August 20, 2009

We need more health care cooperatives
In response to your opinion, why must the government run the health care plan? The government can’t even run itself. Look at Medicare and Medicaid. The government could oversee a plan that was put forward by a Democrat. Why not have four or five co-operatives that everyone must join, one or the other whichever one fits their needs. The government could oversee them and make sure they are run right with no cost overruns.
Of course that is probably too much to ask, they can’t even keep up with all the munitions sent overseas so you see they could never keep up with a health care plan.
The big problem is once we have it we will never be able to get rid of it, cause they never get rid of anything no matter how bad it is.
— Wayne Smith, White Stone, Va.

British style health care has its advantages
President Obama is not proposing to adopt a British-style healthcare system but you might be better off if he did. Thirteen years ago I moved from the US to England. My experience with the National Health Service in Britain has been excellent.
Eleven years ago I had breast cancer. My care was superb and included nurses’ visits at home to check and change my bandages. I chose to stay in hospital for three days following the operation but most women stayed a week (no drive-by mastectomies here). I’m diabetic and take pills. All my prescriptions are free because of my medical condition. If I had to pay for prescriptions, the cost would be less than £7 (less than $12) per prescription per month. All prescriptions would be free when I turn 60.
I know I pay for the health service in my taxes but the total cost of health care in Britain is only 8.4 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared with 16 percent in the U.S. When you consider all the hidden costs, I suspect I pay less for it here than I would if I lived in the U.S.
The system in Britain offers other benefits that I value greatly. I don’t have to depend on health insurance offered through a job.
I can leave my job without worrying about the impact that decision will have on my health care. I don’t have to deal with insurance companies! There’s no paperwork! I know that my husband and I and my friends and neighbors, who might not be able to afford health insurance under the US system, will have the health care we need.
Finally, it feels as though health care spending in Britain is put to better use than in the US. In spite of the fact that Britain spends roughly half (as a percent of GDP) of what the US spends on health care, life expectancy at birth is higher and infant mortality is lower in Britain than in the US according the CIA World Fact Book.
Don’t be afraid to embrace change in the health care system, it could bring real benefits.
— Teddi Carlson, Monyash, Bakewell, England. Carlson is a Taylor Couny native.

Praises people for going out of the way to help
Caught two people going above and beyond the call of duty today. Since the BP Gas Station has closed, the landscape next to Hwy 64 has gotten out of hand.
Nice to see that Judy Pinkston and Sharon Beilfuss took it into their own hands and cleaned the area up.
Now the area is weed free and looking great. People like this are what keeps Medford area such a great place to raise a family.
Thought you could a little praise for your hard work.
— Amy Elsner, Medford

Climate change legislation will hit every pocket book
If consumers are paying attention to the news, they are hearing a lot about Health Care Legislation, which could have major impacts for a lot of people. There is other legislation lurking that could have even greater impacts on working families and consumers: Climate change, or as some have labeled it, Cap and Trade Legislation.
The Kiplinger Letter dated August 14, 2009 reports that climate change legislation, with emphasis on curbing emissions of carbon dioxide(CO2), is a solid bet, probably in 2010. Kiplinger also says, “The cost of fuel and electricity will soar … New regs will add 20 percent or so to electricity rates by 2020 … the average cost for residential, commercial and industrial users may be 50 percent higher than today … more in areas such as the Midwest and Southeast where coal fired power dominates. There … a 100 percent hike.”
The Kiplinger Letter also predicts gasoline prices to be about $2 per gallon higher if this legislation passes.
One of the main factors blamed for climate change has been human-produced CO2 from burning fossil fuels, etc. (it also comes from many other sources such as forest fires, volcanoes, and more). According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), atmospheric levels of CO2 were at 387 ppm (parts per million) as of March 2009. But, in at least one greenhouse study, it was determined that plants can grow up to 50 percent faster in concentrations of 1,000 ppm CO2 when compared with ambient conditions. Is the science really correct on this one? We could have a lot at stake if they’re wrong.
The Heritage Foundation indicates that the proposed Cap and Trade Legislation will cost the economy $161 billion in 2020, which is $1,870 for a family of four (this being a national average, we could probably expect to see higher increases here in the Midwest). Wisconsin industries, already under pressure from unfair global competition, could see many of their foreign competitors continue to spew forth CO2 while we pay an enormous bill to restrict ours. Wisconsin farm families would see their electric rates increase dramatically, and all costs of diesel, propane, and fertilizers skyrocket.
I appreciate the fact that we need a long-term strategy to deal with the carbon emission issue. There are positive ways we can address this, however, without putting a “cap and trade” tax on the Midwest. Conservation, energy-efficiency, and more reliance on renewable energy sources are all needed.
Talk to your elected officials. Tell them to get all the facts. Ask them how climate change legislation will affect you, and how they are going to guarantee that we will have reasonably priced energy for the future.
— Mike Schaefer, president and CEO, Taylor Electric Cooperative, Medford

The bad, the good and the ugly about area roads
West of Medford is Sawyer Road. It runs from Hwy 64 northwest to Perkinstown Rd. The road is in bad shape and even says so at the start (rough road sign). That's the bad.
The good is the Town of Hammel is resurfacing it from 64 about three miles west. Rumor has it that it was to be widened and blacktopped.
The ugly: Talking to the guys working on the project I was told we're raising the bed eight inches. Then talking to one of the town board members, I was told the new road will be 21 feet wide, the old 22 feet wide. Sounds good, but the facts don't compute. I went and measured. In some spots the bed has been raised by 20 inches and is 24 feet wide. That leaves a shoulder of 18 inches. The problem is the slope on the side of the road. I've been told by one of the local road construction contractors the standard safety slope is 4-1. That is a drop of four inches to every foot of slope.
The new road has a slope of 9.2-1, more than 56 percent the standard for safety, and in some areas drops off four feet. With a drop like that, anyone skidding off the road won't just go in the ditch, they're going to roll the vehicle. Comments made to the town board seem to fall on deaf ears.
I'll bet they'll listen when some liability lawyer files suit after an accident. Perhaps we should close the barn door before the horse gets out.
— J. F. Makowski, Town of Hammel

Questions when burned house will be cleaned up
Having your house burn down is a tragedy.  Not having home owner's insurance to cover the cost of demolition and cleanup is irresponsible.  Leaving the burned remains on your property for over two and half months so your neighbors have to see it and smell it is inconsiderate.  Not being able to reach the city official you were referred to (Bob Christianson) to ask about the city's role in the matter is frustrating. 
I live very close to the burned out remains of a house on North Park Avenue in the city.  Is there a reason this trashy mess still remains?  Is there a reason no one with authority has done anything about this?  Does no one care that the property is a health/safety hazard as well as an eyesore in the neighborhood?  Can anyone answer these questions for those of us who live on this street?  We await a response and hopefully some action on the part of the property owner and/or city.
— Debbie Goerg, Medford

Writer questions wolf numbers in past Vox Pop
Ryan Goessl, I find your wolf numbers (284) in Wisconsin and Michigan very misleading. This spring the DNR put the wolf figure at around 600 wolves and I doubt that they went into the dens to count the pups. Did you purposely omit Minnesota which has had a wolf problem for decades? What about Canada which has a hunting season for wolves.
I stand by my position that anyone wanting to protect the wolves should have to pay for wolf damages. Why should farmers have to buy wolf insurance when there are a lot cheaper ways to protect his herd? You said that the farmers should protect their animals, but don't say how. The feds set mandates on various things, but don't say how or fund them just like HSUS. You didn't say how the judges would protect their animals either. We would like the answer to this.
Your organizations want to protect certain animals, regardless of the consequences. Yours is the right way and no one else's opinion counts. You brought up global warming. Al Gore conned the U.S. out of a million dollars to promote his agenda. This summer Wisconsin had one of the six coldest summers on record. What about the ice ages, a period of cold and then warming. Earth had a "Big Chill - little ice age" from about the year 1000 to the 1850s. Maybe this is the warming phase. These are natural occurrences of nature.
The history channel had a program concerning the "Big Chill." If it comes around again, watch it, you might learn something. I used toilet paper to point out that everyone is dependent on paper, a forest product of which most paper is biodegradable. Look at all the forests and homes that burn up out west partially because the forests aren't properly managed. Last week there was a letter in The Star News stating that HSUS monies collected all go to Washington, D.C. Is this true?
What percent goes to the CEO and board of directors? How much goes to lobbyists and to grease the right palms? And last, how much goes to the actual humane treatment of animals? You mention senate. That is ancient Rome. The U.S. has a congress.
Wolves killing off farm animals is not what I consider "what is best for society at large." The whole U.S. doesn't have a wolf problem which is local and should be handled locally. There is a problem nationwide concerning cell phone and texting use while driving. This should be addressed by the feds as long as it concerns everyone in the U.S. Almost forgot, I don't have any wolf numbers for Michigan but I am quite sure the number of wolves in the three connected states are more than your current estimated total number of wolves in the entire U.S. of 2600, definitely not endangered. I have not heard of any HSUS funding of any local human treatment for local animals. Why is this?
— Richard J. Edens, Westboro

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