Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is to be congratulated for holding the Senate’s Democrats together to achieve the necessary 60 votes to bring the Senate version of health insurance reform to the Senate floor for debate. I thought his speech rallying the Democratic Senators to stick together was very well done.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stuck to the Republican talking points urging just one Democrat to rebel and vote no. It costs too much ($2.5 Trillion he said), will cause a rise in cost of insurance premiums and will weaken Medicare and endanger senior citizens. Not once did he mention that 46,000 Americans die each month because of their inability to afford health insurance under the present system.

As expected, Nevada Senator John Ensign voted against the motion.

The speeches of Senator Reid and Senator McConnell revealed the sharp contrast between the Democratic and Republican Parties. It is all about people in the Democratic Party’s view. It is all about money in the Republican view.

The New York Times compares the House Public Plan versions of health care reform as being a “new government plan to compete with private insurers.” The Senate’s Public Plan would create a “new government plan to compete with private insurers but wo0uld allow states to opt out.”

It remains to be seen just how good the Senate bill will turn out to be after reconciliation of the House and Senate versions. Whatever it is, the legislation is historic and will affect the lives of my grand children all their lives. It is a step of significance as fundamental as Social Security and Medicare.

Elections do have consequences. None of this would have been possible had the Republicans won the national elections of 2006 and 2008. Nor would it have been possible without the election of President Barack Obama.

The Republican Party has been floundering badly during the last two election cycles. The waves of history seem to elude their cognition. I personally think that having competing political parties provides a better chance of achieving good policies and laws. However, that requires thoughtful competing ideas from each party. The Republican Party has been pursuing a path of retaining the status quo. History has always been an evolutionary process of change. The Republican theories of government fail to recognize that clinging to a status quo policy cannot compete with progressive change.

Those of us who live far away from Washington D.C. need to always remember that each election cycle is important and that the consequences of how we vote and who we put into public office is a direct result of our vote. The next question for us is whether we will permit Nevada to opt out of the Public Plan. It is the stuff of Republics.

The Constitution of the United States mandates that every resident (not just citizens) be counted every ten years. The census for the year 2010 will help communities (such as Pahrump) receive $400 billion in federal funds each year for hospitals, job training centers, schools, Senior centers, infrastructure such as bridges, tunnels and other public works projects and emergency services. The first census took place in 1790 and every 10 years since then. Basically it counts all the noses in the United States so that we all know how many people live here and where.

Additionally the data collected during the census helps determine the number of seats Nevada will have in the House of Representatives. Nevada currently has three such seats in Congress not counting the two Senate seats. If the population of Nevada has increased enough the state may qualify for a 4^th Congressional seat. That could well mean that the 2^nd Congressional District (now occupied by Dean Heller) could be severed in half and the rurals of Nevada have two seats in Congress. Who knows maybe you could then run for the new seat without having to shuttle all the way up and down the state seeking votes for your election.

In March 2010 census forms will be delivered to every residence in Nevada. What do you do with it when you get it? Just answer the 10 questions on the form and mail it back in. You do not even have to pay the postage.

What if you ignore it and not mail it back in? A census taker will show up at your door and ask you the ten questions from the form. You can help keep taxes down by filling it out yourself and mailing it in. Besides, you are required by law to fill out the form and send it in. Don’t want to violate federal law do you?

Think the questions are too nosy and none of the government’s business? Federal law protects your personal data from disclosure. You must give truthful information. Title 13, Chapter 7, Subtitle 2 provides that if you willfully provide a false answer you will be subject to a $500 fine.

The ten questions are:

1. How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

2. Where there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?

3. Is this house, apartment, or mobile home—owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan? Owned by you or someone in this household free and clear (without a mortgage or loan)? Rented? Occupied without payment of rent?

4. What is your telephone number?

5. Provide information for each person living here.

6. What is Person1’s sex?

7. What is Person 1’s age and date of birth?

8. Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin?

9. What is Person 1’s race?

10. Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?

Not to bad is it? You will not be able to complete the form online.

What if you don’t have a home anymore? Many don’t. Well, the Census Bureau will work with you. They will have locations in homeless shelters or soup kitchens or maybe even the Senior Center in Pahrump where you can go and tell them where the car you are sleeping in is located and be counted.

The Census Bureau is persistent. They will come to your house if you fail to fill out the form completely and send it in. If you do not want them knocking on your door you can schedule a visit.

Don’t speak or read English? They have help for non-English speaking residents. They can handle some 50 languages.

Want to learn some more about the census? You can at http://2010.census.gov/2010census/index.php.

The idea is to learn about the importance of the census and the good things it can provide Nevada, Nye County and Pahrump.