Media Mechanic Web Design & Development Blog

Media Mechanic founder Paul Ward was invited to participate this morning in a small business round table to discuss healthcare reform measures currently being considered in Congress. The round table consisted of 20 Portland area businesses and congressional staffers from Congressman David Wu’s office as well as from Senator Jeff Merkley. A representative from President Obama’s “Organizing for America” was also present to provide the President’s position on the issue.

The consensus of the meeting: all 20 businesses believed significant healthcare reform was needed this year.

The event was covered by 2 local TV news stations : View the coverage

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Media Mechanic founder Paul Ward was interviewed & featured in today’s edition of “The Times” newspaper (serving the cities of Tigard, Tualatin & Sherwood Oregon). The article is titled: “Tualatin, Tigard folks speak out on health care reform“. Paul discusses healthcare reform from the perspective of a small business owner.

On Friday, August 28th,  Media Mechanic founder Paul Ward met with Oregon state Representative Tobias Read at Nike World HQ for a lunch meeting to discuss a variety of topics. Among them was the logical next steps in expanding healthcare in the state of Oregon. Thanks to Rep. Read for the great input!

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Media Mechanic founder Paul Ward spoke at considerable length today about Healthcare reform with U.S. Rep David Wu & state Senator Suzanne Bonamici. Paul took the opportunity to personally thank Senator Bonamici for all of her work to help pass Oregon’s two new Healthcare reform laws, including universal coverage for the state’s children. The conversation continued with Rep. Wu urging Paul to continue his efforts in bringing the small business community to the table to pass meaningful reform this year.

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The new Oregon Universal Healthcare for Kids that Media Mechanic founder Paul Ward testified in favor of before the Oregon state Legislature earlier this year went into effect on August 3rd 2009: “Oregon becomes one of 12 states to cover all kids with health insurance”

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Media Mechanic founder Paul Ward has been invited by Senator Jeff Merkley’s office to meet with the Senator to discuss his views on Healthcare reform & the potential effects on small business, after the Senator read Paul’s recent Op-Ed article in The Oregonian.

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Pick up a copy of today’s (July 22) The Oregonian (Oregon’s largest newspaper) to read my new Op-Ed article “Healthcare: a cry for help from small-business owners”. (you can read it online here:  http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/07/health_care_a_cry_for_help_fro.html). It is the first time I have written an article for a newspaper, so I am very excited. I hope you enjoy it and learn something of value.

This follows my recent interview in The Wall Street Journal: “Sick & Getting Sicker” (you can read it here:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204005504574233992478668488.html) and last Monday’s write up in The Oregonian: “Healthcare: touch choices for small business” (you can read it here: ttp://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/07/health_care_tough_choices_for.html)

Special thanks to Galen Barnett of The Oregonian for giving me the opportunity to express my opinion to the Oregonian’s nearly 1 million readers across the state. Special thanks to The Small Business Majority for my statistical research.

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Paul Ward & his company MEDIA MECHANIC are featured in today’s WALL STREET JOURNAL: “Sick & Getting Sicker” - a Special Report cover feature on Small Business & Healthcare reform:http://online.wsj.com/arti..cle/SB10001424052970204005..504574233992478668488.html - pick up a copy at your local bookstore, coffee house or anywhere that sells the WSJ.

A sample from the Wall Street Journal featured cover article:

Tough Choices

Across the country in Oregon, business owner Paul Ward has discovered the many compromises it takes to set up health coverage for a small business. The founder of Web- and multimedia-design company Media Mechanic LLC, based in Tualatin, Ore., outside Portland, is in the process of trying to replace contract workers with three new full-time staffers. He wants local employees who know the market and can help establish the young business. But competition for high-tech workers is fierce, and the best workers demand benefits, Mr. Ward says.

The cheapest plan he found will cost about $400 per employee in premiums, assuming the employees are young and healthy. Covering employees’ spouses and children would run as much as $800 per employee per month—if the company covers 100% of employee premiums and 50% of the spouses’ premiums. That’s simply too much to handle, Mr. Ward says, so he plans not to offer family coverage, and he’ll likely cover only half or two-thirds of his employees’ premiums. That’s a tough pill for Mr. Ward to swallow; in Michigan, where he grew up, workers’ rights reigned supreme, and he believes employers should offer the fullest possible coverage for their staffs.

Even with those concessions, health insurance is likely to come in as the company’s No. 2 expense—second only to wages, and edging out rent and utilities. “It’s less money I can spend on marketing, and less money I can spend on investment in the company,” Mr. Ward says.

READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE: http://online.wsj.com/arti..cle/SB10001424052970204005..504574233992478668488.html

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The Small Business Majority has asked Media Mechanic founder Paul Ward to join their delegation at the White House on April 24th for the Small Business Roundtable. The topic will be the rising cost of Health Care and it’s impact on Small Businesses. 

If Paul’s attendance at the meeting is confirmed, we will post additional details.

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Paul will join other small business owners concerned about the skyrocketing costs of healthcare as they hold a press conference in conjunction with the Oregon Small Business Healthcare Initiative’s (OSBHI) Small Businesses Go to the Capitol for Healthcare Legislation event to urge Legislators to put Oregon on the map for healthcare reform. 

Prior to the press conference, Paul will speak with legislators during a hearing in the Oregon State Capitol about the impact of rising health care costs on small business.

WHEN: Friday, May 1, 2009, at 9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. 

WHERE: Oregon State Capitol, Press Room 
900 Court Street, N.E., 
Salem, Oregon 

The OSBHI Small Businesses Go to the Capitol for Healthcare Legislation event will be held on the same floor across the hall in Hearing Room B-50: 

Small Businesses Go to the Capitol for Healthcare Legislation 

Healthcare Legislation Event: 8:00 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. 

Forum Break/Press Conference: 9:15 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. 

Forum Open Q&A: 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m. 

Small Business Debrief: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon

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