SEE PAGE 3 FOR california ranks #48 in business taxes
ANAHEIM PRESS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014 - NOVEMBER 9, 2014
anaheimpress.com
SEE PAGE 2 for do you know someone who makes a difference/ VOLUME 1, NO. 27
Cash-only clinics make health care more California accessible and fill provider pockets economy by Vickie Vértiz expected to grow strong in next 5 years By SHEL SEGAL
Middle School, Manhattan Beach Unified School District, Manhattan Beach, Los Angeles County. Torlakson nominated Mabery as California’s representative to the National Teacher of the Year competition. •Lovelyn Marquez-Prueher, an eighth grade English teacher at Dodson Middle School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Rancho Palos
The Great Recession is long over with the California economy doing much better than the national economy, local economists said at a conference on Oct. 23. In addition, economists are predicting stronger job growth and a continued housing recovery. Kimberly Ritter-Martinez, an economist with the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corps said at the Pasadena Economic and Business Summit at Brookside Golf Club that strong growth will be a mainstay of the next five years. Ritter-Martinez added the county’s GPD will outpace the national average through 2019, with job growth in the county through 2015 recovering all the jobs it lost during the recession. But she did say that many recently hired workers are part-time as many employees are still nervous about California’s economy, meaning they don’t want to take a chance with full-time hires. She also said she believes the Fed won’t raise short-term interest rates until next summer because of three reasons, one of which is a declining labor force participation rate. “That refers to the percentage of people who are either working or actively seeking work. In September the national labor force participation rate was 62.7 percent, down from 62.9 percent the previous month and 63.2 percent a year earlier,” according to a published report. Also speaking at the confer-
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Photo by Terry Miller
While the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has insured thousands of formerly uninsured people, many people remain uninsured.
To fill the demand for care, storefront medical clinics are becoming more popular in places like Anaheim.
According to the Voice of Orange County, storefront clinPlease see page 4
Anaheim teacher one of five of California’s teachers of the year State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson named five outstanding educators as the 2015 California Teachers of the Year, one of whom he nominated as California’s National Teacher of the Year. “It is an honor to recognize these five incredibly dedicated teachers who devote their energy, passion, and creativity to helping all their students achieve inside and outside the
classroom,” Torlakson said. “These teachers have made a huge difference in their students’ lives.” The five 2015 California Teachers of the Year are: •Amy Laughlin, a kindergarten through sixth grade intervention teacher at Hansen School, Savanna School District, Anaheim, Orange County. •*Maggie Mabery, a seventh and eighth grade science teacher at Manhattan Beach
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Do you know someone who truly makes a difference? Someone who is truly exceptional? An Unsung Hero, if you will? by Terry miller Do you know of someone in your community, town or city who has a remarkable story? If so, we want to hear about them. Someone who has made a significant difference in your life or the lives of others in the community? We’re looking for stories about everyday people doing wonderful things in this world, not for themselves but for the benefit of mankind. There are a million stories out there and we want to have your nominations so we may shine a Beacon (if you’ll pardon our pun) on that individual with a feature story in our family of newspapers and companion websites. A couple of years ago we focused on a teenager who started a business collecting fruit from peoples’ trees and donated to fresh food banks. He did it not for cash but because he cared enough to want to ensure that people were eating fresh fruit every day and didn’t want any food wasted . It is truly inspiring to see a high school student devote his weekends to such a project. In the coming months and years we’ll be featuring people in
your city but first we need to know a little about them. In your suggestions, please include the name of the person, age (approx.) and city in which they live and of course a phone number. Tell us why you feel they deserve a special spotlight shined on their life? How long have you known this individual? Any special circumstances we should know about? Suggestions might include: someone who cares for injured/ feral animals; a family who fosters children; a doctor who still makes house calls….we’re open to your suggestions. Nominations will be reviewed monthly by our Editorial Board. Please no phone calls, all submissions MUST be in sent via email . Decisions on whom we’ll profile remain entirely at the discretion of the Editorial Board. We appreciate any and all nominations. As the old adage goes” There are a million stories in the Naked City. This is one of them…” Please submit your suggestions to: jschlueter@hlrmedia.com
Anaheim teacher honored Continued from page 1
Verdes, Los Angeles County. •Christopher O’Connor, a ninth through twelfth grade science teacher at St. Helena High School, St. Helena Unified School District, St. Helena, Napa County. •Erin Rosselli, a kindergarten teacher at the Panorama Elementary School, Orange Unified School District, Santa Ana, Orange County. The California Teachers of the Year Program, presented by California Casualty, began in 1972 to acknowledge the growing complexity of challenges faced by the profession and the need to promote collaboration among teachers to address challenges. The program is also designed to encourage new teachers to enter the field. The competition is open to educators teaching pre-kindergarten through grade twelve. County offices of education nominate winners through their regional Teachers of the Year competitions. A state selection committee reviews candidates’ applications and conducts site visits to evaluate the teachers’ rapport with students, classroom environment, presentation skills, and teaching methods, among other criteria. The teachers are interviewed at the California Department of Education in Sacramento. The State Superintendent then selects the awardees. The 2015 California Teachers of the Year, the finalists, and semi-finalists will be honored by Torlakson at a gala to be held February 16, 2015. The list of finalists and semi-finalists is below. For more information on the award program, please visit the California Department of Education’s California Teachers of the Year Web page. -Amy Laughlin Kindergarten through sixth grade intervention teacher Hansen School Savanna School District “School is hard for the students I teach. Every day they come to school and sit quietly
in their homeroom. They don’t raise their hands. They don’t know the answers. They don’t always turn in their homework, and when they do, it’s often wrong. They frustrate their teachers, and they disappoint themselves. School is an intimidating place for my students, and I am honored to be their teacher.” —Amy Laughlin from her 2015 California Teachers of the Year Application Laughlin has been teaching for 16 years, 13 of them at Hansen School—and the last six as a Title I Intervention Specialist there. Her class, called Husky Time, is an intensive reading intervention program she created for struggling students in all grade levels. Traditional education does not always work for her students; she must offer something different. She says she nurtures confidence and instills a sense of pride and self-worth into children who may have felt alone and unworthy. She calls herself their biggest cheerleader, “and they are my heroes.” It is her job, she stresses, to ensure every child succeeds. “Whether it is the child who has fallen so far behind that the teacher is at a loss on how to help, or the child who may be academically proficient yet inwardly battles social and emotional conflict.” “Simply put,” writes Shannon D. Wyatt, principal of Hansen School, “Amy Laughlin is the most amazing educator I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Amy’s greatest strength is her ability to motivate and build relationships with students.” Savanna School District Superintendent Sue Johnson calls Laughlin a “dynamic educator who has a desire to enhance teaching and learning with a heart for and dedication to the children she serves.” Laughlin may be reached through Hansen School at 714236-3835 or amy.laughlin@ savsd.org.
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California ranks 48th best on business taxes Annual release of the State Business Tax Climate Index California has the 48th best tax climate in the U.S. according to the latest edition of the State Business Tax Climate Index, released last Tuesday by the nonpartisan Tax Foundation. The Golden State’s rank remains unchanged from its 48th place ranking last October. The Index, now in its 11th edition, measures how well structured each state’s code is by analyzing over 100 tax variables in five different categories: corporate, individual income, sales, property, and unemployment insurance taxes. States are punished for overly complex, burdensome, and economically harmful tax codes but are rewarded for transparent and neutral tax codes that do not distort business decisions. A state’s ranking can rise or fall significantly not only because of its own actions, but also because of changes or reforms made in other states. The breakdown of California’s ranking this year is as follows (1st is best, 50th is worst): •California’s overall State Business Tax Climate ranking: 48th •Corporate tax structure: 34th •Individual income tax structure: 50th •Sales tax structure: 42nd •Property tax structure: 14th •Unemployment insurance tax structure: 14th “The federal government is gridlocked, but state policymakers on both sides of the aisle are enacting truly fundamental reforms,” said Tax Foundation Economist and Manager of State Projects Scott Drenkard. “States are doing their part and it’s time that Washington steps up.” The report’s key findings include: •The 10 most competi-
tive states are: Wyoming (#1), South Dakota (#2), Nevada (#3), Alaska (#4), Florida (#5), Montana (#6), New Hampshire (#7), Indiana (#8), Utah (#9) and Texas (#10). •The 10 least competitive states are: New Jersey (#50), New York (#49), California (#48), Minnesota (#47), Vermont (#46), Rhode Island (#45), Ohio (#44), Wisconsin (#43), Connecticut (#42), and Iowa (#41). •The most notable ranking changes occurred in North Carolina, Nebraska, North Dakota, New York, Wisconsin, Maine,
and Kansas (see state specific press releases for more details). The goal of the State Business Tax Climate Index is to start a conversation between taxpayers and policymakers about how their states fare against the rest of the country. This report helps answer the questions: How well is your tax code structured? How competitive is your state compared to the rest of the county? Are businesses in your state spending too much time complying with onerous tax provisions? Are you double taxing things you shouldn’t?
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Economy growth for California
November 8
Continued from page 1
ence was Selma Hepp, a senior economist with the California Association of Realtors. Hepp said while the market is strong, there are some areas for concern, mainly affordability among 18- to 34-year-olds. Hepp added that while housing inventory is up, it is still situated well below the demand, adding young and first-time buyers face a lack of information when trying to purchase a home with many thinking a bank will not give them a loan. Mike Ross, CEO of Pasadena Center Operating Co., the nonprofit corporation that manages Pasadena Convention Center, the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, the Pasadena Convention & Visi-
Art Crawl Experience
tors Bureau and the Pasadena Ice Skating Center, also spoke at this business summit. He said the city has seen a steady increase in hotel occupancy rates. Ross said the occupancy rate has jumped to 85 percent from 68 percent in 2010, adding there are plans to build several new hotels in the city and that is expected to help boost business to the convention center. This economic and business summit was a collaborative presentation by the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and the city of Pasadena. (Shel Segal can be reached at ssegal@beaconmedianews.com. He can be followed via Twitter @ segallanded.)
“Art Crawl Experience” or simply “ACE” is a visually invigorating, tastefully titillating, and an auditory explosive art walk and arts festival that takes place from 6pm to 10pm. ACE was created by artists and community leaders with the intent of bringing arts and culture downtown by showcasing art in public places, street artisans, pop-up galleries, and the brick-and-mortar galleries. The indie craft fair at ACE is a cascade of canopies containing unique hand-crafted treasures. Gourmet food trucks rally and local entertainers perform throughout the experience. Participating downtown eateries and shops transform
their spaces into one-night popup galleries, while the latest art exhibits are revealed at brickand-mortar galleries, including Rothick Art Haus, Center Gallery, MUZEO, Joy Art Gallery, CIM Gallery and Kooi Art. The crawl stretches from Anaheim Blvd., to Harbor Blvd. and along Center Street Promenade. Art lovers can walk, crawl or climb aboard the Anaheim Resort Transit (ART) for complimentary rides throughout Anaheim’s Art Crawl Experience. Location: 201 Center Street Promenade, Anaheim, CA 92805. For more information, call 714 956 3586 or go to http:// www.downtownanaheim.com
Cash-only clinics make health care more accessible and fill provider pockets Continued from page 1
ics frequently operate outside the elaborate confines of medical insurance, meaning there are no network restrictions, co-pays or deductibles. “This is a simpler model,” Dr. Hitesh D. Patel told the Voice. Patel co-owns four cash or credit medical clinics in Orange County. “You don’t have to deal with insurance. The two key players are the doctor and the patient.” His clinics advertise special packages that read like spa brochures, listing treatments for blood tests that target women like the $90
“silver package” and the $275“diamond package,” said the Voice. Consumer groups and health care experts criticize cash clinics because they say seeking health care at them is not safe for longterm treatments. They maintain that cash clinics provide inconsistent care, especially when treating chronic illnesses like diabetes or heart disease, which affect some lower-income families more than others. Diseases like hypertension require frequent access to medical treatments, prescription adjustment documentation, changing
eating habits, and stabilization, reported the Voice. The paper added that patients have complained that storefront clinic bills are misleading. The charges start off as low as $20 for consultations, but any treatment after that is offered separately, and items like glucose testing could start at $10, but can go up to $130 and more for an ultrasound, said the Voice. The Voice spoke with Yadira Gomez, a senior case manager at Share Ourselves, who said patients are regularly much more than they bargained for. Storefront clinics often target Spanish-speakers but bring in patients from all backgrounds given the diversity of the uninsured population. Interestingly, Patel said 40-50 percent of patients at his business are insured, which complicates the real reasons for attending cash-based clinics. Health care at public institutions can make for long waits because of processing and understaffing. At storefront clinics, said the Voice, most patients are seen quickly by physician assistants, who by law are supervised by the doctor who owns the practice. Because various storefront
clinics have Spanish-speaking staff, some monolingual patients feel more comfortable there, like an unidentified woman who spoke to the paper. But even clinic owners like Patel eventually advise patients “to start thinking about insurance,” when a patient case does not improve. Cash clinics are regulated the same way as a traditional private practice, said the Voice, which requires a city business license, a permit to practice under a name other than the who the doctor is (such as “Clinica Medica”), and a professional license with The Medical Board of California. The storefront clinics seem to work well for patients who are generally healthy and for whatever reason, whether it is preference, lack of trust in the government, a lack of understanding about signing up for the ACA, or fundamental differences with the way health care is run in this country, the clinics will not be going away any time soon. If consumers do attend these clinics, as with any health care, one has to be a self-advocate: write things down, such as names, dates and charges, and always get a second opinion.