Marble Falls is a small city on the shores of the Colorado River in the Texas Hill Country. The city was founded in 1887 by General Adam R. Johnson, and incorporated in May of 1907. Marble Falls is located 47 miles northwest of Austin and 85 miles north of San Antonio, so it is centrally located and accessible from two large metropolitan areas. Marble Falls is in the middle of the Highland Lakes chain, and after the construction of the dam which created Lake Marble Falls, the marble falls themselves were no longer visible, unless the lake levels were lowered by the Lower Colorado River Authority, which caused them to be visible in certain locations.
Marble Falls, frequently referred to as the Gateway to the Hill Country, was originally founded when Adam Rankin Johnson traveled down the Colorado from Fort Mason to see the “great falls”, as they were called at the time, and obtained land grants with the intention of settling near the falls, until he discovered the certificates were worthless and settled instead in Burnet with his wife Josephine, in 1861. Johnson had intended to help build a great manufacturing community, powered by energy from the falls, but after settling with his wife in Burnet, joined the Confederate army, and was later blinded by a rifle ball in combat. Johnson later was employed by the land office in Burnet for years, where his reputed excellent memory and his son’s help allowed him to overcome the limitations caused by his blindness and succeed in making land deals. In 1887, he finally purchased land in the Marble Falls area, and built a home for his family there. The home faced south, directly toward the majestic falls, and his family members gave him daily reports of their beauty so he could visualize them as he remembered them. The community later thrived and became a cotton center, known as “The Blindman’s Town”, and Johnson’s home, named Liberty Hall, was later purchased by Orphelia “Birdie” Harwood and her husband George, in the early 1900s, and was later named Harwood house, but is still referred to as Liberty Hall or Liberty House by some. The house was bought in 1946 by Bill and Eunice Hall, and their son, and is now a commercial building, but prior to their purchase of the home, “Birdie”, as Mrs. Harwood was called, was elected mayor of the community, and while teaching at the local school, loaned supplies to one of her students, Lyndon Baines Johnson, who later went on the fame as a political force in Texas and later the president of the United States. Johnson along with his family, is one of the most notable early residents of Marble Falls.
In 1970, home mail service began in Marble Falls, and Horseshoe Bay, a beautiful lakeside resort replete with a golf course and various water sports, restaurants, and other facilities and activities, was built on the shores of the lake. Lake Marble Falls itself was created in the forties by the construction of Buchanan Dam, along with Starke and Wirtz Dams, and the other Highland Lakes were created around the same time, by damming the waters of the Colorado River. Lake LBJ is also very close to the city of Marble Falls, and two of the dams used to partially create Lake Marble Falls were rebuilt in the year 2000. Earlier, in 1980, a new high school was built to improve the academic performance of the area students, and ten years later, the internet was introduced in Marble Falls, allowing even more access to reference materials for the residents of the growing community.
Today, Marble Falls is an established community. The yearly Lakefest in August draws throngs of visitors, as do various attractions including numerous restaurants, a movie theater, many R. V. parks, a public golf course called Meadowlakes, and a plethora of gift shops, antique stores, bed and breakfast inns, and a variety of unique local attractions. Marble Falls has a large community of retirees, as well as residents who spend their winters in the town, due to its mild climate. Some of the popular local restaurants include the Blue Bonnet Cafe and Russo’s Texitally Cafe, and Rockhopper’s Family Fun Center offers miniature golf and other games and sports.
If peaceful, rural living, as well as scenic beauty and numerous amenities are your cup of tea, come to Marble Falls and experience the best Texas has to offer!
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The Senate Health Bill has been grabbing headlines for months as members of the Senate continue to debate spending, bill allotments, and the merits of improved or universal healthcare coverage. The latest version of this bill in late November and included a price tag of $849 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. $200 billion alone would be set aside to help cover doctors’ fees so that they would not suffer from a drastic cut back to reimbursement rates.
Much in keeping with the diversity of American opinion, this bill has come with more than its fair share of controversy, sparking heated debates on both sides of the political aisle.
Bill controversy
Democrats and Republicans are sharply divided over the merits and allocations included in this healthcare bill. The final vote on the bill shows this division; the voting results were nearly entirely along party lines. In the 243 to 183 win by the Democratic-controlled House, only 11 Democrats voted against the bill and only one Republican voted for the bill. That Republican is also an obstetrician – Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas. Republicans called the $200 billion allocation to cover doctors’ fees a political payoff and labeled it as the Democrats’ way of thanking physicians for their support of President Obama’s healthcare overhaul.
What’s included in the bill and how will it affect Americans?
The new healthcare bill, which will go into effect in 2010, is said to provide coverage to 94 percent of Americans. The bill is also estimated to cut the federal deficit by $127 billion during its first ten years. In its second decade, the bill is estimated to cut the federal deficit by as much as $650 billion. Over a 20-year period, it is believed that the bill would cut the federal deficit by $777.
However, in order to cut this deficit, the bill will reduce payments for Medicare plans and reduce spending in a variety of other areas. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that seniors on Medicare will have to pay $49 billion in higher healthcare premiums over the next 10 years, passing along much of the healthcare expenses to Medicare beneficiaries.
Additionally, because of reduced payments and services covered by the bill, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that Americans will see a $195 billion price increase in doctors’ fees for those doctors who treat Medicare patients. With only a percentage of those fees being covered by Medicare, patients themselves will have to make up the difference out of their pockets. TRICARE (the military healthcare program) beneficiaries would see an increase in fees by about $64 billion for non-military physicians who see patients enrolled in the TRICARE program.
How can Americans protect themselves from these price increases?
While it may be impossible to predict exactly how this bill will impact Americans and their pocketbooks until the bill is fully approved and implemented, Americans would be wise to begin looking for alternative healthcare solutions. Many Americans on Medicare may want to investigate alternatives to Original Medicare plans, including Medicare Advantage Plans.
Also, as healthcare prices increase, so will the prices of medications and other medical services. Therefore, many Medicare beneficiaries would benefit by enrolling in Medicare Supplement insurance plans to help cover the cost of price increases and of items that are not covered by Original Medicare plans.
Managing the healthcare system has proved to be a challenge and a politically derisive topic – especially over the past year. While changes are inevitable and are sure to impact every American, Americans can help to protect their health and their pocketbooks by focusing on maintaining or improving their health in controllable ways. Enrolling in affordable healthcare programs, such as a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplemental insurance program, may also help to save Americans a significant amount of money at the doctor’s office.
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