As we plan our Easter egg hunts and Easter Brunch feasts with our families, American troops are thousands of miles away from their loved ones and fighting for our country.  Every year our troops fighting the War on Terror spend the holidays Afghanistan, fighting to keep America safe. They are going to be missing their families on Easter Sunday, April 8th!

Just think of all your family's beloved Easter traditions: boiling and coloring Easter eggs, going to church together on Easter Sunday and coming home to enjoy a special Easter feast with dear family and friends, putting on Easter egg hunts and giving baskets full of candy to the kids. Our troops will be missing all of that!



These care packages do a lot to help our troops while on the front lines and fighting terrorists over in the Middle East. So many of them have families back home they miss and cannot see. Some of our troops have already missed Christmas with their families; they have missed loved one's birthdays; some have even missed the birth of their own children!

No one wants to be far away, missing their families, but that is a sacrifice our troops make to keep us safe. We owe them a little gratitude!! Our Troops don't ask for anything, but they appreciate everything we send to them.



To add a touch of Easter greetings, we have included items in our packages that will remind our troops of the holidays and make them feel right at home. Our Easter Package comes with special products tailored just for Easter!

For this year's special Easter Care Packages for the Troops, we are including a classic Easter treat EVERYONE will recognize; MARSHMALLOW PEEPS!

These soft, sugary, marshmallow chicks are the original, the name brand PEEPS that everyone recognizes. The camo-eggs come in many varieties and are filled with assorted candies like sweet tarts, smarties, and an assortment of hard candies and other chews.

Don't forget, these Easter Care Packages may still include
all of our troop's favorites from year round, including:

**  PEEPS Brand Marshmallow Chicks
**  Premium Roasted Coffee
**  Hot Cocoa
**  Hot Apple Cider
**  Gatorade
**  Beef Jerky
**  Oreo Cookies
**  Planters Trail Mix
**  Candy Diplomacy Jelly Bellies
**  Chap Stick    
**  Deodorant
**  Various Candy
**  Bug Repellant
**  Wet Wipes
**  Sun Block

Most importantly, as always, MAF Care Packages include a personalized note from YOU! Our troops need to hear that you support them and their missions! Make sure to include your mailing address - the troops love to write back!

During these tough economic times, families of troops are struggling to get by. There is a fear that they will have fewer resources to send packages to their loved ones in war zones. This is why it is so important for you and other patriotic Americans to send what we can to our troops. We must never let them forget that we are not only thankful for our families here at home, we are thankful for their selfless sacrifices for our great country.

Broken Promises in the 2010 Affordable Care Act

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

 

In 1994, the health care reform bill proposed by then President Clinton failed, in large part, because it would fundamentally changed health care coverage for nearly every American.  In 2009, President Obama decided he would combat the failure of the Clinton Administration by repeating over and over again to the American public "if you like what you have, you can keep it."

 

It is my understanding he said that on 47 separate occasions while the bill was being debated in Congress.  And while it may have been political useful to make that promise to the American people, it remains a promise he can't keep.  The fact is that millions of Americans are seeing changes in their existing health plan due to the health law.

 

The Administration's regulations governing so called "grandfathered health plans" will force most firms?and up to 80 percent of small businesses?to give up their current plan by next year.  When those businesses lose their 'grandfathered' status, they immediately become subject to costly new mandates and the increased premiums that follow.

 

Families in 17 states no longer have access to 'child-only' plans as a result of the health law.  It's not known how many of the families that lost coverage for their children because of the law have been able to find an affordable replacement.  In Medicare Advantage, there is one study showing Medicare Advantage enrollment will be cut in half, choices available to seniors will be reduced by two-thirds.

 

Then there is the open question about Americans who receive their health care through large employers.  The Congressional Budget Office recently released a report with that constructed a scenario where as many as 20 million Americans could lose their employers coverage.  And while I acknowledge the Congressional Budget Office report provided the number I just mentioned as only one plausible scenario, there are many of us who believe it is very plausible given the incentives the health law creates for large businesses.

 

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The President made a further promise that I think we should talk about.  On July 29, 2009, during the consideration of the health law, the President said "Medicare is a government program.  But don't worry: I'm not going to touch it."

 

So let's take a look at the health care law and see if that promise was kept.  The health care law made significant cuts in the Medicare program.  On April 22, 2010, the Chief Actuary for Medicare analyzed the law and found that it would cut Medicare by $575 billion over ten years.  The President said about Medicare "I'm not going to touch it."  The bill cuts $575 billion from Medicare.  The Congressional Budget Office wrote that over $500 billion in Medicare reductions "would not enhance the ability of the government to pay for future Medicare benefits."  The President said about Medicare "I'm not going to touch it."

 

The CMS actuary had this to say about the Medicare spending reductions:  "Providers for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and, absent legislative intervention, might end their participation in the program."  The President said about Medicare "I'm not going to touch it."

 

The CMS actuary said, in essence, these cuts could drive providers from the Medicare program.  I have a hard time understanding how these massive cuts to Medicare count as not touching the program.  On the other hand, the biggest problem facing Medicare in the near term is the physician payment update problem that we constantly have to address here in Congress.  Of course, the health care law did nothing to address that problem.  Perhaps that's what the President meant when he said about Medicare, "I'm not going to touch it."

Change Begins with a Drop

The best way to understand how important it is to maintain the world's water resources is to figure out how you fit into this global picture. Calculate your water usage.

That's the water you see directly. Water consumption you don't see, known as virtual water, is the amount needed to create the foods we eat and the products we use. Like the amount of water farm animals drink, the water used to grow their feed, and the water needed to manufacture clothing. That adds up quickly.

Water scarcity, a worldwide concern, has been met head-on by Israel for years. Israel is a leader in desalination technology and water recycling, reusing 75% of its waste water every year?the highest rate in the world. Most of this water is used for agriculture, which saves scarce fresh water for human consumption. JNF's reservoirs and cutting-edge wetlands technology have increased Israel's total water supply by 12%. These techniques are shared with the countries around the world, helping to make it a better place.

Trip to Support Illinois Tourism, Trade and Business Investment

 

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - March 21, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today departed on an economic and jobs trip to Brussels, Belgium where he will seek to expand Illinois trade, tourism and business opportunities. In addition to participating in several events organized by NATO in advance of this spring's summit in Chicago, the Governor will address a trade conference sponsored by the European Union (EU) to strengthen ties between Illinois and Europe. He will also host a business roundtable with current Belgium businesses that invest in Illinois, potential investors, and business leaders and associations.

 

The trip builds upon Governor Quinn's aggressive goal to double exports by the end of 2014, and is the first gubernatorial trade mission to Europe in 13 years.

 

"We want the world to know that their trip to America starts in Illinois," Governor Quinn said. "We'll showcase Illinois' tremendous economic assets before an international audience and we'll bring back more trade opportunities, tourism and business investment to Illinois."

 

Governor Quinn will begin his visit by opening the Chicago Exhibit at the NATO Headquarters to promote Illinois to the world in advance of the NATO summit being held in Chicago May 20-21. Later that day, he will deliver remarks at the EU Transatlantic Conference, hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce, where he will focus on opportunities to grow European Union and Illinois trade. Governor Quinn is committed to expanding Illinois' international trade and helping businesses bring more products to global markets.

 

In front of the conference featuring high-level officials from the EU and the private sector, the governor will discuss the benefits of increasing trade with Illinois and the key role exports play in economic growth. Other keynote speakers at the event include EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Ambassador João Vale de Almeida, Head of the European Union Delegation to the United States. The EU is an economic and political partnership between 27 European countries.

 

Also during his visit to the European capital, the Governor will host a business roundtable, where he will sit down with current Belgian investors, potential investors, and business leaders and associations from Belgium and Europe to discuss opportunities to increase investment in Illinois. He will conclude the day with a dinner hosted by the U.S. ambassador to NATO where he will encourage attendees to come to Illinois in advance of the NATO meeting in May and stay late to explore our state's many visitor attractions.

 

Brussels is the capital of Belgium and Europe, where representatives from 27 EU member states reside. In addition, the city is home to the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament. Significant decisions on trade and investment are made in Brussels, and working groups such as the TABD (Transatlantic Business Dialogue) and TEC (Transatlantic Economic Council) are both extremely active in the city.

 

The European Union and Belgium are both key trading partners for Illinois. Illinois was the first U.S. state to establish a foreign office in Brussels 44 years ago in 1968. In 2011, Illinois exports to the EU grew by over 27 percent, totaling nearly $11.5 billion. Belgium is Illinois' ninth largest trading partner, receiving more than $1.65 billion worth of Illinois exports in 2011, a 42.7 percent increase over 2010. Top industries include industrial machinery, vehicles and chemical products.

 

European companies' investments in Illinois are the largest from any region in the world, with countries such as the U.K., Germany and France serving as top investors. Countries within the European Union have 723 firms with 3,476 locations in Illinois, employing more than 183,137 Illinoisans. Some of those companies include Siemans Industry, T-Mobile USA, Deutsch Bank, Philips Electronics, Chrysler-FIAT SPA and Volvo Group of North America to name a few.

 

More information about Illinois trade and business opportunities can be found on the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's website at www.illinoisbiz.biz.

 

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