With only a couple of weeks left before the very important
election day that will determine who will represent our interests at the local,
state and national level, we are inundated with campaign messages. It seems that many of these messages are
negative with confusing facts and accusations that make us all doubt that
anyone can live up to the expectation that we place on our candidates. I am thankful
for the opportunities I have been given and appreciate the support that I have seen
from the wonderful people in Northwest Missouri.
We most
certainly face many challenges in Missouri but we have managed to come through
some very hard times and are now seeing signs of increased revenue and
improvement. While the national jobless
rate remains at a disturbingly high level, Missouri has received good news in
recent months as our state unemployment level has trended downward. September’s numbers provided more reason for
optimism as our unemployment rate dipped below 7 percent. The 6.9 percent figure represents the lowest
unemployment in Missouri since December 2008.
The numbers, which are based on approximately 8,000 more Missourians
entering the workforce, are encouraging and a sign that our economy is continuing
to slowly but surely bounce back. However,
it’s also important to note that our total number of jobs at Missouri
companies, while up from the same point a year ago, is down by approximately
78,900 jobs from where we were in Jan. 2009.
The bottom line is that things are trending in a positive direction but
we still have work to do to get our economy to where it needs to be.
Also worth mentioning on a national level is
the fact the home construction industry is seeing an exciting amount of growth
right now. The number of homes and apartment
buildings being constructed in America jumped by 15 percent from August to
September, which is the fastest rate of growth we have seen since July
2008. Overall, construction activity is
82.5 percent higher than it was when it hit its low in April 2009. That’s great news and an indicator that our
national economy may be improving, but still far below where we need to be for
a healthy economy.
I like to be
optimistic but I think we all realize that it will require an extraordinary
effort and a cooperative spirit from our
leaders to formulate the policies and groundwork that is necessary to
bring our state and our nation back to
prosperity and security. That is all the more reason for we as citizens
to carefully consider our votes on November 6th and support the
candidates that can accomplish those goals.
On another note,
seniors in our area should be aware that the early enrollment period for
Medicare is currently underway. Because
plans change on an annual basis, this period of time allows for beneficiaries
to thoroughly analyze the costs and coverage of each plan to find their best
option. It can be an overwhelming amount
of information to take in and process.
Fortunately, we have a state health insurance assistance program known
as CLAIM to help seniors on Medicare to make the best choices for them and
their families. I encourage anyone who
may be interested in making changes to their Medicare Part D prescription drug
plan or their Medicare Advantage plan to contact CLAIM at 1-800-390-3330 or by
email at claimcallcenter@primaris.org. You can also visit the CLAIM website at www.missouriclaim.org for more
information. The annual open enrollment
period runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.
If you have questions, you may reach me at
my Capitol number 573-751-9465, at the local district number, 660-582-4014, by
email at mike.thomson@house.mo.gov or by mail at Room 401B State Capitol Building,
Jefferson City, MO 65101.
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