Health Exchanges and the Affordable Care Act of 2010

Health Exchanges and the Affordable Care Act of 2010

Health care policy, depending on which side of the political idealogical line one falls on, is typically accompanied by a viewpoint of the current system and also how government affects it. Liberals have historically viewed health care as a “right”. Conservatives favor the status quo; health care as a luxury. However both sides do broadly agree the current system needs reform. The question becomes what, if anything, could be the policy solution? Ezra Kline, columnist for the Washington Post notes that the health exchange provisions in the Affordable Care Act “attempt to bridge the gap between the healthcare most want to have, and the healthcare we have now” (Kline, 2009. para 2). Healthcare.gov (2011) describe an exchange as “[...] a mechanism for organizing the health insurance marketplace to help consumers and small businesses shop for coverage in a way that permits easy comparison of available plan options based on price, benefits and services, and quality (para 2).

Using Deborah Stone’s policy solution definitions; a state insurance exchange in essence are new federal “rules” governing (organizing) how states offer an individual health insurance. So the problem health exchanges seek to address are two fold. First, health exchanges provide individuals and small businesses shut out of the market more purchasing power, “represent[ing] the core of the insurance market reforms” (Allison, p. 1). Second, exchanges “are also a lynchpin for the coverage expansions in health reform" which address overhead cost to the nation (Allison, p. 1). What’s the history of health care public policy leading up to health exchanges in the ACA, you ask? Briefly:

After World War II most industrialized nations adopted universal health care systems while the United States opted for a employer-based private insurance market (Clemmit, p. 11). In 1943 the “Wagner-Murray-Dingell bill for compulsory national health insurance is introduced in Congress (Clemmit, p. 11). Around that time [the] “National War Labor Board declares employer contributions to insurance are income-tax free, opening the way for companies to use health insurance packages to attract workers” (Clemmit, p. 11). Still then “members of Congress made unsuccessful attempts to launch discussion of health coverage for all in 1943, 1945, 1947, 1949 and 1957, and Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Richard M. Nixon [...] all proposed guaranteed universal coverage.(Clemmit, p. 11).

Since the late 1950’s Congress has passed laws, though narrowly in most cases, regulating insurance coverage to elderly, and low income children. President Johnson signed the Social Security Act of 1965 establishing the Medicare and Medicaid systems (Clemmit, p. 11). In 1993, First Lady Hillary Clinton failed in her attempt to help pass sweeping healthcare reform (Clemmit, p. 11). Four years later President Clinton signed the State CHIP bill in 1997, extending health insurance through state programs to qualified children of low-income, but insured families (Clemmit, p. 11). Over fifty years, the health care policy debate evolved from just examining the proper role of government in providing health care, to how it can better address the “spill over” effects like rising cost created by the nations current health care system.

CQ Researcher Marcia Clemmit penned a lengthy journal on health care in 2010. She summed up the problem of cost to the nation in chronology of policy on health care. According to Clemmit, in the 1960’s health care spending [totaled] $28 billion, or 5.2 percent of gross domestic product (Clemmit, p.11). By the 1980‘s “health spending [totaled] $255 billion, or 9.1 percent of GDP (Clemmit, p.11). And by the year 2000, “health spending [totaled] $1.4 trillion, or 13.8 percent of GDP (Clemmit, p.11). These figures expose forty years of rising national expense in health care in the United States.

To expose the rising cost to individuals in addition to the nation, advocate groups (HealthCareProblems.org, 2011) began to document “accounts of problems with the U.S. health care system from people involved in every aspect of the system”(HCP.org). Ten years after the failed Clinton attempt, “a Kaiser Family Foundation poll reported 28 percent of middle income families (annual family income between $30,000 and $75,000) stated that they were currently having a serious problem paying for healthcare or health insurance” (HCP.org). Another report states “in 2007, nearly 50 million Americans did not have health insurance, while another 25 million were underinsured”, and that “Healthcare expenditures in the United States exceed $2 trillion a year (HCP.org). “Healthcare is one of the top social and economic problems facing Americans today”; adding “the inability to pay for necessary medical care is no longer a problem affecting only the uninsured, but is increasingly becoming a problem for those with health insurance as well” (HCP.org).

By 2007, most invested politicians, political interest groups, and Americans agreed that there was a problem surrounding rising cost in association with uninsured Americans receiving (in most cases) emergency, triage medical assistance. The problem was how to extend coverage to the uninsured and reduce out-of-pocket expense without a complete revamping of the current system? Barack Obama’s successful candidacy for president in 2008 initiated speculation in the medical community and the American public about the future of healthcare reform proposals. (Boyles, 2008, para 1.). In a webMD article dated November 5th 2008 by Salynn Boyles, she signifies that Obama “ushers in a new administration that is all but certain to include some level of health care reform. Less clear is how extensive that reform [will be]” (Boyles, 2008, para 2). She added that Obama “has proposed sweeping changes in the health care system designed to provide health coverage to millions of uninsured” (Boyles, 2008, para 3). In her webMD piece, Boyles mentions the health insurance exchanges as part of the reforms Obama wants enact. After taking office in January 2009, President Obama called the five Congressional Committees that govern the legislative areas of health care to offer bills (Obama, 2009 para 15.).

By June 2009 Ezra Kline points out that “the most important aspect of [Obama’s] health reform [...] would be the health insurance exchanges” (Kline, 2009 para. 1). “Massachusetts has a variant called the ‘Connector’(Kline, 2009 para 2.) . “Ted Kennedy's bill talked about Gateways. Ron Wyden and Bob Bennett's legislation calls for Health Help Agencies”(Kline, 2009 para 2.). “But the concept itself is [the same] (Kline, 2009. para 2). President Obama push hard for health insurance reform in a special address to a joint session of Congress on September 9th 2009. He began by acknowledging the work Congress has done, saying that four out of the five committees had “finished there work, and the Senate Finance Committee will call a vote next week” (Obama, 2009 para 15.). Signaling that the legislative process had never reach that point before. Mr. Obama began to make the case for why healthcare reform was so important to the nation. “ Simply put”, he said, “our health care problem is are deficit problem; nothing else comes close” (Obama, 2009 para 12.). Adding “we know we must reform this system. The question is how” (Obama, 2009. para 16.). He laid out to the American people the three points he sees as a solution and wants to see in the final bill. His second point was the insurance exchange provision for all uninsured Americans.

A Democratic Policy Committee (2009) bulletin lays out the legislative history of the final bill. Starting “on September 17, 2009, Rep. Rangel introduced H.R. 3590, (para 71). “On October 8, 2009, the House passed H.R. 3590 by a vote of 416-0, and [...] was placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar” (para 71). “H.R. 3590 is the legislative vehicle for consideration of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009” (para 72). “On November 18, 2009, Senators Reid, Baucus, Dodd, and Harkin proposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as an amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 3590” (para 72). “Senator Reid filed cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill on November 19, 2009 and the Senate began consideration of the motion on November 20, 2009” (para 72). According to the Library of Congress, the Senate voted to pass H.R. 3590 on December 24th 2009 with changes, to the House for final passage (Thomas.loc.gov) On March 21st 2010 the House passed H.R 3590 with Senate changes and on March 23rd 2010 President Obama sign it into law (Thomas.loc.gov). What emerged through the policy process was the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Under Section 1311(b) of the ACA is a provision to require states to establish Health Insurance Exchanges (Healthcare.gov).

Prior to becoming law, heated rhetoric on health care reform was primarily directed at other provisions of the reform bill like the ‘end of life counseling’ proposal - demonized as ‘death panels’ by right-wingers. But especially the individual mandate “which requires all individuals to purchase government-controlled health insurance” (Kibbe para 8). Fox News’ Matt Kibbe, wrote that “Obamacare’s core elements -- the mandates, exchanges, and subsidies (including the massive Medicaid expansion) -- are all interconnected” (Kibbe para 8). The individual mandate, affectionally called ‘The Death Star’ by Kibbe, is the “one critical weakness [of the law]” adding “[R]epeal just this section, and the rest of the law comes apart” (Kibbe para 9). To those who oppose the reform bill the exchanges are ‘guilty by association’. Vested corporate opponents of the ACA, according to Money and Politics, include the following organizations: American Petroleum, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactures of America, U.S Chamber of Commerce, and National Retail Federation, amongst many others (MAPLight.org). In general they opposed the individual mandate, first, then the exchanges.

However as noted in a NY Times article the idea of an insurance exchange as a public policy solution is not new and carries bi-partisan support in Congress (Pear 2010. para 11). NY Times writer Robert Pear cites agreement about exchanges among “liberals and conservatives [...] as a way to concentrate the purchasing power of individuals and small businesses (Pear 2010. para 12). President Obama characterized the exchanges as a “a marketplace where individuals and small businesses will be able to shop for health insurance at competitive prices.”(Obama 2009. para 19). The real battle over health exchanges did not come from Congressional Republicans, it’s coming from GOP Governors.

In a letter from twenty one conservative governors to the Obama administration they write “we believe the system proposed by the PPACA is seriously flawed, favors dependency over personal responsibility, and will ultimately destroy the private insurance market (Bentley et al., 2011). The letter lists several changes they would like to see to the exchange provisions. They include more authority for states to choose benefits that meet there citizens needs, waive[r] provisions that discriminate against health insurance arrangements that include health savings accounts or reimbursement, a plan for verifying incomes and subsidy for exchange participants, [and] calls for neutral third-party research organization to conduct a study to asses how many people will “offload” into the exchanges (Bentley et al., 2011) “The governors are warning that [they] will give HHS full responsibility for setting up and running the exchanges in their states”(Postal 2010 para 2).

How would insurance exchanges affect the market place and look in operation? In Massachusetts and Utah their are functioning models with different approaches. In an October 2010 NY Times column by Robert Pear, comparing them he wrote “In Utah, employees of small businesses can go to a state Web site and sign up for insurance over the Internet, almost as easily as they download music from iTunes”(Pear 2010. para 7). “In the Massachusetts exchange [... ] the state serves as an active purchaser, soliciting bids from insurance companies and negotiating prices and benefits in an effort to secure the best value for state residents (Pear 2010. para 10). “The Utah Health Exchange organizes the market, allowing consumers to compare a wide variety of health plans sold by any insurers that want to participate (Pear 2010. para 9). According to Robert Pear, “health plans cannot be sold through the Connector unless they receive its seal of approval (Pear 2010. para 8); adding “Massachusetts and Utah provide a glimpse of the future, and they offer radically different models for other states (Pear 2010 para 4).

So what, exactly, is a health insurance exchange? To help state health officials in Kansas in the coming years, Andrew Allison, executive director of the Kansas Health Policy Authority, wrote about how states will be affected by the new law. “A Health Insurance Exchange are structured web-based markets for health insurance, and the core purpose of the entity that runs the exchange will be to manage these markets” (Allison, 2009 para 7). “The exchange is to rate plans according to quality and cost, must group plans into four tiers’ (Allison, 2009 para 7) and be “required to facilitate web-based determinations of eligibility for premium subsidies, as well as web-based selection and enrollment in health plans” (Allison, 2009 para 7) ”The exchange will qualify health plans for participation based on minimum standards to be set by the HHS, but states will be free to add criteria as well” (Allison, 2009 para 7). The exchange will need to enforce new and existing insurance regulations, including side-payments across plans that are intended to ensure that health risks are borne fairly by all competitors” (Allison, 2009 para 7).

How would the exchanges directly increase coverage to millions of American citizens? The Affordable Care Act articulates in Section 1413 and 2201, requirements to ensure [...] integration in eligibility and enrollment between Medicaid and the exchange (Allison 2009 para 11). “States must make available a common web-based application for Medicaid, CHIP and the subsidies and cost-sharing protections available in the exchange”(Allison 2009 para 12). “State exchanges must screen applicants for Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, and state Medicaid and CHIP programs must accept these referrals and enroll these individuals in the appropriate program without further review of eligibility” (Allison 2009 para 12). “State Medicaid programs must ensure that ineligible applicants are screened for eligibility for subsidies in state exchanges, and that those found eligible are enrolled in a plan through the exchange” (Allison 2009 para 12). These are examples of how the insurance exchanges will increase access to America’s uninsured.

How will the health insurance exchanges help reduce cost overall? According to The Congressional Budget Office, the estimated budgetary impact of the ACA combined with the reconciliation act - “would produce a net reduction in federal deficits of $138 billion over the 2010–2019 period as result of changes in direct spending and revenue” (CBO 2010 para 7). Devising “that figure comprises $85 billion of the total reduction would be on- budget [...]”(CBO 2010 para 7). While these figures are widely viewed as accurate by public policy analyst, their are critics. In a Health Affairs piece, Douglas Holtz-Eakin and Michael J. Ramlet (2010) wrote “a more comprehensive and realistic projection suggests that the new reform law will raise the deficit by more than $500 billion during the first ten years and by nearly $1.5 trillion in the following decade”.

Since the 1960‘s health care for the average-income American citizen has been largely a privilege for those who can afford it. The employer-based system provided for some time, the needed scope of insurance to the general public. However, times have changed. In America, health care as a function of what government should be doing for it’s citizens is still debated. But from a public policy standpoint, the new federally required health insurance exchange programs give (state) government, a web-based infrastructure that expands coverage, increases access, and reduces cost for the individual, business, and nation

Thanks for reading. Any comments are appreciated :)

Cheers,
CW Hardy


References
Allison, Andrew. (2010) Health Insurance Exchanges: States Role In Health Care Reform [Electronic Version]. Policy and Practice, October 2010, p. 20-24

Bentley et al., (2011). Open Letter to HHS from 21 GOP Governors on Affordable Care Act. Retrieved Feb 24 2011 from http://www.scribd.com/doc/48604494/GOP-Governors-
Letter-To-Sebelius-%E2%80%98Flexibility-On-Exchanges%E2%80%99

Boyles, Salynn. (2008, November 5). Obama Wins: What It Means for Health Care. WebMD Retrieved February 8 2011 from http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20081104/
obama-wins-what-it-means-for-health-care


Clemmit, Marcia. (2010) Health Care Reform: Is The Landmark New Plan A Good Idea?, p 1-24. Retrieved on February 14, 2011, from Academic Premiere database.

Elmendorf, Douglas W. Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation Preliminary Estimate of H.R. 3590 and H.R. 4872. Retrieved February 15 2011 from http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=11379&zzz=40823

Healthcareproblems.org. (2011) Health Care Statistics. & Terms of Use. Retrieved February 15, 2011, from http://www.healthcareproblems.org/health-care-statistics.htm.

Holtz-Eakin, Douglas., Ramlet, Michael J. (2010) Health Reform Likely To Widen Federal Budget Deficits, Not Reduce Them. Retrieved February 20 2011 from Academic Premier database.

Kibbe, Matt. (2010, December 22). 5 Reasons Why We Can Repeal Obamacare in 2011. Fox News. Retrieved February 18 2011 from http://www.freedomworks.org/news/5-reasons-
why-we-can-repeal-obamacare-in-2011

Kline, Ezra. (2009, June 16). Health Insurance Exchanges: The Most Important, Under-noticed Part of Health Reform . Washington Post on the web, p. 1. Retrieved February 18 2011 from http://voices.washingtonpost.com/ezra-klein/2009/06/ health_insurance_exchanges_the.html

Lampert, Jacqueline Garry. (2009, November 21). H.R 3590, The Legislative Vehicle for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009. Retrieved on February 11 2011 from http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc.cfm?doc_name=lb-111-1-151

Library of Congress. THOMAS. (2011) Bill Summary and Status 111th Congress (2009-2010) H.R.3590 Major Congressional Actions. Retrieved February 10 2011 from http:// thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/D?d111:3:./temp/~bdqPjR:@@@R|/home/ LegislativeData.php?n=BSS;c=111

Pear, Robert. (2010, October 23th) Health Care Overhaul Depends on States’ Insurance Exchanges. NY Times on the web. Retrieved February 12 2011 from http:// www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/health/policy/24exchange.html? _r=1&scp=6&sq=Insurance%20Exchanges&st=Search

Postal, Arthur D. (2011, February 8th). PPACA: GOP Governors Blast Exchange Procedures. Retrieved February 20 2011 from http://schealthbenefits.net/content/ppaca-gop- governors-blast-exchange-procedures

Money and Politics. (2011) H.R. 3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Contributions by Vote. Retrieved February 24 2011 from http://maplight.org/us congress/
bill/111-hr-3590/423082/contributions-by-vote

U.S Department of Health and Human Services (2011, February). Implementation Center Regulations. Initial Guidance to States on Exchanges. Retrieved February 10 2011 from http://www.healthcare.gov/center/regulations/guidance_to_states_on_exchanges.html

White House. Office of the Press Secretary. (2009). Remarks by the President to a joint session of Congress on Heath Care. Retrieved February 12 2011 from http:// www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-a-Joint-Session-of-
Congress-on-Health-Care/

Wrapping Up 2010; Looking To 2011

The craziness of Thanksgiving, Black Friday, & Cyber Monday are finally in the rear view mirror, and my sights are now set for the Christmas and NYE and beyond. Good things have been happening on a personal and professional level which is nice to report as the end of 2010 draws near. From projects that have been dogging my partner and I for years to more recent goals I've set for myself, progress is being made.

On the home front, my partner (who gets the most credit) and I have completed domestic improvements in our late eighteenth century Baltimore City row home. For years the cellar has been the default storage for his family memories, college years stuff, and items obtained through previous relationships. The result was the dubiously emotional task of pitching the years of memories, turned clutter in a waste basket or Goodwill pile. With the economy in a slump, a motivating factor was that I was paying for a storage unit that, if the cellar was cleaned up, was unnecessary. Ok Kevin, my partner, gets FULL CREDIT for the cleaning the cellar. I was there for emotional support. However, there is still more to do. The process of moving my storage in the house - LORD GIVE ME THE POWER TO GET THIS DONE ASAP.

Another area of the house that was in need of our newly found domestic love was the third floor; specifically the front part of the house. The area was full of electronic cords, a overflowing polaroid picture basket, bill invoices, cd cases, books, nic, nack, patty.... Let me just tell you: W.A.C.K! Kevin was also responsible for a very large portion of the clean up, which when completed, helped us both feel better while on the third level. Thank you KEVIN!

On the opposite end of the house is my little studio; complete with cdj's, dj mixer, and tech 12' and crates of vinyl. Although it is still cluttered, the progress being made in this area is the start of converting my library of vinyl to digital mp3's. This task will probably keep me busy until after the 1st of the year. Mind you, I have been putting it off for months and months and months; it took a request from a friend to convert Spanish language Christmas Carols on vinyl onto a audio CD. Thank you, Freddy!

There were other projects I had yet to complete for no good reason. Simple tasks like creating track inserts for my cd case, so I know what track I am playing instead of going off memory. As soon as I actually focused on the task at hand it took me approximately 20 minutes total. Why did I wait so long? No clue. One more item was on the 2DO LIST which was updating my resume. I left my full time job back in May and needed to update the document. I was done in 15 minutes once I started. Why did I wait, umm...., well, its ALL DONE NOW! YAY, ME!

Professionally the end of 2010 looks to be very very exciting. While I am off on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at City Cafe, New Years EVE should be a FUNTASTIC TIME! I plan on toasting at midnight! However, before NYE I am playing at several spots in Baltimore. Starting on the 1st Wednesday in November, local promotion crew Firefly Entertainment throws the monthly "Get Down" WEDNESDAYS at THE GET DOWN in Fells Point. I was asked to be the resident DJ for the event featuring top notch talent from around the Baltimore Washington region. At the Octover launch party I opened for Baltimore Diva legend - Ultra Nate' and her Deep Sugar sister Lisa Moody. At the upcoming event Chris Brooks of Eighteenth Street Lounge and myself hold it down.

Additionally I am playing a debut set one of Baltimore oldest, most well known gay clubs: Club Hippo. On December 4th 2010 I will bring my passion for house music to Baltimore's gay community once and for all. It is noteworthy to mention I have DJ'd at the Hippo back in July for a friend and local promoter Ethan Graham. The difference is I am playing in the main room in December and I am playing all night. At Ethan's party - I was one of three Dj's; 2 in the main room, 2 in the smaller room - I was in the smaller room. Needless to say I am excited to get people dancing.

I also recently had a meeting with a local bar/club manager where we talked about starting a new weekly in 2011. We will see how that pans out after NYE... With that, I am done....

Keep an eye out for a few new mix cd's by C-Dubz on

http://www.soundcloud.com/dj-cdubz

Cheers,
C-Dubz

6 Months Later - A Year In The Life Of C-Dubz

A short (well, ok, long) blurb about leaving my day job: I was fed up with the favoritism, lack of leadership, micromanaging, bull shit my boss is famous for. I worked in an entry level position at Catholic Relief Services for just over 3 years; as my djing began to increase, and studying never ceased, I seriously considered and eventually decided I would leave my job. The rational behind my decision was three fold. First, my relationship with my direct superior was toxic at best. She didn't respect me, let alone concede that I had any good suggestions so we were constantly at odds. It began with the comment from her after I let something fall through the cracks (with good reason, but that's a different blog post). The quote was "If I had my way I would let you go today". That is the environment which I had to work under. Second, when I was hired and all through my time there I was encouraged to pursue my education. On my performance assessments it clearly stated I was seeking a degree which my boss signed off on every year. Well when it came to me actually going for it my boss and unit director of the department were inflexible about my schedule. This was after I was told repeatedly it was totally doable. Working part-time, schooling full-time and retaining my benefits. It had been done before and was currently being done in other departments. I was denied and told it was because it would affect the department to much. two words; unparsed BULL-SHIT! Lastly, my confidence in believing in myself gave me the courage to make a drastic change. With the goal of obtaining a degree and calling my own shots; I wasn't beholden to a j.o.b; I wasn't going to be the black sheep, troublemaker, scapegoat of the department. I would leave and be my own boss for awhile. So I did it. May 10th or so was my last day with CRS and the beginning of a new phase. I moved out of my Biddle St apartment into my boyfriend's (now partner; Kevin Olive) house to reduce my overhead June 1st. So I have moved on with my life. School is now my primary my focus; DJing/Music is my passion and happens to pay the bills too. Cheers! OK Rewind to early 2010. (late Feb, early March)

The last blog entry I posted was back in March of 2010 following the 6 month anniversary of my weekly restaurant gig "Deep House Dining". (jez, am i that boring) At that point I was settled in my cute little apartment, fung shi'd and all, on Biddle St in mid-town Baltimore; enjoying the feeling of living my life on my own terms. It was just barely Spring so my hormons, and creative energy switch was turned to the ON position. I began to explore event opportunities at City Cafe and other Baltimore City venues; the sky being the limit. I quickly realized that my efforts to expand my weekly event at City Cafe was not the best idea or was embraced by the owners. This reality was due to an older symphony crowd that frequents the restaurant on the weekend. I scheduled a meeting and it was agreed to continue the weekly house music mixer with some slight adjustments; with the goal of complimenting the establishment as a whole. Not to fundamentally change the restaurant into a live music venue. So the planned monthly guest DJ idea was scrapped. This also meant a slight change to the music style during the earlier dinner hours. I began mixing a downtempo, ultra lounge, Eighteen Street Lounge inspired music. Nightmares on Wax, Thievery Corporation, and J Boogie quickly became popular; their tracks filling the early evening air. I eventually move into deep, and often funky house music later in the evening when dinner is finishing up but while the spirits are still a'flowing. The change in approach has been good for both parties. The partnership between City Cafe and myself strengthened as we headed into the warmer weather months.

So I began to look at other venues and ask other Djs and promoters in Baltimore about possible collaborations on future events. Soon it became clear to me that even though I made some new friendships with musically like-minded people, it didn't necessarily mean business partnership would be the next faze of the relationship. I was initially bummed about it, but I had ideas and energy so I moved forward with them. One of my ideas was a Sunday Tea Dance called STEEP. I figured since Baltimoreans are so gaga over Brunch, it would be a great fit for the gays, allies, and brunch crowd in Mt Vernon. In addition to a new event I thought a new venue would be a draw as well. Well I was WRONG. The party at best a debuted the venue, Water Stone, to my gay friends more than a tea dance where people actually, umm DANCE. Frankly though, the venue is located is in a deadzone of Mt Vernon; at the southern end MD General Hospital. Additionally, the "dance floor" was choked off by large marble-top dinner tables that were hard to move. And even though the owner was all for people dancing it didn't happen. However, something good came out of STEEP; it was the awesome artwork images created for it by my good friend (and former partner in crime) Regan Kireilis. So from March to June 2010 STEEP was an option for folks looking for something fresh to do; I thank Alex Funk (April), Ray and Amy Casil(May), Keith Hoffman(June), Water Stone, and all who attended for being apart of it.

By mid Spring I was been djing full time; traveling between DC, Baltimore, Philly and New York, working 9-5, and attending college part time. Needless to say, I was beginning the feel burnt out. I really enjoyed traveling and playing music so I pushed along. I was working heavily with a DC based promoter, Jacob Pring, who was working in other cities with different gay owned venues. The event was being held for HIV + guys to provide a safe space to meet others in the same situation. I was one of two Dj's to begin the event with Jacob in Washington DC(Keith Hoffman being the other DJ). I was the first DJ to play his POZ event at Vlada in Hells Kitchen, NYC. It was written about in the NY Times online. My picture with a caption ran with the article. Here is a link to the article. I wasn't mentioned in the piece, but the picture is under the "interactive feature link" http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/06/a-night-out-with-the-h-i-v-positive/#more-168733 After a couple of months, however, the weekly trips to NYC, and DC and the start of the June summer semester caught up with me. I missed a night in DC because I my mind was on the beginning of school and resting from all the traveling. Plus after misunderstanding between Jacob and I with the launch of Philly POZ, I decided to lay low for a while and focus on local projects.

June is PRIDE month for most large east coast cities; Baltimore's is one of the oldest in the country and is held on the 3rd weekend in June. Baltimore PRIDE is put on by the GLCCB and supported by other sponsors, including Grand Central, Hippo and City Cafe. For the past 3 years, local DJ Alex Funk coordinated a dance tent on Eager St in front of City Cafe. As Pride 2010 ideas began to percolate I approached the owners of City Cafe about working with Alex on making the Dance Tent a more polished production. With no disrespect I approached Alex about collaborating but was met with little interest. After discussing the options with City Cafe, and mentioning that Alex wasn't very interested in working with us the owners were sold on the idea of doing it ourselves; in addition to Alex's efforts. Long story short I received an email claiming that I was trying to take control of an event that wasn't mine to control. I blasted back making the point that PRIDE was for EVERYONE and that I attempted to try to collaborate. Eventually all issues were ironed out between the parties involved and Baltimore PRIDE 2010 Block Party went off PERFECTLY! I brought Keith Hoffman and Keenan Orr from DC up to play along side myself, Gabriel and Alex. It goes to show that working together; checking ego at the door, and being helpful can bring satisfaction. I held an after PRIDE Festival party which was fun and ended up being the last STEEP.

After PRIDE the focus shifted to the promotion of the Baltimore's own Ethan Graham Entertainments SuperHero Ball; as well as my own party scheduled in late July. On July 3rd Club Hippo (a Baltimore gay owned and operated institution) was transformed into your favorite Hero or Villain's layer. Lantern (Peter), Keenan Orr, Kuhmeleon and myself played and it turned out to be a fantastic debut for Ethan.

All the while I had begun the process of coordinating a party scheduled for July 24th in DC called MISBEHAVE back in the Spring. The line up was great and included Juan Zapata, Sheila Storms, Keenan Orr, The Metaphysical and others. But it was cruised from the start. I was to busy traveling and djing to promote it properly. Prior to getting fliers printed, I received a call from a "birdie" who told me that the heard through the grapevine the venue, EFN Lounge (formally BeBar) was rummored to be closing in July. This was in late MAY, mind you. I took the advice as credible, but improbable and pushed forward anyway. Well again I WAS WRONG! LOL. As the date moved near I began to talk with the general manager, Bill Gray about the logistics and stuff. It wasn't until about three weeks away when Bill emails me the news that the venue was being shut down temporarily due to an alcohol violation; from Friday to Friday beginning July 23rd. Re-opening the following Saturday. Needless to say I was bummed to have invested some money to have that happen. But I thought it over and decided not to seek a replacement venue and canceled all together. I informed the parties involved and let it go. It was a let down for me, but also a relief too. I wasn't sure how well it was going to do and would have rather cut my losses there, then "push forward" and potentially have lost more. Well as the dust settled from the closure it was reported officially in MetroWeekly (a local DC fagrag) that Bill Grey and his business partner were dissolving there relationship and closing the club for good. For the record, I stil want to throw larger parties than just cocktail mixers, but I realized I cannot do it alone.

As the summer semester in school began to wind down the itch to get back out there and do my thing was again in the ON position; fyi - my hormones stayed ON :) I began doing my "rounds" with local promoters looking for possible gigs. By the time I realized, it was mid August and I was just weeks away from a real achievement and music milestone. On my 31st birthday, August 27th 2010 Deep House Dining celebrated its 1 year anniversary. Balloons from Ethan and flowers from my boo marked the occasion. I also recorded my set that night marking the anniversary with a live mix posted on Sound Cloud. To my knowledge, no other DJ in Baltimore has held an exclusive restaurant gig for a year. The reality that a whole year had past brought into focus the personal satisfaction I have gained by re-discovering my passion for music and more so DJing. The passage of a year has also brought forth a considerable amount of exposure which has given me more opportunities to DJ in Baltimore and beyond. I was asked to DJ a second night at City Cafe on Saturdays, I was asked to re-launch an after-afterhours at Grand Central on first Sundays, I am working with Dionysus (a local bar) on last Wednesdays on an event called Coffybeatz, and was just asked by local promoters Firefly Productions to Dj a first Wednesdays night at the newly renovated Fletchers, now called THE GET DOWN. All and all the past year has flown by for good reason. Well that's about it in a nutshell. I could recall EVERYTHING, but these are the highlights and some low lights of the past year. Thanks for reading all of this, now follow my blog. Cheers - C-Dubz

6 Month Anniversary of Deep House Dining w/ Plus One Presents

On February 26th 2010 (almost 6 months to the day it began)swiftDJ hosted Cooper Miley and Seferina Kim of Plus One Presents at Deep House Dining @ City Cafe. Cooper and Seferina are not only a dynamic musical duo, they are also a very attractive couple; Ooo La La. Cooper Miley has an extensive portfolio that ranges from regular nights at Ultra Nate's Deep Sugar at the Paradox, Moog at Red Maple and More or Less at the Hexagon. Cooper's encyclopedia-like knowledge of music affords his trademark, chameleon-like ability to appeal to a dancing crowd and raise the energy level. One can expect to hear a range of styles from him deep house and techno to disco, dub and word music. Currently, Cooper is the monthly resident of Gallery 788 and the co-founder of Plus One, a new events-based company.

Seferina Kim brings to Baltimore a unique perspective to dance music. As an export of Korea, Texas, Hawaii, her musical influences are as broad as her history of mailing addresses. Finding her voice is still a journey as she molds warm vocal house melodies to darker, harder techno beats, and then back down to the chill of deep house. Seferina's inspiration into DJing was given to her by infectious performances by Joe Claussell with Body and Soul, Teddy Douglas, Thommy Davis, and Cooper Miley. Currently, Seferina performs regularly at Pigtown Main Street events and is a co-founder of Plus One.

Cooper and Seferina started Plus One, an events promotional venture, in hopes of sharing their broad musical passions with the city of Baltimore. The duo's inaugural event, "Seasons, an evening with Teddy Douglas" was the start of a new quarterly party that has already left its mark. With attention to the cohesion of the music, aesthetics, and overall atmosphere, Plus One hopes to meet one goal: simply dancing and having a good time.

I had the rare opportunity to sit back experience the evening from the get go. Plus One started the evening off at 8pm with a few tracks from the ultra lounge genre, moving into a classic disco vibe and ended with some vocal deep house. The crowd loved the fresh faces behind the decks and thoroughly enjoyed the musical selection provided by the duo. As the evening progressed, I had a chance to close out the night with an all vinyl set of crowd favorites showcased over the last 6 months.

Finally, it's not a major accomplishment in the world of promotions to have a successful mixer last for 6 months; but in the city of Baltimore, MD it is. I say this, however, humbled to have been able to see it through this far; and hopefully the party has just begun.

C-Dubz

ps. DC staple Ray Casil (Apple Juice, A&R, I <3 Bass - DC) will join me March 19th 2010! Check Facebook for event details.

Deep House Dining And The Guest DJ Series Kick Off

On August 28th 2009 I began my weekly house music mixer - Deep House Dining - at City Cafe; a Mt Vernon local hot spot. Over the weeks and months since it started I have been more than pleased with the positive response by the local clientele; excited about something fresh and new happening in Baltimore. In addition to patrons enjoying themselves, local promoters like Patrick Turner (Moog @ Red Maple), and Cooper Miley and Seferina Kim (Plus One) have had nothing but good things to say about what is happenings at City Cafe on Fridays. As the year ended, and while the party gained popularity I began to sense that the logical next step was to add some fresh talent to the mix. I began asking regular attender and City staff about the possibility of bringing guest DJ's from around the region to play for the City crowd. Without hesitation my suggestion was met with excitement and enthusiasm; and last night the idea became a reality.

On January 22nd 2010 SwiftDJ (my production entity) presented Deep House Dining - Everybody Loves Music Edition, featuring Joe L. Joe has been DJing for many years in DC and his love of house music and dedication to the DC house music scene is well know to many! Joe has thrown several successful parties and has collaborated with others over the past few years to bring top-notch talent to the househeads in the DC/Baltimore area. A founding member of Everybody Loves Music, a influential DC-based production team, Joe has rocked events like Elm Fridays, Hometown Heros, PUSH and "the Dig".

With all said and done, by the end of the night after Joe rocked the City spot I looked around at the excellent professional staff at City Cafe, Ethan, Amy, Kyle and the rest - all very exhausted... and thought to myself - WOW this was the busiest & best night yet! My assumptions were confirmed when I got home and saw a posting on Facebook by Megan A. (one of the bartenders at City) saying it was the busiest night she's worked in a LONG TIME. The only thing that was missing were the owners of the venue who were returning from a vacation and my boyfriend who had an early appointment. Bruce, Gino, Kevin - you were missed!

So now my thoughts and energy moves on from last night event to planning next months guests DJ or DJ's (hummm...) Keep an eye out for more.... Cheers

C-Dubz

DJ Bio of C-Dubz

Dating back to some of his earliest childhood memories, CW Hardy a.k.a. (Dj C-Dubz) cannot remember a time in his life without music. As a child it was apparent that he possessed a natural talent for music and all that it encompassed;enrolled in dance classes from age three through his mid-teens gave this budding disc jockey an edge over the rest. He cultivated a deep understanding and appreciation for music and movement of every kind. He developed and refined an extremely sensitive ear which later was drawn to the irresistible sound of House music. His passion for both music and dance came together as he explored their relationship through - dance music. He used his keen ear to learn how the music was structured, crafted, and produced. The fundamental seed had been planted and C-Dubz love for House music began to grow and flourish.

The year was 1993 when C-Dubz (formally known as Dub Logic) was officially introduced to the dance music subculture. After attending raves, after hour venues, and clubs for a few years, C-Dubz decided to begin collecting the music he had grown to love. Mix tapes and cd’s just were not cutting it for him, so he thought a switch to vinyl would be the way to go. With no expectation or dream to become a dj, C-Dubz started to shop for his favorite tracks from the past and present. He could not resist the infectious rhythms of tracks such as Cashmere’s “Brighter Days” and Natural Rhythm’s “Jive EP” and his House collection continued to grow. Then one day, a friend offered to let him bring his records and fool around on his tables sometime. He did just that and a passion for the art of the mix was born. As C-Dubz technical skills rapidly developed, so too, did his own distinct sound. He was inspired by artists such as Derrick Carter and influenced by the smooth sound of Mark Farina and the classic style of Dee-Lite. He began to formulate a unique blend of soulful, funky House to which listeners were immediately drawn to and identified with.

Since then, C-Dubz has become a notable figure in the Washington D.C. House movement. Playing for respected production companies in the D.C. area like BuzzLife, M3 Music, Stellar, 4twenty4, Friends Collective, and D-Tribe has earned him respect among local dj’s and party goers alike. In addition, C-Dubz has also played nationally. Baltimore, Chicago, and Philadelphia are where this dj has spread his undeniable taste in House music. Along the way, C-Dubz has been apart of some of the hottest dj collectives in the DC, Baltimore area; including Chocolate Music DC, the Friends Collective and the now defunct Fusion crew. In the recent past, C-Dubz worked with JP Events out of Washington DC; the event, "POZ" , is a weekly dedicated to providing a safe space for HIV+ guys to meet and hear great music. JP Events took POZ to NYC as well where C-Dubz was the regular DJ at VLADA BAR - 51st btwn 8th & 9th in the trendy Hells Kitchen neighborhood. C-Dubz later choose to move on from JP Events for reasons of business and personality differences.

Currently C-Dubz holds several residencies including his own Friday night mixer, Deep House Dining, which will be celebrating its 2 year anniversary in a little over a month. Held at City Cafe in Baltimore's Mt Vernon Cultural District. He is also taken up a monthly spot at Club Hippo - 1 West Eager St. Baltimore. Hippo has been around for decades, and is really the ONLY LARGE(ish) dance floor in the city. On the 1st Saturday of each month doors open at 10pm $6 to $8 cover all night. C-Dubz will also be joining forces with the Baltimore Music Collective(BMC) August 4th 2011 at Club Orpheus in Baltimore. Additional BMC events are upcoming, more info later.

I Had A Dream I Was Falling Through a Hole In The Ozone Layer

I remember the first time I heard the band Dee Lite - I was sitting on my bed watching MTV; it was in early 1990. The music video I saw was for the song "Groove is in the Heart.” The next day, I made my way to Tower Records and purchased their debut album, World Clique. A couple of years later, in 1992, Dee Lite released their sophomore works, entitled Infinity Within. Out of many songs I liked, there was one song in particular which I connected with instantly: "I Had a Dream I Was Falling through a Hole in the Ozone Layer", which is a song that calls for all people to be environmentally and socially responsible as well as politically active. Fast forward nineteen years, to the stark environmental reality that looms over mankind. Despite the current positive social and political shifts in our country, the planet's future is still in question. Because of this, I have become more involved in social and environmentally conscious groups and political action committees. The song "I Had a Dream I Was Falling through a Hole in the Ozone Layer" had a profound impression on me. I took from its message a sense of personal responsibility; that I could do something for the good of humanity. I choose “I Had a Dream I Was Falling Through a Hole in the Ozone Layer” as my theme song because it taught me that individual acts like reducing energy consumption, recycling, and becoming politically involved play a small, yet vital role in preserving the world.

In the summer of 2008, the national debate over energy consumption reached fever pitch. As gas prices hit over $4 dollars a gallon I was reminded of the vow I made never to own another car because of the costs associated with it, after totaling mine seven years earlier. Also with the 2008 presidential campaign in full swing, one major issue was our country's addiction to foreign oil. In "I Had a Dream I Was Falling through a Hole in the Ozone Layer"; Lady Miss Kier sings about "Electric cars and solar tv's / Organic foods the things that we need" (line 30-31). To me, it is rather timely that when the American auto industry is all but bankrupt, electric cars and solar energy are concepts now being touted as new ideas when, in fact, during the energy crises of the 1970's, General Motors was rumored to be working on manufacturing an electric automobile; also, solar energy advancements began around that time. Unfortunately, when the oil embargo ended and gas prices fell back down, the American people went back to consuming oil at a faster pace than before the crisis; remaining that way ever since, leaving solar power and the electric car a figment of the county's collective imagination.

Another example of wasteful energy consumption I see is the process of spraying crops with pesticides and unnatural fertilizer. The energy needed to make and distribute those products is very costly to the earth’s health and my health. I try very hard to eat as much organic food as possible; I also eat as much locally grown produce as well. I do this to keep the amount of unnatural chemicals and wasteful energy practices out of my food supply. Keeping this in mind, I was struck by the lines "We breathe the future and yet we're choking / We breathe the future and we start to choke / I see a factory blowing purple smoke" (20-22), because of the implications. I live at a time in history when carbon dioxide is heating the planet up, so I am proud of what steps I've taken to decrease my use of energy.

The amount of products I consume and recycle on a daily basis simply amazes me. Astonishing amounts of plastic, glass and paper cross through my fingers annually. With that in mind it is clear to see why recycling is so important to America and the global community. I identify with the second verse, "When you slurp your Slurpee in a Dixie cup / Always pick every piece of litter up / Recycle can, paper and plastic / Call your politicians, ask for it" (6-9). First, I love Slurpee's, enough said! Second, I have called my local politicians demanding a simpler way to recycle in the city of Baltimore. Others did so as well, and in 2008 Mayor Sheila Dixon implemented what is called the "single stream" recycle system. Prior to the new policy, residents who wanted to participate in the recycling program had to sort the material themselves. The old policy made it confusing and frustrating for me, so complaints were commonplace. However, by flexing some political muscle, the residents of Baltimore city put pressure on our elected officials to do better. Also, I have adapted to the recycling imperfections at my workplace. My office building has eight levels and staffs over 300 people, so I can imagine all the product waste we collectively produce. I was excited to find out a new recycling program was being set up. However, the recycling service leaves much to be desired; only recycling aluminum cans and newspapers, leaving out plastic and glass products entirely. So I take it upon myself to rinse and keep all recyclable plastic and glass in a bag at my cubicle; until I take it home to recycle. I have let my voice be heard at work as well, and management is going to review the recycling policy and make the necessary adjustments.

As I reach the age of 30, political activism has become a part of who I am and how I identify. In fact, 12 years ago I could care less about who the President was and cared more about getting high and having fun. Much like in the line "So if you live you life in a hurry / Remember what goes on after your buried" (10-11), I was living the fast life not caring about what happened after I died. So when I heard, "Cause’ years after years after years after years after years after years after years after you’re gone / This old world has to keep on" (12-13), those lines are noteworthy because I realized that life will go on after me and that somehow I am not the center of the universe. As I have kept up with current events, I see how politics shapes how I view the world. Take the case of the auto industry, where policy makers decided to heavily promote the automobile and put public transportation in the "rear-view mirror.” Because cars offered convenience, over time funding for mass transit decreased dramatically. Due to this, I find the notion that "Convenience is the enemy" (35) resonates with me. I have refused to allow convenience to trump practicality in my life. An example is I take the steps in my office building instead of using the elevators. Another line "So make demands / Demands in the world you would like to see" (33-34), really underlines my approach to life. Because I ride public transportation frequently, I advocate for improved mass transit in the city of Baltimore.

The roots to my understanding on social, environmental and political issues can be tied to the song "I Had a Dream I Was Falling through a Hole in the Ozone Layer". My early exposure to such important issues through the medium of music only furthered my desire to live healthily and love and preserve life and the earth - it's the only one we have. My favorite line in the song is the chorus: "Keep the hope spinning / Keep the hope spinning the globe" (chorus) just as Barack Obama’s message of hope inspired a nation to elect it’s first African American President, Dee Lite's message in I Had a Dream I Was Falling through a Hole in the Ozone Layer inspired me to become an active citizen. Today, I still listen to Dee Lite's music, and Infinity Within is still my favorite album of the group. They are and always will be one of my favorite bands of the early 90's.