Published: June 30, 2009 03:50 pm      

In Your View — 07/01/09

Spend our taxes on health care

Just to touch on the Gov. Mark Sanford, (R-S.C.) mess, he’s just the latest of the most vocal Republican advocates of the failed Clinton impeachment to be knocked off their lofty “family values” moral perch and shown to be a lying hypocrite. Newt Gingrich was having an affair while railing again Clinton and was soon followed into creepiness by Craig and Foley and now Sanford.

And on health care reform, a bill with no widely available public option is a total failure. As a business owner, my policy has doubled in two years and covers virtually nothing even though my wife and I are in top shape and have no chronic illnesses. These “Russian-roulette” policies are good until your first actual illness or until you hit a certain age and then the rates are increased to an unpayable level so you drop the policy. So, don’t get sick twice and don’t get older and you should be fine.

Yes, an ever-decreasing number of our local citizens still have “no-worry” policies through a huge employer, and yes, some of those folks are being manipulated to fear a loss of choice. The majority of us are now self-employed or living with stripped-down employee health plans that take a huge chunk of our paycheck. Are Republican lawmakers with their cushy “government” health plans really who we need to believe on this matter?

Personally, I would like to see a substantial part of my federal income taxes go to my own health care and not one more dime to Iraq or Gitmo. And if a corporate executive with a gold-plated health plan has to accept his/her second choice dermatologist, you can bet I don’t care.

Ed Edwards, Ashland



Keep immigration process fair

There they go again! Last year at this time, American voters united to successfully oppose the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act promulgated by Bush & Company. This year, the man who promised “change” is now promising the same immigration scheme.

There are six billion people in the world, living in almost two hundred countries. This new proposal grants special treatment to 30 million Mexicans and Central Americans, plus their relatives, at tremendous national expense, while penalizing all other nationalities who remain in their home countries dreaming of United States citizenship.

What about the Haitians and Africans, Poles and Latvians, Indians and Pakistanis? Are they not also worthy human beings? They have been promised an application process that is orderly, non-political and legal.

Ordinary citizens — Republicans and Democrats — are not anti-immigrant. Our politicians are. Once again, they want to ignore bonafide applicants, in selfish deference to business interests and to potential legal or illegal Latino votes.

We welcome immigrants and we have a process. Let's keep it fair!

Joseph Pasulka, Southport, N.C.



1974 GCHS class plans reunion

The Greenup County High School of 1974, the first ever graduating class from GCHS, will hold its 35-year reunion on July 14, 25, and 26.

A full weekend of activities are planned. At 7 p.m. on Friday, July 24, there will be a casual get- together for graduates only at Greenup Dam. Soft drinks and snacks will be provided but graduates should feel free to bring things also.

At 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 25, graduates and spouses (or significant others) will have a reception at GCHS, with a buffet of snacks, drinks and finger foods, music and karaoke.

At 1:30 p.m. Sunday, July 26, there will be a picnic at Serenity Acres located on the AA highway.

Letters will be coming out this week. Classmates, please come to any or all of these events, as it will be a great opportunity to see a lot of old friends!

For more information please contact Vicki Little Hensley at (606) 473-4509 or e-mail vickijo01@hotmail.com.

If you didn’t receive a letter concerning past reunions, please call and provide an updated address so we can keep in touch now and for future events.

Vicki Jo Little Hensley, Keith Antis , Ron Fyffe, and the Reunion Gang



Health care should be for people

America’s critical health care issues will never be resolved satisfactorily as long as private insurance companies run the “for profit” show. Now is the time for America to seize the moment and finally join most of the industrialized nations of the world who already have universal health care.

Why should we continue to allow greed to prevent us from changing our health care system? Shouldn't health care be for people, not profit?

Paul L. Whiteley Sr., Louisville