The Independent, October 7, 2004
Page 3
Letters
Bush policies promote
high health care costs
To the Editor:
Healthcare costs are out of
control, in no small part because
of actions taken by the Bush ad-
ministration.
For example, Bush’s much
vaunted Medicare drug program
gave billions to the pharmaceu-
tical companies, while making it
illegal for Medicare to negotiate
for lower drug prices.
45 million Americans are en-
rolled in Medicare, most of
whom use prescription drugs.
That’s a lot of clout that Bush
prohibited us from using. If
Medicare prices were lower, pri-
vate insurance companies could
also demand lower prices. In-
stead, Bush protected his big
campaign donors, the pharma-
ceutical companies.
Another example: The ad-
ministration is systematically
cutting funds for the Oregon
Health Plan, the state version of
Medicaid, which provides health
care insurance for the poorest
Oregonians. With no insurance
they have no choice except to
use emergency rooms for any
illness, which costs a lot more
than a doctor’s office visit. ERs
have to see them, and they can’t
pay, so the rest of us pay higher
and higher bills for all hospital
services. There are 44 million
Americans without health insur-
ance, unable to afford basic
health care, in the richest coun-
try in the world.
We need a president that
doesn’t pay off his buddies at
the expense of the rest of us.
Kerry has a sensible plan to pro-
vide most Americans with health
insurance, which would reduce
costs for all of us.
Protect yourself and your
family: Vote for Kerry.
Sue Goodhope
Vernonia
Malpractice costs not
driving doctors away
To the Editor:
Insurance companies want
us to think that doctors are
leaving Oregon to avoid paying
high medical malpractice pre-
miums. But I just read about a
study by Public Citizen showing
that the number of doctors in
Oregon is actually increasing.
Measure 35 won’t help doctors
but it will limit our rights by
changing the constitution. Vot-
ers should not be swayed by
the insurance industry’s slick
campaign. Please join me in
voting No on 35.
Janice Martin
Astoria
Hyde’s leadership is Veteran fought for the
good for the county rights of Americans
To The Editor:
Each day we are faced with
many, many choices. During
election time, the choices
sometimes feel overwhelming.
But some of our choices are
much simpler than others.
Over the last eight years,
Commissioner Tony Hyde has
worked tirelessly for us. He has
proven his integrity, honesty
and commitment to Columbia
County. His efforts brought new
businesses to our county, in-
creasing and diversifying the
tax base for public services, in-
cluding education.
Simply put, Commissioner
Hyde has the experience, com-
mitment, fortitude and skill to
continue to lead Columbia
County into the future.
During this time of choices,
make the simple, clear choice.
Choose proven leadership.
Choose experience. Choose
Ike Says… From page 2
December, but was well ahead of the previous
three years. Whether the increased harvest was
due to excellent weather conditions last year, or
to the cumulative effects of fewer hunters and re-
duced length of the last two seasons, is yet to be
seen. My guess is that it was a combination of all
three, but with that said, that may leave fewer
bulls for this year, especially with this year’s
higher bow harvest.
Interestingly, the hunter numbers between the
two seasons was almost identical, at 1260. What
puzzles me is, with only 1260 hunters spread out
over 960 square miles, why are we seeing so
many hunters during the season? I think some of
you know that answer, don’t you! The Oregon
State Police should interview every group of
hunters it encounters and get information on
how many people are in the woods without a tag
and, while they are at it, count the number of
weapons in the vehicles. I think this would pro-
vide the answer to my question.
Most of you know that I am not an ardent sup-
porter of locked gates on the timberlands around
us. This year proved to me what is really going
on with our corporate neighbors who own the
surrounding lands, but not the wildlife. Bow
hunters this year – for the first time in a long time
– had a very wet season, which reduced fire
danger to a very low level. Longview Fibre was a
responsible corporate citizen and recognized
that they had little risk of fire from allowing bow
hunters’ vehicle access onto their lands, as they
do for rifle hunters later in the year. The other
integrity. Choose honesty.
Choose a hard-working, caring
leader with no hidden agendas.
Choose Tony Hyde.
Jan Richard
Scappoose
timberland owners did not open their gates, but
allowed walk-in-only access. It is my belief that
this is a long-term strategy of the big timberland
owners (Longview Fibre the only exception) in
our area to gradually wean us off of their lands.
It is well-known that the big corporate timber-
land owners would be very happy if we hunters
didn’t exist, and though they have some valid
concerns, we are still a fact of life. This is why,
this year, I am going to vote for Measure 34.
Measure 34 is the 50-50 plan for managing the
Tillamook and Clatsop forests. I can see the
handwriting on the wall and, quite frankly, I do
not think that the big corporate timberland own-
ers need to log all of the Tillamook and Clatsop
forests.
I can also see far enough into the future to
know that if Measure 34 fails, it will be a green
light to keep forest harvest operations as the pri-
mary goal of these two publicly-owned forests.
Measure 34 provides for sustainable logging on
these lands, while protecting critical habitat for
threatened birds and fish, and preserving recre-
ational values in the process. If Measure 34 fails,
don’t be surprised to see NO ENTRY signs on
your public forests because of timber harvest op-
erations. Remember, this time the land is ours,
not theirs! Vote yes on Measure 34.
Izaak Walton League
Nehalem Valley Chapter
Third Thursday of each month at 7:00 p.m.
Call 503-429-7193 for location of meeting.
To the Editor:
As an enthusiastic young Ma-
rine I served in Viet Nam with the
2nd Battalion 5th Marine Division
near An Hoa in 1966-67. Like thou-
sands of other idealistic young
Americans, including John Kerry, I
went off to defend freedom for all
Americans. This included Free-
dom of Speech and the right to
speak out against our government
if we believed it was wrong.
John Kerry returned and coura-
geously spoke out against a war
that he believed, after seeing it first
hand, was wrong. With hindsight
most Americans, including me and
many of you, would agree that he
was right about Viet Nam. He
worked to put an end to a war that
had taken the lives of over 58,000
of our finest young people.
I think Mark Twain said it best,
“Patriotism is supporting your
country all the time and the gov-
ernment when it deserves it.”
I hope that you will join me in
voting for John Kerry.
Mike Litwin
Scappoose
Economic insecurity
just one U.S. problem
To the Editor:
Are YOU better off today? As
I write this, the price of crude oil
is about to reach $50 a barrel.
The United States has lost 1.2
million jobs since 1999. Today
42.3 million people in this coun-
try do not have health insur-
ance, 3.8 million more than in
1999.
In 2003 corporate CEO’s
saw their pay increase by 27
percent. In 2004 we will have a
federal deficit of $430 billion.
During the month of August
2004, there were more attacks
on U.S. troops in Iraq than in
any previous month. Recently
the 1000th American soldier
was killed in Iraq. More than
700 of those lives have been
lost since President Bush pro-
claimed an end to major com-
bat operations and announced
“Mission Accomplished!”
As I look around, it seems
like things aren’t going very
well.
Are there any senior citizens
reading this, who are using the
new prescription drug card
benefit? The one that doesn’t
allow Medicare to negotiate
prices with the drug compa-
nies? How is that new benefit
working for you? How are our
public schools doing? Any
problems finding funding for
our programs? Is anybody out
there having trouble finding
work that pays a decent wage?
Or know someone who is?
Did you know that under the
Bush tax plan the average tax
break for the top 1 percent of
wage earners is $96,634, while
the average break for the bot-
tom 60 percent is $350.
A recent study by the Pew
Global Attitudes Project shows
that around the world, the per-
centage of people who “view
the United States favorably” is
on the decline. In Germany the
number of people who view the
U.S. favorably is at 45 percent,
down from 78 percent in 1999.
In France it is 43 percent, down
from 62 percent. In Morocco,
27 percent, down from 77 per-
cent, and in Turkey 15 percent,
down from 52 percent. I don’t
know if this concerns you, but it
sure concerns me.
Does it concern anyone
reading this that in the United
States, where free speech is
supposed to be one of our ba-
sic rights, people are being ar-
rested and jailed for wearing
anti-Bush tee shirts or holding
anti-Bush signs at public ap-
pearances by the President.
At the Republican National
Convention a few weeks ago,
George Bush’s daughters, Bar-
bara and Jenna, addressed the
convention crowd. The twins
said that they were hitting the
campaign trail with their father,
since they had recently gradu-
ated from college and “needed
something to do.” Well, I’ve got
an idea for them. Why don’t
they volunteer for military serv-
ice and go over to Iraq and risk
their lives. Oh, that’s right, this
family doesn’t actually GO and
FIGHT in the wars it says it
supports.
One last thing. Has anyone
heard George W. Bush mention
the name Osama Bin Laden re-
cently?
Scott Laird
Vernonia
More letters on page 22