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4 — JULY 11, 2012 GOLDENDALE, WASHINGTON
OPINION
LOU MARZELES, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
KAREN HENSLEE, GENERAL MANAGER
ANDREW CHRISTIANSEN, REPORTER/SPORTS
‘Affordable’ care will be unaffordable
The 5-4 U.S. Supreme Court
decision to uphold the federal
health care law doesn’t close the
book on health reform. The
court ruled that the individual
mandate requiring everyone to
purchase health insurance is
constitutional because the fines
for not purchasing insurance
are taxes, not penalties.
That may have resolved the
legal issue, but it did nothing to
make health care more affordable.
How does ordering people to
pay for something they can’t afford
solve the problem Despite
its name (Affordable Care Act),
the federal law focuses almost
entirely on getting more people
insured. But unless we actually
reduce health care
costs, we will simply
have dumped
millions more people
into an unaffordable
system.
The federal government
was a
minor player in
health care until
Medicare and Medicaid
were enacted
in 1965. Those programs
worked for a
while, but the baby
boom generation
that funded the
lion’s share of the
Medicare and Medicaid taxes
through payroll deductions is
retiring and will soon become
the largest consumers of those
benefits.
The Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services statistics
show health care spending per
capita increased from $356 in
1970 to $6,697 in 2005 and is projected
to rise to $12,320 in 2015.
(Those are 2007 numbers).
Again, how will mandates
help if people and employers
can’t afford to buy insurance
Yes, there are subsidies, but
those subsidies are paid for by
taxpayers, so we’re still paying
too much for health care.
The key to health reform is to
reduce costs, not just spread
them around.
In 1993, Washington’s Legislature
passed health reforms
mandating that all employers
provide health insurance.
That law ran into a brick wall
called ERISA (Employee Retirement
Income Security Act)
which requires that firms operating
in several states must
have the same benefits for all
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Guest
Commentary
Don Brunell,
President,
Association of
Washington
Businesses
their employees. Without an
ERISA exemption, the Washington
reforms could not be mandated.
In 1995, Gov. Mike Lowry (D),
who supported the 1993 reforms,
called employer groups
together to find innovative ways
to insure workers in small business.
Out of those discussions
came Association Health Plans
(AHP) which provide small
businesses with affordable
health insurance.
Today, AHPs cover more than
a half-million Washingtonians,
nearly half of whom were previously
uninsured because
costs were too high.
The bottom line is there is no
free lunch. Providing health
coverage for 40 million
additional people
will be expensive. To
help pay those costs,
the Affordable Care
Act reduces current
tax breaks and adds
21 new taxes. Still,
health reform will
sink our economy unless
we do more to
control costs.
There are several
innovative ways to do
that:
• Improve competition
and reduce
prices by letting people
shop across state lines for
health insurance that fits their
needs and budget.
• Allow individuals to get the
same tax deduction for health
insurance premiums as businesses.
• Allow people with healthier
lifestyles to benefit through
lower premiums.
• Allow people to keep affordable
plans like health savings
accounts and AHPs.
• Implement tort reform to reduce
frivolous lawsuits. Fear of
lawsuits forces doctors to order
unnecessary tests and causes
malpractice insurance rates to
skyrocket.
Unfortunately, all of these
easy, affordable innovations are
missing from the federal health
reform law.
Even though the Supreme
Court has spoken, there is
much work to be done if we are
to realize the goal of improving
access to affordable health care.
Government must be part of
that innovation, not just the
traffic cop handing out tickets
and collecting fines.
Next Java Talk: Friday, July 20, 8 a.m.,
Golden Coyote Coffee, Main Street
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LETTERS FROM THE COMMUNITY
Assessor is
inconsistent
To the Editor:
On Friday, June 29, the County
Assessor hosted a public forum at
the Centerville Grange to address
questions and concerns from farmers
and ranchers regarding
changes in land values and upcoming
changes in soil ratings. Surprisingly,
there were two instances
where Darlene Johnson gave herself
praise for the good job she’s
doing representing the farmers and
ranchers while implementing mandated
Department of Revenue
(DOR) changes.
It has been Johnson’s stance that
the involvement of DOR throughout
her term has been at her request,
yet she made the statement
that there are people at the courthouse
“who don’t like her and have
turned her in to DOR.” Is she implying
that if people liked her there
would be no DOR involvement, no
accountability One attendee
brought forth an issue and wanted
Johnson to take a position on this
particular point with DOR as assessor.
Johnson replied that she’d prefer
to ask the question to DOR “in a
way to get the answer I want from
DOR.” When did manipulation become
ethical
Another attendee questioned
what happens if he determined that
the soil rating for his land is better
than what the NRCS rating has the
land at Johnson replied with a
chuckle that he obviously doesn’t
want to report the better rating but
instead should go with the NRCS
rating, which would ultimately be
the better tax benefit for him.
Again, is this ethical
Another attendee expressed concern
that this is all opening a can of
worms. Johnson replied, “I like
opening cans of worms, that’s why
I ran for assessor.” More challenging
questions followed and eventually
Johnson replied, “I don’t have
all the kinks worked out, and I don’t
July 11: 1927—Married couple Henry Thompson
and Florence LaGuardia Thompson are credited with
never having an argument or disagreement during
their marriage. Many attribute this to their
being struck by a lightning bolt at their wedding
reception. Born: John Quincy Adams
(1767.) Died: George Gershwin (1937.)
July 12: 1932—World record in cricket occurs
when Hedley Verity makes 10 wickets
for 10 runs in a Yorkshire county match. Can
anyone tell me what this means Born: Architect
Buckminster Fuller.
July 13: 1863—Three days of rioting over the draft
begin in New York City in the worst civil insurrection
in U.S. history. 1865—Horace Greeley coins the phrase
“Go west young man.” Died: Lon Chaney Jr. (1973.)
July 14: 1850—Ice produced by refrigeration is first
demonstrated to the public. 1967—Herman’s Hermits
begin U.S. tour with The Who as their opening act.
Born: Harry Dean Stanton (1926). Died: Petticoat Junction’s
Meredith “Billy Joe” MacRae (2000).
July 15: 1497—The Verona Commission concludes
have my head wrapped around all
this yet.”
As one person pointed out that
night, inconsistency does not equal
credibility. I agree.
Paul Dunn
Centerville
Objections to
Skyline ambulance
service change
To the Editor:
The Dallesport-Murdock Community
Council strongly objects to
the change in ambulance service
enacted by Skyline Hospital and
Mike Madden.
In pamphlets circulated prior to
the levy voted to support service,
the public was promised 24-hour
service. Ambulance service is
never a money maker or even a
break even venture for a local hospital.
Using a levy to help provide this
public service is a trust that
promised that those funds will not
be used elsewhere. Dallesport used
EDA money and the efforts of Dave
Sauter as a contractor to build an
ambulance building at the request
of Mike Madden. At that time, Mike
Madden promised the Dallesport
Community that Skyline would
house and crew an ambulance in
Dallesport 24/7, 365 days a year.
That building is now being used 14
hours a day to service this part of
the County.
We are asking the Skyline Hospital
Board of Directors for a full accounting
of use of past EMS Levy
funds and a balance thereof.
Obviously the public is concerned
that levy funds promised to
fund ambulance service should be
so used. With the ambulance service
so severely cut, we would like
to know exactly how those funds
are and have been spent.
This Week
in History
Tim O’Neill
This is at a time when Skyline is
proposed as the anchor Tennant of
the Airport Commercial Development.
In summary, we would like an accounting
of EMS Levy funds, past
and present, that we were assured
both in printed material and in person,
to allow us to formulate a new
action plan to serve our community.
Don McDermott, President
Dallesport-Murdock
Community Council
No disrespect
intended
To the Editor:
Jordan Granum’s point is welltaken
in his response to my letter to
the editor. I meant no disrespect
when I described the flag as a “piece
of cloth.” It is a powerful symbol of
the idea of America, a symbol
under which my father and fatherin-law,
along with many friends,
have been buried. The flag doesn’t
need to be used as an object of political
pandering by Congressman
Hastings, and he ought to be
putting his office to better use.
The point on which I suspect Jordan
and I agree is the shameful
manner in which our country has
treated those who have fought for
her, especially those of the Vietnam
era and more recent conflicts. I
know too many veterans whose military
service has left them doing
battle with the military and the VA
to receive even the most modest of
assistance in the face of terrible
personal sacrifice. We should all be
demanding that Congressman
Hastings work to ensure that those
wounded warriors aren’t forgotten
or taken for granted.
Kirk Williamson
Kennewick
Draft riots, Hoover cuts his salary, V for Victoy, Napoleon in exile
the deaths of Romeo and Juliet were the result of a disturbed
loner who was quiet and kept to himself. Some
postulate a third dagger is involved. 1815—Napoleon
surrenders and later is exiled to St. Helena.
1932—As a result of the Depression, President
Herbert Hoover cuts his salary by 15
percent. Born: Linda Ronstadt. Be a Dork
Day.
July 16: 1439—England bans kissing to
prevent the spread of disease. 1969—Apollo
11 launches to take the first men to land on
the moon. Born: Mary Baker Eddy, the
founder of Christian Science (1879). Died: John F.
Kennedy Jr. and wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy (1999.)
July 17: 1867—In Boston, the Harvard School of
Dental Medicine is established and is the first dental
school in America. The first course offered is “Turn
and Spit 101.” 1941—England’s Prime Minister Winston
Churchill begins the “V for Victory” campaign. Also,
Joe DiMaggio’s 56 hit streak ends. 2000—The Dot Com
bubble begins to pop. Born: Phyllis Diller (1917.) Died:
Walter Cronkite (2009.) Yellow Pig Day.
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