Representative Don Humason



SCHOOL VACATION WEEK By State Representative Don Humason, Jr. February 25, 2006 It was school vacation week this week. The House and Senate did not meet in any formal sessions, nor did any committees meet. It was rather slow at the State House. I did go down to Beacon Hill Wednesday to read my mail, do my schedule, and check my emails on my Boston office computer. I have to tell you how fed up I am getting with Spam emails. Even with the filters the state Information Technology staff use, I still receive hundreds of Spam emails. Since I last checked my emails in Boston last week, I had received over 250 emails. After going through all of them (which took over two hours) I had deleted over 220 and ended up only keeping around 30 emails that were actually really from constituents or reputable sources. Besides the incredible waste of time there are other costs to all the Spam. I have to be very careful not to open anything that might contain a Internet virus or worm. I'm sure that there must be times when I've missed a legitimate email because I couldn't differentiate it from the tons of Spam. And I know the filters have kept people's emails from reaching me. I cringe when I think of all the emails that never got through to me. So the moral of this story is: Do not trust email. If you need to contact me the best way to do so is to call my Westfield office or send me a letter. Then we can use email to follow up. The Joint House Senate Ways and Means Committee has begun holding public hearings around the state on the Governor's proposed budget in preparation for the Legislature's own version of the FY 2007 budget. On Monday, the Ways and Means Committee will hold a budget hearing in The Forum at Holyoke Community College starting at 10 AM. The main focus of the hearing will be on economic development issues, but the members of the committee, including Senator Mike Knapik, will hear from anyone who wishes to testify on other budget-related matters. The public is welcome. I attended the 30th anniversary celebration Tuesday of Abilities Unlimited. This organization has served persons of all abilities for three decades. The staff, headed by David Scanlin, is to be congratulated for all they do to improve the lives of the people at Abilities Unlimited and Kamp for Kids. The Legislature is still waiting for a break in the stalemate of the Health Care Access bill being negotiated in Conference Committee. The number of uninsured in the Commonwealth is large and growing. Private insurance premiums are increasing at double digits; and local, state, and federal government spending is unsustainable. In fact, the latest statistics show that 460,000 people in Massachusetts are uninsured. The problem of the uninsured is everyone's problem, costing government, providers and ultimately you, the taxpayers, more than a billion dollars every year. Our overregulated insurance industry in Massachusetts often prevents insurers from offering policies with only basic benefits. Costly options are mandated by the Legislature under the guise of protecting the consumer, but often have the effect of deterring people from choosing and being able to afford a reasonable health insurance product. Insurers have informed Legislators that they can develop plans costing less than today's standard rate of $500 per month for an individual. These plans would still provide primary, preventative, specialty and catastrophic care. Some of the largest costs in our system are nonmedical and need to be addressed. They include administrative, malpractice, and defensive medicine costs. Fraud prevention must also be an integral part of health care reform in Massachusetts. Finally, the Legislature should embrace Governor Romney's request to create the first in the nation electronic records system, medical quality and cost reporting and a program to increase the supply of nurses. There's still a lot to do. Representative Don Humason and his aide Joe Wynn may be reached at their NEW Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA01085, 568-1366. Their Boston address is State House Room 443, Boston, MA02133, (617) 722-2460. Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us * * * Please feel free to forward this column to your family, friends, and associates. If you do not wish to receive an email copy of my column from the Saturday Westfield Evening News, please reply and let me know. I will then take you off the list. Sorry for any inconvenience.
This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group

SCHOOL VACATION WEEK

By State Representative Don Humason, Jr.

February 25, 2006

It was school vacation week this week. The House and Senate did not meet in any formal sessions, nor did any committees meet. It was rather slow at the State House.

I did go down to Beacon Hill Wednesday to read my mail, do my schedule, and check my emails on my Boston office computer.

I have to tell you how fed up I am getting with Spam emails. Even with the filters the state Information Technology staff use, I still receive hundreds of Spam emails. Since I last checked my emails in Boston last week, I had received over 250 emails. After going through all of them (which took over two hours) I had deleted over 220 and ended up only keeping around 30 emails that were actually really from constituents or reputable sources.

Besides the incredible waste of time there are other costs to all the Spam. I have to be very careful not to open anything that might contain a Internet virus or worm. I'm sure that there must be times when I've missed a legitimate email because I couldn't differentiate it from the tons of Spam. And I know the filters have kept people's emails from reaching me. I cringe when I think of all the emails that never got through to me.

So the moral of this story is: Do not trust email. If you need to contact me the best way to do so is to call my Westfield office or send me a letter. Then we can use email to follow up.

The Joint House Senate Ways and Means Committee has begun holding public hearings around the state on the Governor's proposed budget in preparation for the Legislature's own version of the FY 2007 budget.

On Monday, the Ways and Means Committee will hold a budget hearing in The Forum at Holyoke Community College starting at 10 AM. The main focus of the hearing will be on economic development issues, but the members of the committee, including Senator Mike Knapik, will hear from anyone who wishes to testify on other budget-related matters. The public is welcome.

I attended the 30th anniversary celebration Tuesday of Abilities Unlimited. This organization has served persons of all abilities for three decades. The staff, headed by David Scanlin, is to be congratulated for all they do to improve the lives of the people at Abilities Unlimited and Kamp for Kids.

The Legislature is still waiting for a break in the stalemate of the Health Care Access bill being negotiated in Conference Committee.

The number of uninsured in the Commonwealth is large and growing. Private insurance premiums are increasing at double digits; and local, state, and federal government spending is unsustainable. In fact, the latest statistics show that 460,000 people in Massachusetts are uninsured. The problem of the uninsured is everyone's problem, costing government, providers and ultimately you, the taxpayers, more than a billion dollars every year.

Our overregulated insurance industry in Massachusetts often prevents insurers from offering policies with only basic benefits. Costly options are mandated by the Legislature under the guise of protecting the consumer, but often have the effect of deterring people from choosing and being able to afford a reasonable health insurance product.

Insurers have informed Legislators that they can develop plans costing less than today's standard rate of $500 per month for an individual. These plans would still provide primary, preventative, specialty and catastrophic care.

Some of the largest costs in our system are nonmedical and need to be addressed. They include administrative, malpractice, and defensive medicine costs. Fraud prevention must also be an integral part of health care reform in Massachusetts. Finally, the Legislature should embrace Governor Romney's request to create the first in the nation electronic records system, medical quality and cost reporting and a program to increase the supply of nurses. There's still a lot to do.

Representative Don Humason and his aide Joe Wynn may be reached at their NEW Westfield District office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA01085, 568-1366.

Their Boston address is State House Room 443, Boston, MA02133, (617) 722-2460.
Email address: Rep.DonaldHumason@Hou.state.ma.us

* * * Please feel free to forward this column to your family, friends, and associates. If you do not wish to receive an email copy of my column from the Saturday Westfield Evening News, please reply and let me know. I will then take you off the list. Sorry for any inconvenience.

This Site Designed and Maintained by: The Barre Group