 To The Editor: Information on the Average tax change from the TCJA permanency act. (please notice the word permanency, they want it to be forever): In 2026 in Michigan, If you are among the poorest, the 20%, you make less than $27,900, your tax break will be $90 a year. If you are in the second 20% , you make $27,900 to $52,900, your tax break will be $450 a year. If you are in the third 20%, you make $32,900 to $90,800, your tax break will be $930. If you’re in the fourth 20th%, you make $90,800-$151,200, your tax break will be $1600. If you’re in the next 15%, you make $151,200-$306,800, your tax break will be $3050. If you’re in the next 4%, you make $306,800-$751,900. Your tax break will be $9780. If you are among the richest 1 percent of our state, you make $751,900 and more, your tax break is $35,970. Noticed the huge differences? Where are you on this scale? (this information can be found at the institute on taxation and economic policy, ITEP.org) These tax cuts will affect: Medicare services to seniors in two primary ways. The lowest income seniors, dual eligible, can also be enrolled in Medicare and have their cost sharing paid by Medicaid and others requiring long-term care services and supports and may be enrolled in Medicaid, which pays for nursing home care for five out of eight residents. (CKFF, Medicaid in United States, August 2024). Already the 2017 Trump GOP tax law made it so corporations pay lower marginal tax rate than workers making $45,000 a year. Fair? The time on this law has almost run out but this administration wants to enlarge it and continue. This administration wants to get their pain filled Budget reconciliation bill passed before Memorial Day. Call your members of congress, find at congress.gov and type in your address today and often and let them know how you, family or neighbors will be impacted. Our stores are important. Or just call and tell them to vote NO! And pass these truths along. Valerie Deur
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To The Editor: With the constant stream of breaking news from the White House, it can be tempting to disengage, especially when feelings of helplessness set in. But in these moments, it’s crucial to remember that We the People do have power. It is not only our right but our responsibility to speak out, particularly when the consequences directly impact our own communities. The looming Congressional budget bill includes proposed cuts to Medicaid that would affect approximately 750,000 people in Michigan alone. These cuts would drastically reduce access to essential services such as mental health care, autism support, adult foster care, and preventive medical treatment. Without preventative care, more individuals will wait until they are seriously ill, increasing reliance on emergency departments,services that are both more expensive and less efficient. Rural hospitals, in particular, depend heavily on Medicaid funding. If that funding disappears, so might the hospitals and specialty services that many communities rely on. Our former Congressman Huizenga told me that healthcare is a privilege, not a right, as if the people who qualify for Medicaid are somehow less deserving of care. But the reality is, the majority of those on Medicaid are children, seniors, and working individuals, our neighbors, family members, and friends. Many work multiple part-time jobs and still fall below the threshold for adequate health coverage. Regardless of political affiliation, we should all be able to agree on this: every member of our community deserves access to basic, humane healthcare. Please take a moment to call Congressman John Moolenaar at 202-225-3561 and remind him that protecting Medicaid is not about politics it’s about people. Michelle Petz  By Ken DeLaat Well it looks like we have a new Parks guy in place as Asa Vermeulen takes the reins at the burgeoning array of recreational options that is Newaygo County Parks. Good timing. The ever popular campgrounds are about to be inundated with all those people who make it a point to travel to our county for a short stay in this wonderful slice of our bi-peninsular paradise. Always makes me think about the times spent travelling to one of those really cool places, the locales that make you ponder, “I wonder what it’s like to live here full time?” And here we are. Smack dab in a destination spot for the droves of fun lovers seeking to enjoy what our natural resources offer. Beyond campers there are the cyclists and hikers who are drawn to the magic of The Dragon, the fishing fanatics who will soon see a new marina the county is resurrecting on the site of an old one, the kayakers and tubers who fill the river on weekends, and now a new birding trail to draw the rather amazing amount of birders (It is estimated there are over 2 million in the state) to our prime birding sites (nearly 40). And so, welcome to our county Asa Vermeulen. I believe you’ll find the folks here in the Near North to be a friendly bunch, always eager to help. And nearly all the answers to questions you might have can be found at any one of those long tables filled with coffee drinking men that pop up around mid morning at several local restaurants. Pickleballers can relax a bit now that the Fremont Rec Center has been gifted with 10 years of support after the recent millage was approved for continuation. Kudos to the city and the 2 townships that came through this time around. The Rec Center has established themselves as a vital entity in the community and will likely continue to thrive, particularly if pickleball continues its meteoric rise in popularity. It seems that the Medicaid cuts that have been banged around by politicians and the media who cover them are looking to be more and more inevitable. I truly hope not. The cuts being bantered about would have a devastating effect on our county in ways that would reach much deeper than simply reducing medical coverage. The ripple effect would touch everyone in one way or another. Stoking anecdotal references to how the money is misused is designed to tap into old attitudes about welfare. Like others who have spent many years working in human service agencies there is an awareness of how vital the services provided are and how far reaching the effects can be. It is time to show some compassion for the less fortunate. Cutting medical coverage to an already vulnerable population is unconscionable. If you agree, call Rep Moolenaar’s office and let him know. If you don’t agree? Be prepared for the profound changes on the horizon that are likely to negatively impact the quality of life for far more of us than just those who lose their insurance coverage.
Police Week Newaygo May 11 - 17, 2025
A Resolution adopted by the City of Newaygo City Council on May 13, 2019, declares every calendar week in which May 15th falls as "Police Week Newaygo" In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15th as National Peace Officer Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15th falls as National Police Week. National Policy Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. In 2004 the City of Newaygo established Marshall Memorial Park to memorize Trooper Kevin Marshall. In 2019 Headstones were placed in the Marshall Memorial Park honoring and memorizing all fallen Police Officer from Newaygo County: Village Marshal Benjamin Carpenter; end of watch July 23, 1963, Deputy Gerald Kandler; end of watch June 12, 1998, Trooper Kevin Marshall end of watch July 7, 2003, Trooper Paul Butterfield; end of watch September 9, 2013. Since 1776, there have been 26,959 know line of duty deaths in the United States of America, including 672 in Michigan and 4 in Newaygo County. Michigan's and specifically Newaygo County's fallen officers will never be forgotten, nor their service to their respective communities. By choosing to commit themselves to law enforcement, these brave individuals answered the call for service and willingly put their lives in jeopardy. We commend them for recognizing law enforcement as a noble career, and protecting the public safety, and also of those who are currently serving for the safety and security of their communities. We publicly salute the service of law enforcement officers in our Newaygo County community as well as those of our State and Nation. Keep Safe and Be Blessed Mayor Ed Fedell City of Newaygo  Julie Tatko By Julie Tatko, CEO, Family Health Care At Family Health Care, we are deeply concerned about the proposed cuts to the Medicaid program. We are particularly concerned about our patients, 46 percent of whom receive their health insurance through Medicaid. Patients qualify for Medicaid coverage for various reasons, including being a child, in foster care, working at a minimum-wage job, employed in a job that doesn’t offer insurance, being disabled and unable to work, or being a student. People insured by Medicaid are our neighbors, and they deserve quality healthcare. Our members of Congress have promised that there will be no cuts to the program, and people in need of Medicaid will continue to receive it. At the same time, they are expressing an openness to work requirements. Based on experiences in other states that have work requirements, we are concerned for our patients that our legislators are considering this strategy. Work requirements are problematic for several reasons. First, most people who are insured through Medicaid are either working or are unable to work due to disability, caretaking responsibilities, significant illnesses, or pregnancy. Excluding those who are unable to work, 92 percent of Medicaid enrollees are already employed. Second, work requirements fail to keep people insured and create additional expenses for states. Work requirements were voluntarily implemented in Arkansas, New Hampshire, and Georgia. In each of these cases, they were highly successful in driving up the costs to states for implementation and pushing people out of Medicaid, leaving them uninsured and without access to healthcare. Additionally, work requirements impose significant paperwork burdens on patients themselves. Lastly, if there are significant reductions in Medicaid expenditures, it means people will lose coverage. The House of Representatives is currently pushing for $880 billion in spending cuts through the committee that oversees Medicaid and Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office has stated that the only way to achieve those kinds of savings from the budget is by making significant cuts to Medicaid. You can call it whatever you want, but work requirements are cuts to the Medicaid program. A cut by any other name is still a cut. Family Health Care serves approximately 23,000 unduplicated patients annually at clinics located in Baldwin, Big Rapids, Cadillac, Evart, Grant, McBain, Reed City, and White Cloud. The clinics offer access to affordable medical, dental, behavioral health, vision, laboratory, radiology, and pharmacy services.  |
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May 2025
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