Neighbor to Neighbor: Health care reform, Census must work in people
By Barbara Morris
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| TimesLedger Newspapers |
The U.S. Postal Service always tries to improve and perfect service. Try as hard as it does, however, once in a while mail may be delivered in error. Be advised that if you should receive mail, especially first-class mail, addressed to someone else, it should be returned unopened to the USPS as soon as possible.
Opening such mail that belongs to someone else or disposing of it is a federal offense. Be aware important checks are sent to you on a regular basis. Social Security and stock checks have the practical option of being deposited directly into your bank account if you so designate. This saves the time of delivery from the post office to you and, should bad weather or other adverse condition delay your getting to your bank to cash your check after it arrived, it will already be in your account.
Speaking about weather, you may have noticed the term “global warming” is gradually being replaced with “climate change.” This is the result of ongoing disputes within the scientific community that the change may not be increasing heat, but increasing cooling. That probably means more snow. In fact, some areas have already experienced some of those white flakes this season.
Whenever it comes our way, please remember we are required to have our walks cleared within three hours of the end of fall. Every pedestrian will appreciate having that done, especially your letter carrier and any other delivery person.
Along with the projection of snow, we have the prospect of the 2010 Census. Months ago, when we first began having explanations of what that will entail, I wrote to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), saying that the process — at that time many pages in length — seemed too long, asked too many questions unrelated to the real purpose of the Census and was unnecessarily threatening. Even if one question went unanswered, we were told a fine and jail sentence could and probably would be imposed.
Now we are told the newly passed U.S. House of Representatives version of the new health plan will carry those same threats with it. When President Barack Obama was asked if he thought these threats to the American public were fair, he said, “Yes.”
I respectfully disagree. I do not appreciate being threatened at almost every turn. While we are being threatened with time in prison, some states are contemplating following California’s proposal to release their present prison population in order to save money. Exchanging one prison population for another will not save money but increase the cost of everyone’s health care, maybe with the exception of those incarcerated.
Remember: Our prisoners have access to good food; clean clothes; medical, dental, education and exercise services; and religious comfort. They have access to TV and other forms of entertainment as well as visitors, including conjugal visits. Of course, we would hope that will never come to pass, but who knows how far change will go.
If we agree health care needs to be changed, why don’t we first fix what we have so Medicare, Medicaid and other programs are not fraught with the means to commit fraud? Several states have attempted to repair their health plans, such as Massachusetts and Vermont. The Massachusetts plan is not working well, but the governor of Vermont said he believes his plan might work well as a prototype for our entire country.
Instead of always being told things must be done “yesterday,” why don’t we take time to do it in an educated way so it is done correctly? We are spending too much money we do not have to throw at quick fixes that will not work properly and will then need to be repaired. Let’s hope when the Senate’s health care bill is presented, it will show us some less-worrisome means to maintain good health. There is hope.
Community Board 12 announced that the Census has been revised and is only a couple of pages. I hope it no longer threatens jail time. Do not worry about all this through the holidays — and do not worry about the Internet threats for 2012. NASA said they are bunk.
Opening such mail that belongs to someone else or disposing of it is a federal offense. Be aware important checks are sent to you on a regular basis. Social Security and stock checks have the practical option of being deposited directly into your bank account if you so designate. This saves the time of delivery from the post office to you and, should bad weather or other adverse condition delay your getting to your bank to cash your check after it arrived, it will already be in your account.
Speaking about weather, you may have noticed the term “global warming” is gradually being replaced with “climate change.” This is the result of ongoing disputes within the scientific community that the change may not be increasing heat, but increasing cooling. That probably means more snow. In fact, some areas have already experienced some of those white flakes this season.
Whenever it comes our way, please remember we are required to have our walks cleared within three hours of the end of fall. Every pedestrian will appreciate having that done, especially your letter carrier and any other delivery person.
Along with the projection of snow, we have the prospect of the 2010 Census. Months ago, when we first began having explanations of what that will entail, I wrote to U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), saying that the process — at that time many pages in length — seemed too long, asked too many questions unrelated to the real purpose of the Census and was unnecessarily threatening. Even if one question went unanswered, we were told a fine and jail sentence could and probably would be imposed.
Now we are told the newly passed U.S. House of Representatives version of the new health plan will carry those same threats with it. When President Barack Obama was asked if he thought these threats to the American public were fair, he said, “Yes.”
I respectfully disagree. I do not appreciate being threatened at almost every turn. While we are being threatened with time in prison, some states are contemplating following California’s proposal to release their present prison population in order to save money. Exchanging one prison population for another will not save money but increase the cost of everyone’s health care, maybe with the exception of those incarcerated.
Remember: Our prisoners have access to good food; clean clothes; medical, dental, education and exercise services; and religious comfort. They have access to TV and other forms of entertainment as well as visitors, including conjugal visits. Of course, we would hope that will never come to pass, but who knows how far change will go.
If we agree health care needs to be changed, why don’t we first fix what we have so Medicare, Medicaid and other programs are not fraught with the means to commit fraud? Several states have attempted to repair their health plans, such as Massachusetts and Vermont. The Massachusetts plan is not working well, but the governor of Vermont said he believes his plan might work well as a prototype for our entire country.
Instead of always being told things must be done “yesterday,” why don’t we take time to do it in an educated way so it is done correctly? We are spending too much money we do not have to throw at quick fixes that will not work properly and will then need to be repaired. Let’s hope when the Senate’s health care bill is presented, it will show us some less-worrisome means to maintain good health. There is hope.
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