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June 17, 2014, 8:00 AM Contact: Kevin D. McGee, (907) 441-2137 Governor's Report Demonstrates Depth of His Own Insensitivity Parnell Denies Health Care to Thousands with Medicaid Rejection ANCHORAGE: Governor Parnell's own report on Alaskans without health care confirms that he was wrong to deny expansion of Medicaid. Even as it attempts (and fails) to minimize health care shortcomings in Alaska, Parnell's report reflects that thousands will be denied care as a result of his rejection of Medicaid. The report also makes the absurd suggestion that ad hoc charity care is a reasonable substitute for reliable health coverage. "This report suggests Governor Parnell is completely out of touch with the realities working families face as they try to find health care," said Kevin McGee, 1st Vice President and Chairman, Political Action Committee of the Anchorage NAACP. Governor Parnell's report says 12,000 Alaskans lack health coverage, particularly care for serious illnesses which is an apparent attempt to diminish the size of the problem. By contrast, non-partisan data from Legislative Research Services suggests that nearly 1 in 5 Alaskans -- some 140,000 people -- have lacked health insurance between 2008 and 2012. The non-partisan Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium study of Medicaid expansion found that simply accepting federal funding for Medicaid would extend health coverage to 41,500 Alaskans while creating 4,000 new jobs and $2.49 billion of new economic activity. Parnell's study not only underestimates the magnitude of the problem, but also pretends that emergency room services and ad hoc charity is a reasonable substitute for reliable health insurance. The non-partisan Legislative Research report found that nearly 1 in 2 low income Alaskans between 18 and 64 years old lacks health insurance. ###
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June 2, 2014 Contact: Andrea Antonie, (907) 229-3178 Finalists for the 2014 National Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada The Anchorage Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological & Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) youth program is pleased to announce the winners of the recent 2014 “Olympics of the Mind” local competition. Local high school students: Armoni Edwards (Performing Arts-Vocal Contemporary); Trinity Colvin (Performing Arts-Dramatics); and Hannah Branch (Humanities-Poetry); will represent Anchorage, Alaska at the National Competition in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 17 - 20, 2014. The ACT-SO program is a major youth initiative of the NAACP. Founded in 1978, by renowned author and journalist, Vernon Jarrett, ACT-SO provides a forum through which youth of African descent demonstrate academic, artistic and scientific prowess and expertise, thereby gaining the same recognition often only reserved for entertainers and athletes. ACT-SO is a yearlong scholastic enrichment program where participants flex the most important muscle - "the mind." Just as an athlete trains before a competition, so must the ACT-SO participant with coaches and mentors in preparing for the local competition. ACT-SO is not a talent show, but an opportunity for high school students to showcase their skills and abilities in the Sciences, Humanities, Performing and Visual Arts, and Business. ACT-SO is where the next millennium architects, scientists, musicians, poets, dancers, artists and entrepreneurs are discovered. The Gold finalists on the local level must score 95 or greater out of a possible 100 points, to earn the opportunity to compete against over 1,000 participants from across the United States at the National Competition held each July. # # # # # |