TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2020
Baker City, Oregon
4A
Write a letter
news@bakercityherald.com
OUR VIEW
Bentz best
choice for
Congress
Greg Walden is retiring, creating a race for an open
seat for Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District. Cliff
Bentz, a Republican, is the best person to fi ll it.
Bentz, 68, is an attorney and former state legis-
lator — 10 years in the House and 2 years in the
Senate. His opponent, Democrat Alex Spenser, 55,
has worked many different jobs, including as a writer.
There are sharp differences between them on a host
of issues.
Spenser wants to require gun owners to be regu-
larly tested on every gun they own for safety and
profi ciency. Bentz does not want new gun laws. He
wants the ones in place to be enforced. That is not
to say, though, that he would not support changes if
laws are not working as they should.
Spenser supports expanding something like the
Oregon Health Plan to every American. Bentz does
not want a single-payer system. He wants people to
have health care. He doesn’t want the government to
control it all.
On climate, Spenser backs the “Green New Deal.”
We agree the nation needs a bold climate action
plan. The Green New Deal is not the one. The federal
government should not guarantee everyone a job, as
nice as that might sound. The federal government
should not be taking total or partial control of energy,
transportation and more. It puts too much faith and
control in the hands of government planners. Bentz’s
concept is more circumspect, realistic and decentral-
ized. He believes climate change is real. He wants
innovation, sequestration and adaptation. He wants
solutions that save people money and not more top-
down fees.
Spenser’s vow to work toward ending the divisive-
ness in Congress is appealing. But Bentz has real
experience in the Legislature working across party
lines. He never spent one day in the majority while in
offi ce. He managed to get things done. Two examples:
Oregonians fi nally get an opportunity to pump some
of their own gas and they can drive a little faster on
rural roads because of Bentz. He also helped lead the
compromise between Democrats and Republicans to
deliver the $5 billion state transportation package
in 2017. That package does everything from helping
transit to repairing and improving roads.
With Walden’s retirement, Oregon’s 2nd Congres-
sional District loses a powerful, effective voice in
Washington. Bentz’s record of political accomplish-
ment is a much better starting point than Spenser’s.
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the Baker City Herald.
Columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions
of the authors and not necessarily that of the Baker City Herald.
Your views
Gretchen Stadler is my top
choice for Baker City Council
Local elections give us the chance
to elect candidates that infl uence the
policy-making decisions that affect us
the most. I believe everyone has the
right to dignity, respect, a safe environ-
ment, and opportunities for success. In
the upcoming city council elections, I
feel strongly that Gretchen Stadler is
the top candidate for the job.
Gretchen’s ability to listen to
concerns of the community, engage in
discussions on how to better our com-
munity, provide attainable solutions to
problems, and her resounding respect
for others will make her a valuable
member of Baker City Council. Now
more than ever, we need city council
members who are dedicated to bring-
ing our community together. This is not
the time to elect city council members
who perpetuate drama and their own
self-interest. Therefore, I am support-
ing Gretchen Stadler for City Council
because I believe her morals and deter-
mination are valuable for our commu-
nity and Baker City Council.
I have seen Gretchen’s efforts in ac-
tion and be a resounding voice for our
community by bettering public spaces,
community parks and recreation,
investing in local community resources,
increasing recycling efforts, support-
ing inclusivity for all Baker County
residents, and petitioning for the Quiet
Zone — so freight trains stop sounding
their horns unless for an emergency.
I feel strongly that Gretchen will help
see policies through fruition that are
voiced and supported by Baker City
constituents. I hope that our communi-
Letters to the editor
• We welcome letters on any issue of
public interest. Customer complaints
about specifi c businesses will not be
printed.
• The Baker City Herald will not
knowingly print false or misleading
ty is aware of Gretchen’s candidacy and
seeks to learn more about her values
and principles as they will surely be
impressed with her commitment to
making Baker City the best it can be.
Emily Simko
Baker City
ashamed of themselves and apologize
to the citizens for being treacherous,
petty, and traitorous to the community.
Penny Rienks
Baker City
Photos of mask-less
customers hurt businesses
I wholeheartedly endorse Gretchen
Stadler for City Council. Local govern-
ment plays an important and visible
role in our daily life. We need a diverse
body of intelligent, dedicated, and re-
spectful individuals motivated to serve
the interests of the whole community.
Gretchen is just the kind of competent,
hard-working, and thoughtful person
we need.
I have had the pleasure of working
with Gretchen on several community
projects. She can always be counted
on for well thought out, inclusive, and
comprehensive perspectives. Gretchen’s
open-minded approach to problem-solv-
ing comes with a willingness to listen
and learn. Though polite and humble,
Gretchen is also strong enough to
challenge preconceived ideas, identify
biases, and build consensus.
City council members need to be
committed to doing the necessary
work. This includes studying materi-
als generated by city staff, researching
best practices, formulating appropriate
questions, and listening and respond-
ing to citizen input. You can count on
Gretchen to put in the time and effort
to be an informed and productive mem-
ber of the council. She will get my vote
and I hope she’ll get your vote too.
Cynthia Roberts
Baker City
Is it true a business person here in
Baker City is going around to other
business to take pictures of customers
not wearing a face mask and then turn-
ing the business into OSHA? By turn-
ing them into OSHA, the business can
receive a fi ne and/or be closed. How can
that be? What a shameful thing to do!
With all the problems that COVID-19
has caused, why would anyone do that?
What kind of person would cause even
more economical hardships for large
and small businesses? I cannot believe
any one would be so small and petty as
to cause more harm to the community
during this time. We all know that
face masks don’t do any good and our
county has a low rate of Covid-19 and
deaths. One death was not by COVID
even though the state reported it
that way. Even Union has a snitch for
face masks! As Dennis Falk of Union,
stated, “... Make up your own educated
decision on if you need a mask or not
... It is not our place to go against your
freedom as Americans.” We should all
stand up against our governor and
refuse to wear face masks and get on
with life pre-COVID. Open businesses
and go back to school. This is the land
of the free not of the oppressed. The
people turning in businesses should be
claims. However, we cannot verify the
accuracy of all statements in letters to
the editor.
• Writers are limited to one letter every
15 days.
• The writer must sign the letter and
include an address and phone number (for
Gretchen Stadler would be
productive city councilor
verifi cation only).
• Letters will be edited for brevity,
grammar, taste and legal reasons.
Mail: To the Editor, Baker City Herald,
P.O. Box 807, Baker City, OR 97814
Email: news@bakercityherald.com
Cost of COVID-19 test key to kids in classrooms
By Melissa Syzmanski
Teachers are a keystone of the
nation’s economic recovery. We
need to return to classrooms so
that students can learn, and par-
ents can return to work.
Yet across the country students,
teachers and families are in limbo,
contending with virtual school-
ing, which isn’t an ideal learning
environment.
To get teachers like me safely
back in schools as soon as possible,
we must reduce the risk of spread-
ing this disease to our colleagues
and students. I want to get back in
the classroom just as much as the
families whose kids I teach. By rou-
tinely taking COVID-19 tests, even
if asymptomatic, we can reduce the
school outbreak risk that would
signifi cantly set back reopening
timelines.
A major barrier to achieving this
testing peace of mind is the lack of
cost certainty around COVID-19 di-
agnoses. If teachers like me have to
worry that COVID-19 tests might
generate ruinous medical bills, we
will be far less likely to get the care
we need and our students deserve.
Testing price transparency is the
solution.
I speak from personal experi-
ence. This spring, I tried to get a
COVID-19 test but didn’t fi t the
profi le required to receive one at
the time. Instead, I was forced to go
to the ER to get a chest X-ray, but
I also received an EKG, IV fl uids,
a fl u test and a pregnancy test,
because I was in rough shape when
I arrived. I was hit with $4,500
worth of associated bills, brought
down to $3,200 by insurance, in the
ensuing weeks. (It turned out that
I had contracted COVID-19. While
my medical health has recovered,
my fi nancial health has not. Fight-
ing these bills has been a part-time
job in and of itself.)
I’m not alone. There are also
countless stories of patients like
me who are denied COVID-19
tests yet receive fi ve-fi gure bills
for other related exams. Patients
who do receive COVID-19 tests
have been charged roughly $6,500.
While these bills are outliers, tests
regularly range from hundreds to
thousands of dollars.
According to a Gallup Poll,
nearly one in six Americans with
COVID-19 symptoms would not
get tested for fear of unknown
costs. Hidden health care prices
are, therefore, not only a fi nancial
threat but also a public health
menace. Hidden prices will delay
the safe reopening of classrooms
and the associated economic
growth.
If teachers — and all Americans
— knew exactly what they had to
pay for a COVID-19 test and that
they wouldn’t be subject to addi-
tional related charges, more people
will get tested and fewer will get in-
fected. This price certainty will give
us the freedom and control to get
tested when and where we want.
Health care price transparency
offered systemwide can provide
health care consumers with cost
certainty over all their care, ending
the bizarre status quo where pa-
tients are blinded from prices until
they receive their bills in the mail
weeks and months after treatment.
Price transparency can also
lower runaway health care costs.
With access to real prices, patients
can shop around for less expensive
care and fi nd better value the same
way we do for auto repair, hair styl-
ing and life insurance.
Empowering patients with prices
will enable us to steer clear of price
gouging providers that charge
$6,500 for COVID tests, $20,000
for broken arms or $600 for Band-
Aids. Vast price differentials for
the same health care services in
the same market will converge.
Ensuing market competition will
put further downward pressure on
prices.
According to a recent nationwide
poll, nearly 90% of Americans and
98% of women under the age of 40
support this commonsense reform.
Almost no other issue in today’s
politically polarized environment
enjoys such overwhelming biparti-
san support.
By providing COVID-19 test-
ing cost certainty to teachers,
health care price transparency can
make classrooms safer and return
children faster, allowing parents
to return to work, boosting the
economic recovery.
Just like how students rely on
teachers to provide them with
knowledge, teachers and all
Americans need health care price
information.
Melissa Szymanski is an elementary
school teacher in Windsor, Connecticut.