Legislature to propose fund to donate tax refunds to state

PHOENIX -- So you think state government is a financial bargain? Or that lawmakers aren't spending enough?
Sen. Dean Martin has a proposal just for you: The Phoenix Republican wants to create the "I Didn't Pay Enough'' fund where taxpayers can make donations to the state treasury.
He even plans to make it easy: It would add a new line on state income tax forms where those so inclined can designate a portion of any income tax refunds to this fund. That's a fairly large pool: Most Arizonans get refunds because they have too much withheld from their paychecks.
Martin, leader of a group of legislators who pledged never to raise taxes, said the proposal really isn't a joke.
"Every year there's always somebody out there complaining they don't pay enough taxes,'' he said. Those comments usually arise when one group or another says the Legislature should spend more on some favored program.
"Rather than take money from every taxpayer out there, for those who think they're not contributing enough, there's now an easy way to contribute more to the state,'' he said.
Martin conceded his new fund would not allow taxpayers to earmark their donations for specific programs. Instead, they would be giving the money to the same legislators who they may have complained have the wrong priorities.
"Obviously, they can lobby for where those dollars should go,'' he said.
The measure is guaranteed a hearing this session: It is assigned to the Senate Finance Committee -- which is chaired by Martin.
So how many people does he really expect to donate?
"Fifty,'' he responded without hesitating. And he expects total collections to hit about $5,000.

ACMH, ArmsCare donate nebulizers to schools for students with asthma

FORD CITY -- Donors have given the Armstrong School District 13 medical devices to help students with severe asthma get the treatment they need in school. Thanks to a donation from the ACMH Foundation and ArmsCare, Inc., all 13 schools in the Armstrong School District have a respiratory treatment device called a nebulizer in each school nurse's office. The total equipment value of the donation is about $2,600.
"Nebulizers help students with asthma in severe cases when hand-held inhalers aren't strong enough to open constricted airways," said Alyssa Miller, a nurse at Kittanning Area Middle School.
A nebulizer is a special container that holds liquid medicine. The container is attached to tubing and to an air compressor. Patients use a face mask or mouthpiece to inhale a fine mist medication, such as albuterol, deep into their lungs. In about 15 minutes, the medicine opens their airways so that the person can breathe easily again.
"Having the nebulizer at school will reassure parents that their children will get the treatment they need in a timely manner," Miller said. "The sooner the treatment is started, the less the student is in respiratory distress. It will also prevent students from having to leave school in the middle of the day to get a treatment at home."


Miller called school physician Dr. Hal Altman to talk about how having nebulizers in schools would help students with severe asthma miss fewer classes. Altman is also the medical director at the East Franklin-based hospital, and he got in touch with the ACMH Foundation, a charitable arm of the hospital.
The foundation raises money through an annual golf outing and its trustees decided that buying 10 nebulizers for Armstrong School District would be a perfect fit with its mission to promote health and wellness in Armstrong County, Altman said. Medical products company ArmsCare, Inc., also donated three machines.
"It's difficult and expensive for a family to have a nebulizer at home and one in school," Altman said. Many families' health insurance plans provide just one nebulizer that usually stays at home because it's too awkward for a student to take to school.
A team of employees working under the auspices of the Medical Home Project at Children's Community Pediatrics/Armstrong also helped by making numerous phone calls to parents, insurance companies and school officials.
"For a kindergartener or a first-grader to carry a machine like this to school every day is almost impossible," said Shelley Eckman, a Children's Community Pediatrics/Armstrong employee who led the charge as a care coordinator with the Medical Home Project, a joint effort of the PA American Academy of Pediatrics, the PA Department of Health and the PA Elks Nursing Association designed to meet the needs of special needs patients.
To ensure sanitation, students who use a nebulizer will have their own mouthpiece and tubing to attach to the machine. The parents will be responsible for bringing their child's medication, prescription and tubing from their physician to school, in accordance with school district medication policy as found in the student handbook.

High Point student athletes team up to donate car

HIGH POINT, N.C. Some student-athletes in High Point teamed up for a special winning effort -- raising money to buy a used car for a single mother.The teens are members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Southwest Guilford High School. The group raised 13-hundred dollars to buy a 1998 Fort Escort and presented it to Lisa Crosby yesterday in a church parking lot.
The group has been raising money since September through donations at school and church, and from individuals.
Senior Caleb Murphree coordinated the effort. He said the group got involved because they knew Crosby really needed a car. But fellow fundraiser Leigha Dennis said it was about more than meeting a need. She said, "It's a way for us to show God's love."
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Information from: High Point Enterprise, http://www.hpe.com

N.Y. Cops Show Up In Droves To Donate Blood

(CBS) WOODLAWN The rich, ruby-red blood flowed freely Sunday at St. Barnabas Church in the Bronx. But it might as well have been blue, with all the police officers who showed up to donate in the name of their fellow brother, officer Eric Hernandez. Blood transfusions at St. Barnabas Hospital saved his life Saturday.Philip Bowles' donation is intensely personal. He was in the same police academy company as Hernandez, and they now work together in the 52nd Precinct."(He's a) good guy, very good guy," Bowles said. "In great shape and it's because of that he's still alive, fighting for his life."Ninety percent of the estimated 175 donors were officers, tripling the usual turnout for this blood drive. "Policemen have come from all over, some from Westchester, some from Rockland, some from Queens, and mostly from the Bronx," said Cleo Oliver of Hudson Valley Blood Services.Many don't even know Hernandez."As everybody knows, especially in New York, constantly needs blood," officer James Finnegan said. "Unfortunately, when a tragedy like what happens to officer Hernandez comes to pass, reminds everybody to donate immediately."None of this blood will actually go to officer Hernandez. It will, however, be used to replenish the very large amount of blood used to save his life.The blood will be tested and then it will help save more lives.

Sign up to donate through Gift of Life

By Jennifer Jones / Letter to the Editor
I have a close friend who needs a kidney transplant. He has been waiting for over three years. He has been going through a painful process called dialysis for a long time. I think it's great that you printed a story on an organ recipient. However, I have learned that there is a contest going on to sign up organ donors in Michigan for the Gift of Life. I have signed up through the Gift of Life to help EMU come out on top in this contest. I think your readers should be made aware of this -- an important cause -- as well as a way for our school to be recognized as the most humanitarian. GiftofLifeMichigan.org. Make sure Eastern is in the box when you register. Cordially, Jennifer Jones

Youth group and American Red Cross donate defibrillators to local schoolsMonday, January 30, 2006

CHRIS PAGANO ~ Southeast Missourian
Automatic external defibrillators can be used by anyone with a minimal amount of training to help someone whose heart has stopped. Cape Girardeau Central High School and South Elementary in Jackson now each have one. The Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross and the Junior American Red Cross/Modern Woodmen Youth group partnered to raise money for the purchase of the defibrillators, valued at $1,695 each.
Defibrillators can help when the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest, a heart attack, occurs. Each year approximately 250,000 people die of sudden cardiac arrest in the United States.
Defibrillation is an electric shock that interrupts the heart's chaotic electrical activity, most commonly caused by an abnormal rhythm, and can restore the heart's ability to function as a pump. A victim in cardiac arrest has only a 5 percent survival rate with cardio-pulmonary resuscitation alone. If the rescuer has a defibrillator available and is trained, the victim's survival rate increases to 95 percent.
Jerie Fluchel, guidance advisor for the youth group, said this has been a vision of the Junior American Red Cross that they've worked at diligently over the past year to launch from a dream to a reality.
Sherri Brethold, American Red Cross health and safety director, said "AEDs in our schools are very important. This can result in additional lives saved in our community."
Defibrillators are available to purchase for home, business or organization. For additional information, contact the American Red Cross, 335-9471.

Donate Your Car to Help Soldiers

Soldiers Angels announces its new Car Donation Program, now along with donating dollars, items and Stocks you can also donate your automobile, boat or recreation vehicle.

(PRWEB) December 16, 2005 -- Do you have an old car, boat, or motorcycle you do not know what to do with? If the answer is yes then please consider donating it to Soldiers' Angels so the proceeds from the sale of the vehicle may be used to help our deployed and wounded military members.Soldiers' Angels and the Donate a Car program have teamed up to take those unwanted motor vehicles off your hand and use the money to support our troops. All you have to is go to www.soldiersangels.org and click on the donate a car button, you will be prompted to a donation form, fill it out, submit it, and someone will come and pick up the donated vehicle. The money from this donation could help purchase welcome care packages , much need medical supplies for the combat support hospitals, supplies for the wounded, as well as help a military family that has hit hard times.Call Donate a Car, toll-free seven days a week at 1-800-513-6560 ext 2030 or Soldiers' Angels at 1-626-398-3131 and one of our friendly customer service representatives would be happy to answer all of your questions. http://soldiersangels.orgSoldiers Angels1792 E. Washington BlvdPasadena, Ca. 91104