Estados Unidos: Durbin talks ACA, education

Estados Unidos/Febrero de 2017/Autor: Josh Ragain/Fuente: Register News

RESUMEN: El senador de Illinois también expresó su preocupación por el recientemente nombrado Secretario de Educación de los Estados Unidos, Betsy DeVos. «Ella ha sido una gran defensora de escuelas chárter y escuelas de cupones, y me preocupa», dijo Durbin. Durbin señaló el trabajo de DeVos en las escuelas de Michigan como un área de preocupación. «Ellos crearon estas escuelas, y teóricamente la elección y todo el resto de eso, pero cuando llega a resultados no muestran los resultados», dijo Durbin. «Vamos a mantener un ojo en ella, pero va a ser difícil». Durbin escuchó a los líderes de la comunidad local cuando expresaron sus preocupaciones relacionadas con la educación, la infraestructura, la vivienda y la crisis del presupuesto estatal. Durbin también señaló el poder de las redes sociales para ayudar a reclutar maestros y estudiantes a las escuelas del área.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, stopped in Mt. Vernon on Saturday to speak with local community leaders at the Mt. Vernon Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The long-time senator touched on the local impact of congressional Republicans’ plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

“One of the first casualties of repealing the Affordable Care Act will be down-state hospitals,” Durbin said. “Many of them in Mt. Vernon, in Benton, you pick it, are hospitals that are hanging on and there is nothing like them for 30, 40, 50 miles.”

Durbin said if the Affordable Care Act is repealed Medicaid funds will stop flowing into local hospitals and people will be laid off. Citing the Illinois Hospital Association, Durbin stated that repealing the Affordable Care Act would cost Illinois 90,000 jobs.

“These are good paying jobs, probably some of the best paid jobs in each community,” Durbin said. “Repealing it without a replacement that is good or better is going to be very hard for a lot of people.”

According to Durbin, 1.2 million Illinois residents have health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act.

“That’s one out of 10 people in our state (who) are either under Medicaid or have a health insurance plan,” Durbin said.

The Illinois senator also expressed concern about recently appointed United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.

“She has been a big proponent of charter schools and voucher schools, and I worry about it,” Durbin said.

Durbin pointed to DeVos’ work in Michigan schools as an area of concern.

“They created these schools, and theoretically choice and all the rest of that, but when it gets down to results they don’t show the results,” Durbin said. “We are going to keep an eye on her, but it’s going to be hard.”

Durbin listened to local community leaders as they voiced concerns relating to education, infrastructure, housing and the state budget crisis.

Durbin also noted the power of social media in helping recruit teachers and students to area schools.

“How do you think this president with his tweets make so much news? That’s the world we live in,” Durbin said.

The senator added that he has talked to presidents of colleges who are increasing their enrollment by increasing their presence on social media.

Durbin went on to express his displeasure with President Donald Trump’s many Twitter tirades.

“I don’t think that is good for this country,” Durbin said. “We elect a president to have the temperament and the judgement to tackle the most serious issues. You don’t expect a president to blurt out, once or twice a day, their personal and emotional feelings. That may make for a good headline, but I don’t think it makes for a good brand of leadership. I’m hoping that the president will do less of that and more thinking about how to move this country forward.”

Durbin mentioned the need for Democrats and Republicans in the Senate to work together to get the important things done.

“Infrastructure is one the president has talked about, boy I could sign up for that,” Durbin said. “As a down-stater, I know what infrastructure means to Illinois and it’s economy.”

Fuente: http://www.register-news.com/news/durbin-talks-aca-education/article_de2238ec-f0a6-11e6-920b-9f7aa0e8efe7.html