San Bruno 災變之後

San Bruno9月 9日晚間的大爆炸，附近居民受到如地震的巨大振動，強烈的爆炸讓他們驚恐不知究竟是飛機墜落還是九一一重演？

起因於埋在地下3呎深，直徑約30吋的瓦斯輸送管破裂，讓這個原本平靜的住宅區被熊熊烈火吞沒，瓦斯管破裂處的烈焰從地面噴出騰空達100呎。雖然出動了60輛消防車灌救，當時的情勢引用專家的話來形容是「猶如拿玩具水槍在撲救倉庫的大火」！房屋和汽車相繼起火，報導中現場炙熱得連停在幾十碼外的消防車的玻璃窗以及汽車尾燈和車胎都熔化。事發12個多小時後，火勢只控制了75%。37棟房屋評為「紅標」的全毀，19棟房子為「黃標」受損，受災面積15英畝，七人死亡，數十人受傷。

瓦斯管線所屬的PG&E公司說，他們還無法確定出事原因。在爆炸管線送至華府，等待調查結果之際，PG＆E提出了1億美金的重建基金，協助損毀房屋與城市的重建。這56間列為「紅標」、「黃標」損毀房子的住戶可拿到5萬元來應付現在每日所需，另外基金也會用於協助災戶的房屋貸款、保險費用。不過，PG＆E不是只有道義上的協助當地重建責任，是不是有直接疏忽公共安全的過失是我們正關切的。尤其是居民道出了「一週前附近就聞到瓦斯氣味，請PG&E來看，檢查後說沒事」。這段陳述讓人懷疑，究竟這場災害是可預防還是不可預防？

PG&E的經營管理有沒有出問題？

這一兩年來PG&E不僅在Smart Meter引起廣大爭議，6月8日加州公職初選選票上，附帶表決的「提案16」（亦即「地方政府為新客戶提供電力，或社區選擇購買其它公司電力，如太陽能等，須經過三分之二選民投票批準。」） 是一項企圖為加州「改用太陽能為電力來源」設下門檻的提案，背後之手就是PG&E！PG&E為鞏固它的電力壟斷，投入3500萬元大力宣傳做廣告，阻斷地方政府因推廣太陽能而括分了他的電力市場。今年56歲的PG＆E執行長Peter Darbee 是否走著和豐田Toyota一樣只顧利潤的路，忽視了公共安全部份，這是我們也要追究的。

不只是San Bruno地區，其他地區的瓦斯管線有沒有一樣潛藏的危機？這是我們無助也無從得到資訊的大眾所擔心的。灣區甚至全加州它的服務範圍裡，還有哪些管線需要檢測，哪些管線已屆汰換之齡消費者不會知道，PG&E有責任仔細檢視它的檔案資料，公布管線的汰換計畫，為客戶的使用與居住安全做好把關工作。企業如果只重利潤，「豐田」的經驗殷鑑不遠！

（張惠玲，老中論時事專欄，老中新聞，20101001）

Some Obama health care changes start Thursday

Victoria Colliver, Chronicle Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The first significant wave of changes in the new federal health law will take effect Thursday, including a provision putting an end to insurers' practice of excluding children with pre-existing health conditions from coverage and another one allowing young adults to stay on their parents' plans until age 26.

Most major elements of the landmark law, part of an overall plan to extend coverage to 30 million Americans, won't be in place for nearly four years. In 2014, the law will require most Americans to obtain health insurance, and insurers will be prevented from rejecting applicants because of their pre-existing medical conditions.

But, six months to the day after President Obama signed the legislation, a number of consumer-friendly provisions will take effect, timed to the midterm elections.

In addition to the provisions dealing with young people, insurers will be prohibited from dropping members after they get sick for minor or inadvertent mistakes on their applications, and they will be required to cover preventive services, including cancer screenings and physicals, at no cost to consumers.

Many will still wait

Despite Thursday's milestone, many people won't be able to take advantage of the law's provisions until Jan. 1 or later. That's because the law allows for the changes to occur only when a new policy year starts, which for most employees with job-based coverage is Jan. 1.

"Although the provisions go into effect with policy years that start after or on Sept. 23, ... these provisions may not go into effect for some individuals until as much as 11 or 12 months from now," said Gerald Kominski, professor and associate director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

Renee Vargas found that out the hard way. The 23-year-old San Bruno woman, who graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2009, had just been laid off from her job as a school photographer in June when her father received a letter from his insurer informing him that the policy change in the health reform law affecting young adults would be effective immediately.

"After we received that letter, I called my insurance provider through my work and canceled my insurance," said Vargas, explaining that the coverage cost more than her unemployment benefits. "Then, two weeks later, I don't have any insurance at all."

That's because the insurer failed to explain that the policy change depended on when the plan year started for her father's employer. In this case, Vargas would not be covered until July 2011.

Vargas, who was able to get back on her former employer's insurance and has since secured a new job with health benefits, said it was frustrating to receive conflicting information.

"It was scary, but I'm glad now we have answers," said Vargas, who is nonetheless relieved that she will have the option to go back on her parents' coverage in the next three years if necessary.

Small-business credit

Small businesses also have a lot at stake with the new law. The law will offer generous tax credits this year to firms with fewer than 25 full-time workers who have wages averaging less than $50,000 a year.

Amy Thomas, owner of Pegasus Books in Oakland and Berkeley, has figured that had the law already been on the books, her business would have qualified for at least $30,000 in tax credits based on 2009 health costs for her employees. Thomas estimates she will receive more for 2010 because her premiums went up about 18 percent this year.

Thomas said she welcomes the relief offered in the new law, but wishes it went further by offering a government-administered health plan and addressing the underlying drivers of health cost increases.

"People talk a lot of about small businesses being the engine of the community and economy, but we don't see sales increases of 17, 18 percent a year," she said, adding that she spends about $84,000 a year on health costs.
"It's disappointing we couldn't do something more dramatic, but I'm really grateful for some of the provisions that will be there for people. We just can't keep sustaining these increases year after year."