Paper Article

Obamacare, will repealing help or complicate things

By: Seth Easter 2/15/16

The repeal of Obamacare may take until 2018 or later to accomplish but, there are plans in place that will attempt to make it more affordable for the general public. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is a required purchase for people who can’t get private insurance or state help. This has lead to people going without insurance and having fines to pay that they can’t afford.

The new administration under President Trump is looking to reform the healthcare program so that it can benefit the general populace without dropping the program entirely.

According to Amelia Verde(assumed name, BlueCross and BlueShield) Obamacare was a disaster for the companies that offered it and it caused huge financial losses for them.

Verde said, “People will take out insurance for their major surgeries and then drop their coverage without paying their premium. The premium would be about $300 for a $100,000 surgery.” In North Carolina BlueCross BlueShield is now the only provider for Obamacare and this has caused major losses for them.

“I don’t qualify for anything” said Susan Easter. “The only way I can get help is if a doctor gives me a hand out.” As a single mother with only a part-time job this affects Easter greatly.

Her children have Medicaid since her husband died from ALS, a degenerative muscle disease, but she herself is unable to gain help from the state because she makes $60 too much for Medicaid but at the same time, too little to qualify for Obamacare. This leaves Easter with a fine for not having insurance.

Betty Trowler (assumed name) said “It’s crazy for people to be penalized for not having insurance.” Trowler thinks it’s a great idea to repeal at least part of the ACA and not have insurance as a requirement.

Never having been without insurance, Trowler finds it hard to imagine going without it but at the same time finds it absurd that it would be required.

Having insurance as a job benefit has been a plus for Trowler and she believes that it should be a national benefit as long as you work full-time.

Having to pay more on her part so that others can have their insurance paid for is not high on Trowler’s list of to-do’s. She believes people should work for it.

The ACA, if repealed altogether, would leave almost 6 million people without insurance. The new administration is looking to only reform particular parts of Obamacare so that it would help a greater number of people.

Facts presented by the Congressional Budget Office in a summary points to the conclusion that repealing the ACA in its entirety could have negative effects on the nation. “The number of people who are uninsured would increase by 18 million in the first new plan year following enactment of the bill.”

Supposedly by 2026 the numbers could rise up to 32 million uninsured people. With current laws private insurance purchased directly could go up by 20 percent and premiums could double.

While these are the possible negatives provided there would be the positive of not paying a fine and insurance not being a requirement.

Broadcast Script

Date:	03/29/16
		Title:	The Dog House
Format:		Due by:	3/30/16
VIDEO		AUDIO
OC – Kevin McMahon (intro/lead-in to pckg) Go to Package Stand-up Kevin McMahon (standing in front of construction)  Standup - In-cue   VO Seth Easter (Video of kitchen and grill in Doghouse) Kevin asking Jean a question Interview with Jean Freedle, Owner of the Dog House SOT/SOUND BITE (Jean Freedle sitting in booth with Kevin) STANDUP   Out-cue (Kevin McMahon)		THE KEY TO SURVIVING FOR THE DOGHOUSE DURING THIS TOUGH TIME, DURING THE NORTH MAIN STREET PROJECT, HAS BEEN AND WILL BE LOYAL CUSTOMERS. SINCE 1942 THE DOGHOUSE HAS BEEN A HIGH POINT STAPLE SERVING SOME OF THE BEST HOTDOGS AND HAMBURGERS IN THE TRIAD. BUT A NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FROM THE CITY OF HIGH POINT, REFERRED TO AS THE MAIN STREET PROJECT HAS CAUSED SOME PROBLEMS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE THE DOGHOUSE. SO HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED SMALL BUSINESSES LIKE THE DOGHOUSE? THE DOGHOUSE IS LOCATED AT 668 NORTH MAIN ST. IN HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA. “SO HOW HAS THE CONSTRUCTION ON NORTH MAIN STREET AFFECTED YOU?” “IT’S BEEN BAD, REALLY BAD. WE’RE RIGHT AT THE END OF IT SO NOBODY REALLY THINKS ABOUT IT ,YOU KNOW, THAT WE’RE SO INVOLVED IN IT. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF IT  THAT THEY’D BE SITTING THERE GOING “OH LET’S GET A HOT DOG WHILE WE’RE SITTING HERE DOING NOTHING.” BUT THAT DOESN’T SEEM TO BE HAPPENING. WE’RE HERE, WE’RE HERE EVERY DAY BECAUSE WE’RE WAITING ON YOU. WE’RE DOING OUR REGULAR HOURS, ELEVEN TO THREE THIRTY, TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.”   THIS YEAR MARKS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DOGHOUSE AND THE KEY INGREDIENT TO STAYING IN BUSINESS FOR THE DOGHOUSE DURING THIS TOUGH TIME WITH CONSTRUCTION AND THE MAIN STREET PROJECT IS LOYAL CUSTOMERS. FROM THE DOGHOUSE ON NORTH MAIN STREET, I’M KEVIN MCMAHON, TRIAD NEWS.

The Issue With Millennials

The Millennial Issue

Millennials pose a huge pain to the older generations of today and it really doesn’t make sense, does it? According to older folks, millennials are what is wrong with America and they see no problem with outright saying it and correcting the brats that have ruined their country. Seems quite harsh but in retrospect they may be justified in their opinions.

By: Seth Easter

Positive Outlook

Amanda Wilson, age 32, says that “They’re a bunch of brats that are entitled, no consequences, they think there is no price to pay for their actions.”
Even though looked down upon by their elders, millennials seem to be the most optimistic groups and they believe that things are going to be ok.
“They are considered optimistic, with 41% satisfied with the way things are going in the country, compared with 26% of those over 30.”(U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation). Millennials look to be the most hopeful of their future and seem to not care about others opinions.

 Too far Gone?

 Being hopeful is one thing but being delusional is a problem and a risk. “They have no concept of reality and the school system has taken away the history of our country.” said Penny Lagle.
Penny sees video games and social media being a distraction and issue for the millennials because they rely on them for social interaction and don’t actually go out and meet people. Enjoying the wonders of the internet can be great but when it becomes your life then something needs to change.
Penny also said “They aren’t taught reality and how to deal with their actions.” If millennials don’t take responsibility for what they do then their parent have too or their children may get into trouble.
Colleen also takes issue with how sex is handled in this generation. “Children shouldn’t be raising children.” This is somewhat debated but as of now is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Colleen Kopetzky says that technology can be great but it can also be a major hazard when not used properly and Amanda couldn’t agree more as she said, “They have too much access to things that they shouldn’t.”

Religion and God

The major thing that all three could agree on was religion. “God has been taken out of everything.” said Colleen, and Amanda said “Put God back in it.”
Tolerance has become a major theme in modern day and Amanda, Penny, and Colleen believe that Christianity should be tolerated and not persecuted as it is.
They think that tolerance and the lack of God has lead to millennials becoming what they are today.

Personal Reflection

Being a millennial myself made this story really hit home. Listening to what people had to say about my generation with their words aimed at me felt a little intimidating to say the least but I felt that it was important to hear what's so wrong with us.
The concern of entitlement is rampant throughout and I have to admit that I do feel that some things cost too much or should be given for free. Hearing others say this made it clear to me that my whole generation is like this and it's not a good thing.
The biggest blow for me was when everyone mentioned that God has been taken out. This really bothers me because I used to go to church every chance that I got and went to every event offered, now I'm lucky to go once a month.
Falling away from something that is an integral part of you has effects no matter what you think. I'm not who I was because of this and am not necessarily proud to admit it but it is true.
Overall I think that we need to look at what we can do to improve on ourselves because hearing what generation X had to say as a collective was true and that scares me.

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New GTCC program aims to put chefs in food trucks

• By John Newsom john.newsom@greensboro.com
 
• 17 hrs ago
 
•  (2)

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• Photos by H. Scott Hoffmann/News & Record

Guilford Technical Community College culinary student Debbie White serves food to Vicky and Mark Wheeler from GTCC’s new food truck, the Green Machine, during its first trial run serving food to staff and students at GTCC in Jamestown on Wednesday.

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• Instructor LJ Rush prepares California rolls inside GTCC’s new food truck on Wednesday. Rush led the effort to start the new culinary program.

Instructor LJ Rush prepares California rolls inside GTCC's new food truck, the "Green Machine" during its first trial run serving food to staff and students at GTCC in Jamestown, NC on March 22, 2017.

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• GTCC’s new food truck is fitted to be a mobile lab for students. It has a grill, griddle, deep fryer and sandwich station.

GTCC's new food truck, the "Green Machine" was set up for its first trial run serving food to staff and students at GTCC in Jamestown, NC on March 22, 2017.

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• H. Scott Hoffmann/News & Record

Menu samples from GTCC’s new food truck, the “Green Machine” that was set up for its first trial run serving food to staff and students at GTCC in Jamestown, NC on March 22, 2017. A California wrap is at top, spring roll and fish taco.

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• H. Scott Hoffmann/News & Record

GTCC culinary arts student Ryan LeBlanc watches as instructor Thomas Lantz prepares spring rolls in the school’s new food truck, the “Green Machine” during its first trial run serving food to staff and students at GTCC in Jamestown, NC on March 22, 2017.

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• H. Scott Hoffmann/News & Record

Albert Schmid, director of culinary arts program at GTCC, displays samples from the college’s new food truck, the “Green Machine” after it was set up for its first trial run serving food to staff and students at GTCC in Jamestown, NC on March 22, 2017.

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• Photos by H. Scott Hoffmann/News & Record

GTCC culinary arts instructor Keith Gardiner prepares California wraps in the Green Machine. The truck, which is 23 feet long, can accommodate four cooks comfortably.

Food Trucks and Culinary school?

JAMESTOWN — In the world of food and dining, food trucks are The Next Big Thing.Is it The Next Big Thing in higher education? Guilford Technical Community College hopes so.This fall, the community college will offer a new culinary arts program in mobile catering and food truck management. The college says it’s the only one-year program of its kind in North Carolina and one of just a few like it in the nation.“It addresses a need,” said Albert Schmid, director of the GTCC Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management program. “There are a lot of food trucks — a lot of really good food trucks. … It’s a big thing now and I think it’s a viable business option for students.”

The 42-credit program will take about a year and almost $3,200, plus books and knives, to complete. Graduates will earn a diploma. GTCC hopes to enroll up to 16 students next fall.
Like GTCC’s traditional culinary track, students in the new program will learn basic cooking skills, safe food preparation, and food and beverage accounting procedures. Instead of learning about advanced baking or classical cuisine, students on the food-truck track will get classes in catering, how to run a small business and how to promote their truck on social media.
“They need to know how to prep food, do it safely and market their business,” Schmid said.

New Cooking quarters

Students will take classes at GTCC’s main campus in Jamestown. The college is converting a bakery space into a food-truck kitchen — a compact space to give students practice cooking in cramped quarters. (Don’t worry, bakers. Schmid said the college has outgrown the current baking lab and is renovating space upstairs in the Koury Hospitality Careers building for a new one.)

The college last fall also bought a new food truck. Designed to be a mobile lab for students, the GTCC Green Machine is outfitted with a grill, griddle, deep fryer and a sandwich station. At 23 feet, it’s big enough to hold four cooks comfortably.

The truck’s exterior is outlined in LED lights. It also has a video screen to show the menu and speakers to play music or to let cooks talk to customers waiting outside.
One thing the truck won’t do is show up at food-truck rodeos. State law prohibits public colleges from competing directly with the private sector, so the truck will cook largely on campus for now.
“The program is designed to help people get into the food-truck industry,” said LJ Rush, a GTCC culinary arts instructor who led the effort to create the college’s new program. “We’re not here to be in competition with the food-truck industry.”

Life after Graduation

Graduates will have a couple of options. They can open their own food truck or food cart. Or they can continue on in GTCC’s culinary program and get their associate’s degree in another year or so.
GTCC’s program is a quicker — and cheaper — way for new chefs to become their own bosses.

Schmid said traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants might need $1 million or more to get started, and many head restaurant chefs spend years working their way up through the ranks. A food truck might need only about $100,000 or so to get rolling; a food cart might take only $50,000.

Rush said the idea for the program came from surveys that asked GTCC students about the courses they wanted the college to offer. When he started looking for food-truck programs at other colleges, Rush said he found nothing comprehensive — just a handful of classes here and there or certificate programs that take just a few weeks to complete.

Once the word about GTCC’s new program got out in culinary circles, Rush said his phone started to ring.
“We’re so looking forward to being the leader in this,” Rush said.

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  Contact John Newsom at (336) 373-7312 and follow @JohnNewsomNR on Twitter.