Letters to the editor
To the Editor:
Maybe you've been watching television and seen the ads describing a new Medicare prescription drug plan. Or, perhaps you've been given materials about the new program when you've picked up a prescription. What's happening to the Medicare program and the millions of Americans who are enrolled in it is one of the most profound benefit changes in the program's history. And because this new program is so sweeping, it is important for everyone to begin understanding how this new set of options will work.
Set to begin on Jan. 1, 2006, the federal Medicare program is going to begin providing prescription drug coverage for everyone who receives Medicare, regardless of income. In addition to offering a prescription drug benefit, there also will be a new Medicare plan offered that combines a prescription drug plan with a Medicare Advantage plus Prescription Drug, or MA-PD.
Because this new coverage represents such a radical change, we hope all Medicare subscribers and those who care for them will learn more about these new offerings. And even though enrollment started on Nov. 15, it's still not too late to collect information and learn all you can about the changes. Much of this information can be accessed via the Internet at the Medicare Web site www.medicare.gov but I hope people will talk to their local health care providers, too.
Together, we can help sort through the volumes of information that is flooding the airwaves and piling up in your mailboxes. It will be important to have all of the facts before taking action. Everyone enrolled in Medicare will have to see if one of these new plans is right for him or her.
How do you know where to sign up? People will need to review their options carefully. Check and then re-check to see if the plans being marketed will work with your current providers, your doctor, pharmacist, and hospital. It is important to understand that all plans are run by private companies NOT the federal government.
Important factors to consider are the list of drugs covered on various plans and the different networks of doctors, pharmacies, and hospitals that can be used.
For all Medicare enrollees, the initial enrollment period started on Nov. 15 but it continues well into next year. People have until May 15, 2006, to make enrollment decisions. If you have Medicare, I invite you to contact the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services or any of your local healthcare providers. Together, we can help seniors sort through the various plan options and see what choices might be best.
While much of the publicity surrounding these sweeping Medicare changes has centered on the addition of the prescription drug benefits, there is another important change that impacts physician and hospital care called Medicare Advantage. This part of the Medicare program will replace the Medicare+Choice program and is offering private plan alternatives for those enrolled in Medicare's traditional fee for service insurance program. It represents a new emphasis on managed care and has sweeping implications for all.
First and foremost, before taking any action people should assess their needs and check with their local health care providers to make sure they can seek treatment and care at their provider of choice. It might be that some hospitals or physicians in this area are not affiliated with the Medicare Advantage plan being marketed.
Taking time now to weigh your options before you sign up for any of the new plans will be time well spent. There are pros and cons to consider before making any changes — and being an informed consumer has never been more important.
In making a decision on Medicare health plans, it is important that you know and understand how your community-owned hospital and other local health care providers will cover your health needs under each plan. Hillsboro Community Medical Center is currently reviewing the Medicare programs available in this area. If you receive any mailings or other promotional materials, we would appreciate it if you could bring them to the hospital so we could make a copy and investigate the offerings being made. A decision will be made on this matter in the best interest of our community. At this point, Hillsboro Community Medical Center has not been offered a contract to participate in the Medicare Advantage program. I will release a statement to the public once an informed decision has been made. In the meantime, feel free to contact Medicare to address questions or concerns regarding these Medicare plans and the coverage available in this area.
Michael Ryan
Administrator & CEO
Hillsboro Community Medical Center
Readers 'sound off' about casino issue
To the Editor:
First off let me say, I have no super powers as to be able to tell you what will happen if there would be a casino placed in Marion County. I don't know how many low-life people it would attract.
Some people seem to be gifted that way, or is it they have more hot air to put out?
I do know that if I was the one who sort of referred to the waitresses and other staff being in the low-life category, I would keep my eye on whoever handled my food when I went out to eat.
As far as making the money, I believe there has to be a lot of it made, because the electric bill would be tremendous. When I trucked across Nevada, I could eat free at the "76" truck stops. They said they made more money off the slot machines than they could from food. I was in several places crossing that state and can you believe, not a single soul forced me in any way to gamble.
I have lived in Kansas nearly all my life and trucked in and out of this state for many years. If anyone is dumb enough to think that if you don't have a place close by, it will keep people from gambling, they need to come out of their dream world.
There are buses and all sorts of ways to get to a casino, track, or something. When I went past the race track in Colorado, most of the vehicles would have Kansas tags.
This county and the state of Kansas needs to do something to try to bring in more revenue, as more and more taxes surely cannot be the answer.
If a casino would attract so many new people, surely there would be some church-goers. Not every one of them would be a compulsive gambler and not everyone would want to eat out there every day.
There also would have to be several more law enforcement officers hired and that would mean the sale of more SUVs and super pickups. We'd need a bigger jail. Think about it, there's just no limit to the betterment.
So let's all get together on something that will generate more jobs, money, and a little easier way to handle the tax burden even if you think it is wrong.
All you people who are against a casino — let's hear your idea of something else that will help everyone, not just you. In other words, as someone once said, "Do something, either lead, follow, or get out of the way."
James E. Hoffner
Durham
To The Editor:
Did you know that Americans gamble more money each year than they spend on groceries? Or that nearly one in five homeless people admit that gambling contributed to their poverty (yet 37 percent of them continue to gamble)? Or that 75 percent of pathological gamblers admitted that they had committed at least one felony to support their habit?
In the past 50 years our country has quickly moved away from a belief in absolute truth to relativism. Gambling is just one more vice that is destroying our nation little by little. Its promoters have tried to give it a facelift by changing the name to "gaming," but it still is the same unsavory habit to which many have become addicted.
Fifteen years ago, only Nevada and New Jersey permitted casinos, but now 48 states have some form of legalized gambling. Nevada ranks first in the nation for suicide, divorce, high school dropouts, and homicide against women; third in bankruptcies and abortion; fourth in rape, out-of-wedlock births, and alcohol-related deaths. Atlantic City, N.J., has been called an "extraordinary success story," but the vacant land one or two blocks either side of the main thoroughfare resembles a bombed-out war zone. Many businesses have gone broke since the arrival of casinos. Even Donald Trump stated, "People will spend a tremendous amount of money in casinos, money that they normally spend on buying a refrigerator or a new car. Local business will suffer because they'll lose customer dollars to the casinos."
We don't need gambling in Marion County and I encourage everyone to do their part in preventing it from coming here.
Steve Greenhaw
Hillsboro
To The Editor:
Regarding the report by Susan Cooper concerning the casino in the Nov. 16 issue of the Hillsboro Star-Journal —
Cooper stated that "25 people, mostly non-county residents, crowded with the news media in the commission room." I was at the meeting and I saw mostly county residents — from Marion, Hillsboro, Peabody, etc.
Mr. Knight makes the statement that "it's not good business to allow problem gamblers to gamble." How does he propose to stop those "problem gamblers?"
Caryl Wiebe
Hillsboro
To The Editor:
I am writing this letter in response to Dale Nuss's letter. I am speaking for myself and not the county commission.
First of all, I need to make sure all understand that this is more than a casino we are talking about in this ongoing debate. This endeavor also includes a hotel, convention center, restaurants, shops, day-care center, etc.
One is sometimes left with the impression in all the literature being passed around that this casino is about some seedy little building and nothing more, when in fact it is a large complex providing 1,000-plus jobs and a facility this community could be proud of should it come to fruition.
Nuss made the statement that Glenn Thompson made a calm and accurate case that it was very unlikely that a casino would ever be built in Marion County. Of course he did, that is what he was recruited to do, just as Mr. Knight came here to make a case for a casino. Now the voters can weigh the relative merits of both sides and then decide for themselves what they feel would be good for Marion County.
The statement also was made that Marion County was an unlikely candidate and the casino would end up in a more densely populated county (like Sedgwick County, which by the way is not in the running because as I understand it they are not having a referendum) to ensure maximum exposure. There are three successful casinos north of Topeka that are not in a densely populated area and I would guess since they have been open for several years they are successful in spite of their location in a mostly rural area.
Comments made in Nuss's letter and in brochures I have seen insinuate Marion County has nothing to offer for this sort of enterprise. I would guess that when someone suggested Branson, Mo., for an entertainment center, there were those against the idea who also ridiculed the idea as preposterous, and focused on all the negative aspects. I wonder what they think now? No one knows what is possible without trying.
In 1960, JFK committed this nation to putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade. This was at a time when we did not have rockets that operated consistently, nor had we any idea of what all was involved. Immediately there were experts citing studies, etc., that showed this was a wasted effort and a sorry way to spend tax dollars, especially when there was no chance of success. Then there were those who asked "why not" and started making it happen. We all know what happened in the summer of 1969.
Why not Marion County?
Nuss made the statement it is the job of our state legislature to look out for the well being of Kansas. To a point that is true. Their job is actually to represent the majority view of their constituents, thus the voters are allowed to decide what they see as best for Kansas.
Government derives its power from the people and not the other way around. With this in mind I still do not understand all the opposition to putting this casino question before the voters on a ballot. The alternative was to have three commissioners decide the issue, or on the other hand, an unknown number of opponents who wanted to kill the issue by stopping the vote. The voters will now have their chance and come what may, the majority will have spoken, not the few.
In trying to respond to Nuss's challenge to produce the "model casino community" I spent several hours on the Internet. I came to a solid conclusion, there is enough information out there to support any stance one may take on this issue. All one has to do is cite the studies and experts that support his/her position and ignore all the other information (type in "casino impact studies" on the web to search for yourselves).
I didn't feel that was an ethical way to approach this subject, so instead I started calling people in Holton to get their opinion. After all, they aren't referencing "studies," they have three casinos within 35 miles — they are living it. I talked to people in their chamber of commerce, economic development corporation, four business owners, sheriff's office, and one county commissioner.
I asked specific doom and gloom questions that have been provided concerning a casino's impact on a community and it seems at least to the people I visited with, that they are not experiencing all these apocalyptic predictions. There have been problems to be dealt with but no rampant increase in crime, bankruptcies, etc., that can be attributed to the casinos.
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being favorable, I asked each person I visited with to give me their opinion of the impact of the casinos on their community. The lowest number I received was a 7.
Keep in mind these are Indian-owned casinos and there is no tax benefit to Johnson County whatsoever. All the benefit they receive is from the increase in the number of people visiting their county.
I encourage everyone rather than take my word for it to take the time to call people there so you also can make an "informed decision" without being inundated with "studies, expert's opinions, and sanitized statistics."
One final comment concerns a statement made that the money for the election would have been better spent helping the needy rather than on an election. First, tax dollars are used for social programs but are not meant to be used as donations for charitable purposes. Second, I personally subscribe to the adage "give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach him to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."
My intention is not to belittle the efforts of so many to help the needy of this community, rather it is to point out that I feel it is the county's job to provide jobs for the needy so that they may help themselves and "eat for a lifetime," and it is to this end that I personally pushed for this casino resort issue to be put before the voters.
There is far more than the jobs created by this enterprise, I also envision this being a catalyst for other business and job opportunities.
Dan Holub
Marion
