JANUARY 31, 2020, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
Opinion
cuffed
in Keizer
Rudy Contreras
Arrested Jan. 20 for:
Unlawful possession of a
fi rearm
Previous convictions:
Assault, unlawful use of a
vehicle
Eduardo Ray Munoz
Acea Lee Clark
Anderson
Arrested Jan. 22 for:
Fugitive from justice
Arrested Jan. 25 for:
Drug possession
Pending charges:
Charged with obscene
communication in
Virginia
Previous convictions:
Drug possession,
coercion, strangulation
Joshua Jabryce
Thompson
Arrested Jan. 22 for:
Aggravated harrassment
Previous convictions:
Theft, menacing
Thoughts on the short session
In 2010, Oregon voters approved
a Constitutional amendment allow-
ing annual legislative sessions. Until
2012 the state legislature
met in odd-numbered
years. The 2010 measure
was touted as tool for the
legislature to address bud-
get issues (this was during
the height of the Great
Recession) and address
any legislative ‘emergen-
cies.’
Since the legislature
started meeting in even-numbered
years, the sessions have morphed
into a free-for-all. Republican law-
makers complain that the even-year
sessions have become unruly with
consequential new laws pushed
through without adequate time for
the public to have its say.
The short session beginning next
week is shaping up to be more of
the same. The state’s biennial budget
is nary mentioned. The main action
will center on another attempt at
climate change legislation, primarily
as a so-called cap and trade program.
Under a cap-and-trade system,
carbon emissions are capped at a
certain level and companies can
earn credits for reducing their out-
put below that threshold. The cred-
its can then be sold to other fi rms
that exceed it.
A similar House bill passed in
2018. Once it arrived in the other
chamber, 11 Senate Republicans
walked out, denying a quorum. The
tactic worked and the bill died. The
2020 version of the climate change
legislation is expected to be just as
contentious.
Though the short
session was designed
to address budget is-
sues and emergencies,
there are a number
of bills waiting to be
introduced that are
neither. Sen. Kim
Thatcher of Keizer
wants to introduce a
bill to send to vot-
ers a measure to undo the Consti-
tutional amendment that allowed
even-numbered year legislative ses-
sions. She is right, especially if any
bill on any subject can be intro-
duced in the short session.
There are plenty of proposed
bills to raise one’s blood pressure.
One of the problems with a short
session is that often there is a very
short window for the public to
be engaged, especially if they live
hours from the Capitol and can’t
get to Salem in time to testify for
or against a bill. Of course, that is
by design. If nobody speaks against
a bill, it can pass, especially with a
supermajority, with hardly a word
heard from the public.
State representatives and sena-
tors are doing the people’s business,
but not when they give the people
scant chance to respond and testify.
Too often legislation is something
done to the people rather than for
the people.
The corridors of the capitol are
zaitz
writes
fi lled with lobbyists; they are paid
by their clients to be there, speak
to lawmakers and persuade them to
support their point of view. It is dif-
fi cult for the average citizen to do
the same. Where do they start? How
do they do it?
We think organizations, such as
Chambers of Commerce, service
clubs houses of worship and other
groups, should establish tutorials or
classes that would teach how to get
involved with the legislative process.
Tutorials can teach how to write
effective letters to lawmakers. Not
just to own representative or senator
but also those who chair commit-
tees that hold hearings.
Organizations should also have
classes on how to testify before a
committee. That is a scary prospect
for most people, speaking in pub-
lic before powerful politicians. Les-
son number one: politicians are just
people. All a citizen needs is the in-
terest time and desire.
Barring a personal trip to the
capitol, people have three powerful
tools at their disposal: phone calls to
legislators, letters or emails. A law-
maker’s attention will be grabbed if
their offi ce is inundated with mes-
sages. Calls, letters and emails will
have more impact if they are polite
and rational. Everyone responds
better to courtesy than rants and
anger.
The people’s business is too im-
portant to be conducted without
input from the people themselves.
— LAZ
What Canada can teach us about health care
Polls have determined that Medi-
care For All is newly-popular among
Americans in the 18 to 36 age range.
Those of more youthful years may
want to fi nd out that what they wish
for in deliverance is what they get.
What’s interesting about that age
range is that those years of
life are usually the most
healthy. In other words,
Americans, typically, do not
need the kind of coverage
Medicare typically assists
to provide to those 65 and
older. Nevertheless, young-
er ages under Medicare For
All would likely pay for
coverage like anyone now who’s 65
or older.
Facts report that the average
monthly premium currently paid
by Medicare recipients is $144.60
effective January 1, 2020. However,
coverage annually does not kick in
until the recipient has generally in-
curred $198, again, effective January
1, 2020.
It works like this: recipients pay
the federal government an average
of $144.60 on January 1 but then
must pay-out-of-pocket of about
$198 before the Medicare benefi t
kicks in. Further, federal bureaucrats
in D.C. decide what Medicare cov-
ers. It’s not uncommon for a bene-
fi ciary to be denied coverage.
Also, comprehensive cover-
age, coverage to address the cost
of medical visits, exams and tests,
and medical procedures means ad-
ditional supplementary medical
insurance at eye-pop-
ping, budget-break-
ing expense. Also, the
typical co-payment at
service is an addition-
al cost, not anywhere
close to a nickel-dime
exchange. All togeth-
er, the Medicare pre-
mium, supplementa-
ry medical insurance along with
co-payments can lighten one’s wal-
let by hundreds of dollars every doc-
tor visit.
Medicare is directly taken out of
Social Security before one receives
his check and, if there’s a tiny raise
or no raise at all, which happens
with exasperating regularity, then
the amount of the “raise” gets ze-
roed out. For 2020, the increase in
Social Security and simultaneous
increase in Medicare premiums will
be close to a wash. Meanwhile, the
cost of living index proves that ev-
erything we need, young to old, just
to survive, goes up every year, some
gene h.
mcintyre
Keizertimes
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EDITOR & PUBLISHER
Lyndon Zaitz
publisher@keizertimes.com
2019-2020 President
Oregon Newspaper Publishers
Association
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items exponentially.
As an American citizen, I worked
for three years as a program adminis-
trator at a public community college
in British Columbia. Free medical
insurance was provided me and
my family from day one. A child of
ours got so sick we took that child
to a Canadian physician. It was de-
termined that a surgical procedure
was required to correct the problem.
End of that story: All related costs,
doctor visits, tests, and a Canadian
hospital stay of three days, were paid
in full by the government plan. Our
out-of-pocket cost literally amount-
ed to one Canadian dollar.
After working for awhile in Can-
ada, all my withholdings were re-
funded. Canadian medical services
for every citizen are mostly gov-
ernment managed while we have
government only for Medicare after
65, Medicaid in places and the Af-
fordable Care Act. Canadians pay a
higher practical tax rate of 28 per-
cent compared to 18 percent in the
U.S. but cost of living in Canada is
lower.
Canada does not tax their middle
class so their wealthiest citizens can
receive big tax reductions. Medicare
For All will not serve as a panacea
for those aged 18 to 36 or any oth-
er age group. Americans want re-
forms that other so-called post-in-
dustrial nations appreciate: Most of
us want medical service availability
where profi t is not the only de-
terminer and affordability occurs
through laws that provide livability
through dignity and health for all
citizens. Meanwhile, we could do
so much better. The U.S. could do
so much better at providing med-
ical services to our citizens while
Canada serves as a model for what
could be here.
(Gene H. McIntyre lives in Keiz-
er. He shares his opinion frequently
in the Keizertimes.)
Effrem Demonds
Davis
Arrested Jan. 25 for:
Parole violation
Abraham Romero-
Angeles
Previous convictions:
Assault, DUII, theft
Arrested Jan. 23 for:
Theft
Previous convictions:
Strangulation, theft
Rody Langimeo
Arrested Jan. 24 for:
Major traffi c violation
Previous convictions:
Trespass, giving false info
to a police offi cer
Pauline Elizabeth
Hanson
Arrested Jan. 25 for:
Drug possession
Previous convictions:
Theft, identity theft
Celebrate heart health
throughout February
Wear Red Day, is on Friday, Feb.
7. Salem Health is encouraging
the hospital and the community
to wear red to kick off American
Heart Month and promote heart
health. Salem Health is celebrating
American Heart Month this Febru-
ary by offering community activi-
ties and other heart-health related
events.
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, and Thurs-
day, Feb. 13, Salem Health is of-
fering free health screenings from
6:30 to 10 a.m. in the Salem Health
Community Health Education
Center at the Salem Hospital, 939
Oak St. S.E., Building D.
The screenings will measure
cholesterol, blood sugar, blood
pressure, height and weight. In
addition to the screening, hospital
staff will help patients understand
their results. Members of Mended
Hearts, a non-profi t support group
for patients and families affected by
heart disease, will be there from 8 to
10 a.m. as well.
Call 503-814-2432 to reserve
a
15-minute
appointment.
Remember to fast for 12 hours
before the cholesterol test.
Kaiser Permanente cardiologist
Priya Kansal, MD, will be speaking
at Talk with a Doc: Living healthy
with gadgets, on Thursday, Feb.
13 from noon to 1 p.m. at the
Salem Hospital, 939 Oak St. S.E.
Building D. She will share the latest
advancements on leading a heart-
healthy lifestyle and how fi tness
gadgets help.
Three times this month KYKN
will have radio tips featuring hearth
health at 12:45 p.m. Gabe Gaetner
will be on the air on Monday, Feb. 3
to share how some patients are able
to stop taking blood thinners with
the WATCHMAN device.
The following Thursday, Feb.
6, Andy Walker, a cardiac nurse
navigator, will explain heart
medications.
The fi nal radio tip will be on
Friday, Feb. 21, and will feature
Dan Voy as he sares his journery
after a quintuple bypass and how
the Mended Hearts support group
made a difference.
On the last two Wednesdays of
the month, Feb. 19 and Feb. 26 from
6 to 8 p.m. Chef Andre Uribe will
teach several hearth healthy recipes.
Come hungry and ready to learn.
There is a $15 fee. Register online
at www.salemhealth.org/chec or
call 503-814-2432.
Because
many
open-heart
surgeries depend on donated
blood, Salem Health is encouraging
community members to donate
blood in honor of American
Heart Month. Schedule to donate
at www.redcrossbloo.org or call
1-800-RED-CROSS.