GOOD NEWS FOR JACOBS CREEK
I spoke with Joe Fund from the Kansas Water Office and they are recommending $500,000 to a water project for the Neosho River Water Basin in the area of John Redmond Dam. It is just the beginning for Jacob’s Creek residents but hopefully it is a good start. I will try to keep you posted on this.

FUTURE OF ENERGY
The beginning of the week found me being briefed on the initiatives of the Kansas Energy Council including Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson and several other interested parties from the state regarding energy issues. We were told in the Energy and Utilities Committee they are encouraging the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to begin to allow more rate increases as incentives for power companies to build transmission lines and initiate more wind energy across the state. Each wind installation requires a back up source of energy due to the inconsistency of wind and no way to store wind energy. Mr. Parkinson stated residents from across the state may have to bear the burden of higher energy prices in order to assist in the distribution of new lines and forms of energy to the Western part of the state. I look forward to hearing from my constituents regarding their feelings on this issue. It would appear this may not be an issue that will come before the Legislature, but rather a thrust to coerce power companies to invest in forms of energy they have not been pursuing and encouraging the KCC to reward them with higher rates to compensate for their investments.

HEALTH
I attended a presentation by Dr. Richard Warner, the President of the Kansas Medical Society on Thursday. He addressed concerns over medical inflation and increased employer and governmental coverage of health care. He began his presentation by showing how much greater the inflation rate for health care and prescription drugs is compared to the consumer price index. He then gave an overview of health care decisions today by showing the difference between personalized ownership health care decisions vs. bureaucratic health care systems. The numbers show that in 1930 individuals paid 89 percent out of pocket for health care expenditures and third parties only paid 11 percent as compared to 2006 where only 15 percent paid out of pocket and third parties paid 85 percent. He believes it is this change in who pays that has caused the drastic inflation of medical and prescription drug costs. He stated under employer and government provided health care systems individuals do not ask "what can I get for my money?" but "what do I get?," and it is under such a system that inflation occurs because people do not concern themselves with the cost when they are not paying for it out of their own pockets.

Overall, his vision for the State of Kansas is to reform the market for health insurance in order to have as many people as possible using defined contributions and their own resources to purchase health insurance. This protects them from financial catastrophe. Dr. Warren encouraged the use of coinsurance arrangements to restrain inflation and to elicit transparency of price and quality. This enables them to control their own medical care in collaboration with their freely chosen physician and other health care professionals.

IN CLOSING...
I want to express my thanks to each of you for your involvement. Please keep in touch with me and give me feedback on the information that I have given you as well as your concerns on issues that are important to you. You are important to me. My email address is Mast@house.state.ks.us.