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Copyright

Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce
45 E. Main St.
Chillicothe, OH 45601
740-702-2722

Health care reform could be

in spotlight very shortly again

By Marvin Jones

President and CEO

Maybe it’s back to the drawing board of health care reform. Or maybe not. In the next couple of weeks, we should learn if Congress plans to start over on this issue of vital concern to all businesses and individuals or if it plans to seek passage of a bill that is hammered out in a conference committee.

Before the election and seating of Scott Brown of Massachusetts to the Senate seat held by Edward Kennedy, Democrats in Congress seemed intent on pushing forward on the blending of the House and Senate bills already approved. President Obama put a halt to that, asking his party’s leaders to wait until Brown was seated before moving forward. Brown officially became a senator Thursday.

There’s little doubt health care reform remains an issue to be resolved by Congress. And, as we’ve indicated before, while the two political parties seem worlds apart on how to achieve it, the end result for both is nearly the same. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce continues to work toward reform and Tom Donohue, its president and CEO, reiterated this week the main objectives in his newsletter. They bear repeating:

“First, steps must be taken to reform the insurance system. It's time to eliminate preexisting conditions or health status as reasons for denying individuals access to insurance. We must guarantee that any individual or entity will be issued a policy and that these policies will not be revoked. This also means placing reasonable limits on rating differences (the reason some individuals pay more than others) and providing subsidies for those who truly cannot afford coverage. We must also explore ways to keep people from gaming the system.

“Second, the skyrocketing cost of medical care must be brought under control by using an all-of-the above strategy. This includes enacting meaningful medical liability reform, adopting health information technology, and permitting small businesses to join together to purchase health insurance. We should emphasize wellness and prevention, but when people get sick, providers should be paid based on the quality of care they offer.

“Finally, command-and-control health care run by Washington should be replaced with a vibrant marketplace. A health care exchange, for example, would allow individuals and businesses anywhere in the country to enroll in any plan they choose. Government should facilitate improved pooling mechanisms, consumer choice, and competition. What has worked for other sectors of our economy can work for health care too.”

Your chamber continues to work to provide you, our members, with as much information as possible so that you can make your voice heard in Washington when the debate heats up again. This link remains on our website homepage: Health care reform

Members making some major changes

Several chamber members are in the midst of making some major changes to their facilities or operations:

• Frisch’s Restaurant at North Bridge Street and Marietta Road is getting a major interior renovation to update its look while some major landscaping changes are planned when the weather turns better.
• Advanced Services Heating and Cooling is moving to new quarters on Renick Avenue on the east side of town near the U.S. 35-23 interchange.
• Phillips Rent-All is now Wagner Rental and Supply as Bob Williams transitions to retirement in March. The business on North Bridge Street will move, also to Renick Avenue, when renovations there are complete. An auction of excess tools and equipment also is in the works. Wagner’s also has locations in New Boston, Jackson and Ashland, KY.
• The former Sherman Haus bar on East Second Street changed hands and preliminary reports indicate it will be converted to a private residence.

House next up for workers’ comp relief measure

The Ohio Senate last week approved a bill that places a two-year moratorium on any further decreases in the third-party administrator group maximum discount in addition to other changes to help stem potential huge increases in workers’ compensation premiums. The bill keeps the state agency from making or approving any changes to the group rating program for a two-year program and set the maximum discount at 65 percent. Next hurdles: Passage in the House and approval by the governor.

Contractors invited to bid on big project

The Chillicothe Metropolitan Housing Authority plans to renovate the bathrooms of many of its properties, giving local contractors the opportunity for months of work for their employees. Bathrooms in Tiffin Tower, Lincoln Park, Sherman Park and other areas are all on the list. A pre-bid conference is set for Wednesday (Feb. 10) at 9 a.m. in the authority’s office at 178 W. Fourth St. where bid documents also are available. Deadline for bids is 9 a.m. Feb. 24. Questions go to Kathleen Sims at 775-7881.

Small businesses get advocate

Attorney General Richard Cordray opened a section of his Consumer Protection office to investigate complaints by businesses with fewer than 20 employees who are being preyed upon by scammers and deceptive vendors. His office began testing the initiative last July and already has logged more than 500 complaints. Examples of aid provided include a trucking company that bought a truck over the Internet and had trouble getting the vehicle; a business that was charged for a web service it never authorized and a company charged for a web advertisement it didn’t place. To learn how your business can use the service: www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Business

Sales and marketing seminar offered by SCORE

The chamber and the local chapter of SCORE are the sponsors for a sales and marketing seminar for small businesses on March 2 from 9-noon. Marty Densmore from Cincinnati will provide tips and information designed to direct more traffic to your business at nominal cost. The seminar is free, but space is limited. To ensure your seat: Sales and marketing registration

Computer security a door prize at BAB

A SonicWall device to protect the security of your computer network, a value of about $500, is one of the door prizes someone will win at the next Business After Business on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at the Elks Lodge. Leading Edge Integration, one of several sponsors for the BAB, is giving away the device and the support to set it up. Other sponsors in addition to the Elks are Sprint IPCS, Attorney Claire Fried and Pepsi Bottling of Chillicothe. Sign up now to attend: BAB registration

New employee: Jessica Lynn McCann is a new trained tanning consultant at Sun Shine Tanning Studio at Mulberry and Water streets.

Newest chamber members:

• Cambridge Home Health Care, 74 N. Plaza Blvd., by Liz Bever and Lynette Galloway, 774-4990, www.cambridgehomehealth.com; a ribbon cutting ceremony is set for Friday, Feb. 19 at 1 p.m.
• Studio 12, 12 Health Drive, by Jennifer Lykins, 772-1128, hair salon.

Commercial building permits issued recently by the Ross County and Chillicothe Building Departments:

• Pleasant Valley Regional Sewer District, 19013 U.S. 50, new pump station, no value given.
• Bethesda Christian Church, 4894 Denver Road, alarm system, $3,000.
• Valley View Alzheimer’s Center, 3363 Ragged Ridge Road, sprinklers, no value given.
• John Swackhammer, 3839 Vigo Road, electrical, no value given.
• G&J Paving, 379 Seney Road, new maintenance shop, $79,000.
• Lighthouse Youth Center, 1071 Tong Hollow Road, install generator, no value given.
• Horizon Chillicothe Telephone, 7960 Dry Run Road, new electric unit, $1,500.
• Douglas Terry, 117 Malone Road, convert garage to gun shop, no value given.
• Traditions of Chillicothe, 807 Western Ave., fire suppression, $32,000.
• Chillicothe Freewill Baptist Church, 607 S. Watt St., electrical upgrade, $400.
• Scioto Farm Supply, 69 W. Second St., roof, $17,000.
• O’Reilly Automotive, 201 N. Bridge St., signs, $17,800.
• Larry Minney, 670 Washington Ave., roof, $3,000.

Vendors licenses issued recently by the Ross County Auditor:

• No More Than 4, 11185 County Road 550, by Leroy Haskins III.
• The Animal House, 3011 Stoney Creek Road, by Lesley Seaman-Omata.
• Cooper’s Glass Service, 483 E. Main St.

Area business workshops and seminars:

• Eureka! Profit 101: Thursday, Feb. 18, 12:30-4:30, OSU South Centers, Piketon; Learn methods, tactics and techniques for growing profits; presented by TechSolve and its partners; more information and registration: www.techsolve.org/events
• Sales and Marketing Workshop: Tuesday, March 2, 8:30-noon, chamber conference room; co-sponsored by the chamber and SCORE; learn how to put together a plan and execute it; no charge, but space is limited; register: Marketing workshop or call the chamber at 702-2722.
• Taking Charge of Technology—Basic Website Design: 6-class course starting April 6 and ending June 15, from 9-2; $100 fee includes lunch and materials; contact: 740-289-2071 Ext. 111

 Weekly Update will return on February 19