Opinion

Dear Editor,

I am rather disappointed, Mr. Billing, that you did not claim ownership to your title as Administrator of Mid Valley Hospital in last week’s editorial in the Omak Chronicle titled “Consider Consolidation.” The readers would then have more clearly recognized that the article was written from the competitive edge point of view rather than having consideration for the medical needs of the communities in the North Okanogan Valley.

Statistics reflect the fact that for every six miles between the patient and the hospital the risk of death increases by 1%. For those patients who live in Oroville, Chesaw, or Loomis and even Tonasket, consolidation decreases their chance for survival in an emergent situation.

Dear Editor,

I have just read Reva Eisenbarths letter (Gazette-Tribune, May 1, “Concerns still haven’t been addressed”) which was a response to an earlier letter I had written. Though not intended to, it seems to have struck a nerve. I wish to make it very clear that I am NOT responding to the contents of her letter. To respond would have crossed over into the negative side, which I choose not to do.

I too read with dismay Michael Billings thoughts on consolidating the three county hospital districts. Maybe he’s right, but I’m not sure it would be fair to expect the people in mid-county to have to drive to Tonasket to be treated at North Valley Hospital.

It might make sense though — patients from Omak and north could travel to Tonasket which would be centralized between Oroville and Omak and those from Okanogan and south could utilize the hospital in Brewster. The hospitals in Tonasket and Brewster could then split the money that once went to Mid-Valley Hospital.

I’m being facetious of course, but it’s not much worse than Mid-Valley Hospital Administrator Billings self-serving comments came across to many of us in North Okanogan County. We might have disagreements about just how we are going to accomplish what we want with our hospital in Tonasket, but it is still our hospital and the vast majority of us support it.

Dear Editor,

As a resident of Aeneas Valley I went to my second meeting of the commissioners of Fire District 16, the first being March 10. Let it be noted that the official posting of this meeting was given on March 27 with the meeting time of 1 p.m., March 28, at Commissioner Wright’s — 24 hours later.

Initially, it seemed an unusual time and place for a public meeting since the majority of the public concerned would be at work. Once there, it became glaringly apparent that it was not intended as a real public meeting as required by law, but in fact, was masquerading as such in order to maintain the appearance of transparency.

Dear Editor,

Thoughts concerning Fire District 16. Thoughts, comments, questions. These are the questions I ask our firefighters at the end of most of our training nights. It is also the questions I have been asking myself over the past few weeks in regards to our Fire District. I just do not understand how something that was so well intentioned has gone so terribly wrong.

Dear Editor,

March 19, 2003 saw the starting of the most brutal war, wasteful spending and irresponsible borrowing in the U.S. history. The Bush Government’s false accusation of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was the justification, which we now know was a lie.

Dear Editor,

My pen has been gathering dust, so now I’ll join the faithful “wise-all listen to me because I know best” group that contributes letters on a regular timetable for your viewer’s appetite. So here goes, you know from my past letters what quarter I am coming from. Allow me to create a situation, which you can place, yourself and many others including yours truly.

Dear Editor,

A recent story in the Spokesman-Review highlighted the case of Fred Watley, who found himself kicked to the back of the transplant line after his employer routinely changed insurance carriers, triggering a 6 month waiting period for pre-existing conditions. He would have died in less than 6 months without the transplant. Mr. Watley’s dilemma demonstrates why employers should not be health insurance buyers. Employers buying your health care without being able to ask your family’s health needs makes as much sense as having the boss buy your car for you without knowing how many kids you have to carry.

Dear Editor,

The Federal Reserve was planning to cross a wide stream. It had crossed many such streams and was skilled in crossing them well. But just as it stepped into the water, investment banks asked to ride along. They didn’t have the assets to cross the stream but knew the Fed did. The Fed looked at the investment banks and said, “I can’t let you ride on my back. You want me to take your bad debt in exchange for my instruments which have the full faith and credit of the United States,” it said. “You’ll sting me.” The investment banks said, “If we’re not able to get to the other side, everybody who is waiting for us will panic and that will be terrible.” “Besides,” they said, “If we sting you, we’ll all drown.”

Dear Editor,

I wish to comment on a letter submitted to your newspaper concerning the policy of the Chesaw Tavern requiring UPS and FedEx customers to pay a fee to retrieve their parcels.