jONline

An electronic newsletter from Senator Jon Erpenbach – 4-4-08

Doctors Support Universal Health Care - A new study of U.S. Physicians shows a solid majority of doctors - 59 percent - now support national health insurance. Such plans typically involve a single, federally administered social insurance fund that that guarantees health care coverage for everyone, much like Medicare currently does for seniors while still allowing patients to go the doctors of their choice. A study published in today's Annals of Internal Medicine, a leading medical journal, reports that a survey conducted last year of 2,193 physicians across the United States showed 59 percent of them "support government legislation to establish national health insurance," while 32 percent oppose it and 9 percent are neutral. Visit the Physicians for a National Health Program (http://www.pnhp.org/).

Specialized Transit in Madison Gets Grant – Governor Doyle announced this week a $70,000 grant for specialized transit in Madison . Union Cab will use the matching grant to purchase two accessible vans and to expand services. The grant is from the New Freedom funds administered by the Department of Transportation and is a competitive matching grant program.

Local Governments Can Add Pharmaceuticals to Clean Sweep – Local governments have a chance at a grant from the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to add pharmaceuticals to their local Clean Sweep programs. Since the Clean Sweep program began in 1990, people have had a chance to dispose of their hazardous home waste with local programs. Adding pharmaceuticals to the list of materials that can be disposed of through Clean Sweep is important because keeping unwanted medication in your home is a bad idea and water quality experts caution against flushing or throwing away medication. Clean Sweep grants will be given out to interested local units of government in a competitive process in the first round of this program. Applications are due to DATCP by April 18^th electronically and grants will be awarded in early May. More information and apply online here.

Janel Dailey and Others Recognized at Very Special Arts Ceremony – A total of 20 Wisconsin children and adult artists with disabilities were recognized for their outstanding works of art at the 2008 VSA Arts of Wisconsin Awards Ceremony March 29 at Warner Park Recreation Center in Madison. Honorees include five adult and five children's award winners and five adult and five children's honorable mention recipients, selected from Wisconsin artists with disabilities. Senator Erpenbach attended the ceremony. Click on the photo tab at the website to see the picture of Erpenbach and constituent Janel Dailey, Wisconsin Heights High School, Mazomanie.

Local Highway Gets Boost from CHIP-D Program – Local highway renewal projects awards were announced this week by Governor Doyle. Awards include allotment for Green County’s CTH J which runs north out of Monroe. The funds are being administered through the Department of Transportation County Highway Investment Program – Discretionary (CHIP-D), which may fund up to fifty percent of an eligible plan. The program is designed to aid local government’s efforts to maintain and improve local transportation and to enable local funds to be used elsewhere.