Thursday's Letters to the Editor

<p class="bold allcaps">Affordable care<EL-2></p> <p><MC>EDITOR: As a former department head in a hospital, I am aware of the difficulty people have paying their hospital bills. I am in favor of a single-payer health plan, and I would hope it would include each patients’ right to chose their own doctor.</p><p>Many hours are spent daily in hospitals by medical records personnel trying to interpret doctors’ handwriting. I think President Obama is on track when he cites computerized medical records as a part of the solution to rising medical costs. While some hospitals are on the road to getting all their records computerized, many are still in the dark ages, doing everything manually.</p><p>Not only are many people needed for these tasks, doctors are constantly having to be harangued about doing their part in old-fashioned and time-consuming manual recordkeeping.</p><p>Let’s join the rest of the civilized world and guarantee our citizens accessible and affordable health care for themselves and their families.</p><p>JOANIE REID<QR></p><p><MC>Healdsburg<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Bikes and taxes<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: Betty McArthur’s call for bike licenses makes a common mistake in the auto versus bike argument (“License bikes,” Letters, Monday). The claim that cyclists do not pay taxes assumes that cyclists do not own cars or property. When I am on my bike, my taxed car remains in my taxed home while I proceed on my untaxed way. She should be grateful that my car stays off the road to make her trip less cluttered, even as its registration helps pay for the road it is off. I hope this observation makes her a happier sharer of the road.</p><p>BILL HARRISON<QR></p><p><MC>Windsor<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Let it play out<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: Palm Drive Hospital has benefited from community support as it has risen to meet the many fiscal challenges of our dysfunctional health care system.</p><p>In the past two years, changes in leadership have put Palm Drive on the path to continued success. Let’s not let allegations and critical comments about our district board and staff make us rush to judgment. We need to allow the board and the hospital administration to work out their differences.</p><p>We have come a long way and accomplished much with community trust, confidence and support, but issues still exist that must be addressed. A process is in place to remedy some current problems. Outside counsel is working with the board and administration to resolve conflicts and is investigating areas of concern.</p><p>I have confidence that Palm Drive Hospital will continue to thrive and grow. Our hospital district is offering more transparency, responsible leadership and financial stability than ever before in its history. The board, administration and staff are providing many new services, which include outstanding medical care.</p><p>Let us support efforts to correct what is wrong and help Palm Drive continue to build upon its successes. Our west county community hospital deserves that commitment from all of us.</p><p>HEIDI GILLEN<QA0></p><p><MC>Immediate past board president,<QA0></p><p>Palm Drive Health<QA0></p><p>Care Foundation<QA0></p><p>Sebastopol<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Blame the GOP<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: I am getting tired of reading about Californians blaming “the Legislature” or “our elected officials” for the budget crisis. Put the blame squarely where it belongs: on the backs of California Republicans. Period. </p><p>Everyone knows it takes a two-thirds majority to pass a budget. Yet California does not have a two-thirds Democratic majority in the Legislature, and the Republicans vote against any proposal to increase revenues to Sacramento, and thus our crisis deepens every day. Schools suffer, cities suffer, the aged/disabled/poor people suffer, yet the Republicans vote in a bloc every time, defeating every budget proposal by their 38 percent minority status. </p><p>If you want to blame “politicians,” fine. Just make sure you say “Republican politicians.” This entire crisis, and all the suffering statewide, is entirely their fault. When the crisis gets worse in the months to come, and our state loses its ability to educate our youth, help the desperate, police our streets, or respond to fires and other disasters, just remember the Republicans have blocked every budget proposal that would fund those services. It’s enough to make you sick.</p><p>STEVE MATICH<QR></p><p><MC>Santa Rosa<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Denied coverage<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: I am a strong supporter of health care reform. I am a physical therapist and have worked in the health care field for more than 15 years. I have seen our health care system go from bad to worse and how it directly affects so many patients.</p><p>I have been personally affected for the past five years since my husband’s retirement. We have tried time after time to purchase health insurance and have been denied. My husband is 56 and is in great physical health (we just ran in a half-marathon). He is denied for taking blood pressure medicine. I have been denied for taking a course of antibiotics for a sinus infection. We want to buy private insurance, but we cannot. I needed to give up my position as a private contractor and seek employment that provides us with health care.</p><p>We desperately need a change. I support quality care for every American.</p><p>ROCHELLE PORZIO<QR></p><p><MC>Santa Rosa<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>Windsor path<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: My husband and I have lived in Brooks Creek for the last 10 years, and I cannot tell you how dismayed we were to open the paper Saturday and see that big picture of seven seniors with canes and walkers (“Windsor’s problematic path”).</p><p>While we appreciate the situation on the walking path and are respectful of older people, I ask you to please remember that there are 200 homes in this development and seven people and Marilyn Reynolds do not speak for a majority of the rest of us.</p><p>JANET CHAFFIN SAUCER<QR></p><p><MC>Windsor<QR></p><p><EL6><IP0><HRCUTOFF,72,0.3,0,0><EL-4><IP9><QC></p><h3>River risks<EL-2></h3> <p><MC>EDITOR: I’m glad I’m not the only one disturbed by the June 30 story “Taking risks on the river.” Honestly, I could hardly get past the photo of the young man who appeared to be jumping over or at least very close to a canoe and another young risk-taker close by.</p><p>That’s one way of “taking up less space.”</p><p>If people insist on this behavior, they should at least clear the area of visible debris, canoes, people, etc. Lucky are those who complete it safely and unharmed.</p><p>ANGELA CHILCOTE<QR></p><p><MC>Santa Rosa<QR></p>