Burrier SENIOR DESIGNER .............................. Susan Parks GRAPHIC ARTISTS .......... Kelly Brown, Kaitlin Sowa .................................................................. Debbie Haas PUBLISHER .................................... Stewart Dobson ASSISTANT PUBLISHER ...................... Elaine Brady COMPTROLLER .............................. Christine Brown ADMIN. ASSISTANT .................................. Gini Tufts Ocean City Today is published weekly by FLAG Publications, Inc. at 8200 Coastal Highway, Ocean City, Md. 21842. Ocean City Today is available by subscription at $150 a year. Visit us on the Web at www.oceancitytoday.net.
EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
Nov. 14 meeting to clear up Obamacare confusion AARP’s Norris wants to provide answers concerning ACA PHIL JACOBS ■ Editor Chris Norris is on a mission. One can feel it in his strong handshake and his confident, positive tone of voice. President of AARP Chapter 1917, he is using that posture to give members and the general Phil Jacobs public an opportunity to understand beyond any doubt the complexities of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). That is why from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 14, at the Knights of Columbus, 9901 Coastal Highway in Ocean City, topics will be addressed, questions will be answered and hopefully the many nuances of ACA will be approached and discussed. Doors will open at 9:30 a.m. After Chris gets the meeting started, key speakers will take to
the podium and help all of us understand. Chris has made it clear that this is not the place to come in with a political agenda, pro or con. It is a place of learning. He is putting urgency in this so that no one leaves with any doubts or questions. Joanne Grossi, Regional Director, Region III, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will go over the changes due to health reform. She will offer a high-level view of the ACA and talk deeply about common misconceptions. Carolyn Quattrocki, from the Governor’s Office on Health Reform, will give a picture of how this health reform measure will roll out in Maryland. She will explain who and where one must go to to enroll. Importantly, she’ll describe the Maryland Health Connection, what the website looks like, how to enroll, who qualifies and even what information one must have to enroll. Carol Humphrey, Maryland Senior Health Insurance Program Counselor, MAC, Inc., will talk about what changes will impact Medicare and what changes will not have any effect. She will answer general Medicare questions.
After that, Chris will facilitate a question and answer session. The ACA seemingly is on the minds of many these days. “We want to explain the ABCs of it,” Chris said. “Our members really have questions that they aren’t necessarily getting answered when they watch reports on TV. We want people to be able to come away from this meeting with information they can take back to their families.” Part of the urgency Chris carries with him on this issue of ACA is that, he tells us, he’s pretty much heard it all, whether the information is accurate or inaccurate. “Our members and others want to hear for themselves,” he said. “I decided to do this because I felt our membership would benefit from what is going on out there.” Chris is hoping to see members from Ocean City, Berlin, Ocean Pines, Selbyville and anyone else needing answers to their questions. An article in the April/May 2013 AARP Magazine addresses issues concerning area seniors. “The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is already making it easier for people to get, keep and af-
See OBAMACARE on Page 37A