Healthcare Unsure & Oregon Quake

Healthcare Unsure & Oregon Quake

Healthcare Unsure & Oregon Quake plus Food Forethought. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Northwest Report.

As the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee - Iowa Senator and Ag Committee member Chuck Grassley is playing an important role in the effort to craft health care legislation in the Senate. Grassley doesn’t believe it will be possible to work out a compromise with the Obama Administration on the issue - but says it is possible for the Senators to reach an agreement - though he confesses he’s a little more cautious in saying that now.

GRASSLEY: Because I’ve been out here listening to my constituents and if other members of Congress are hearing what I’m hearing, they’re saying slow it down, do it a little more carefully, make sure you know what you are doing and maybe do it a little more incrementally.

A moderate earthquake has struck deep in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Oregon. The U.S. Geological Survey says a 4.1 magnitude temblor hit late Monday about 133 miles west-northwest of Bandon. It says the epicenter was six miles deep and was more than 250 miles west-southwest of Portland. No tsunami warning has been issued so far.

Now with today’s Food Forethought, here’s Lacy Gray.

Supposedly the market for electric cars is going to break wide open in the U.S. come 2010.  Several manufacturers, China in particular have decided to push ahead of schedule and market their cars to American consumers ahead of their original plans. Representatives of the Chinese electric car makers say they will start out small, targeting celebrities, government agencies, and certain utilities. With a hefty price tag that starts at $40,000 those are probably the only buyers that will be able to afford the electric cars, and right now government agencies should probably be marked off the list of qualified buyers. These cars boast zero to sixty in ten seconds, 186 mile range, seating for five, and a quick seven to nine hour recharge time, but whether or not the U.S. quality standards will be met remains to be seen. Hopefully, as with all new technology, the price will come down drastically as the new wears off. If not, it doesn’t matter how good electric cars are for the planet, if people can’t afford them, it really doesn’t matter does it?

Thanks Lacy. That’s today’s Northwest Report. I’m Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.

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