PUBLIC FORUM : CHANGING THE RULES.There is a flaw in the Medicare and Social Security game, and now our president wants to change the rules abruptly and drastically. More than 70 percent of senior citizens now on the program have supplementary health care of some kind for which they pay, or they are charged by some health maintenance organization and receive some prescription benefit. These individuals have provided for themselves through savings, job benefits, foresight and some plain good luck. Examine the Social Security benefits closely. There is not only a Medicare premium already deducted from this check, but with income from retirement fund interest, a retiree finds himself paying federal income tax on 85 percent of his checks at prevailing rates. President Clinton now wants to allow what he calls voluntary participation by this retiree in contributing more money from his check into a pool for prescription drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, coverage - a choice that has to be made off the bat or is never possible again. This looks like a tax levy on middle-class seniors to me. And how many more federal bureaucrats are we going to pay for who will then deny certain drugs or not monitor huge Medicare fraudulent claims or just plain squeeze the health care industry with their power plays? And what about the drug industry whose profit margins are double the rest of the Dow industries? And is there really a surplus in the nonexistent non·ex·is·tence n. 1. The condition of not existing. 2. Something that does not exist. non trust fund? And is the tax revenue ongoing? My portfolio ain't looking so good this year. Clinton is quite a magician or a seller of someone else's bridges, and you can't depend on the rules when he's around. - Don Roth Northridge `Unpowering' parents Why are we so fixated fix·ate v. fix·at·ed, fix·at·ing, fix·ates v.tr. 1. To make fixed, stable, or stationary. 2. To focus one's eyes or attention on: fixate a faint object. on government-provided health care? Assembly Bill 1363, facing a vote in July would put questionable ``health centers'' near every school in California. Among the ``services'' would be ones for birth control, including condoms and pelvic exams, mental health care, group counseling and dispensation DISPENSATION. A relaxation of law for the benefit or advantage of an individual. In the United States, no power exists, except in the legislature, to dispense with law, and then it is not so much a dispensation as a change of the law. of prescription drugs. Parental consent Parental consent laws (also known as parental involvement or parental notification laws) in some countries require that one or more parents consent to or be notified before their minor child can legally engage in certain activities. will not be necessary to give ``treatment'' to students. How can we complain about lack of parental responsibility Parental responsibility
Yes, it's politically correct politically correct Politically sensitive adjective Referring to language reflecting awareness and sensitivity to another person's physical, mental, cultural, or other disadvantages or deviations from a norm; a person is not mentally retarded, but to target parents for the bad acts of their children, but the truth is that children are being taken away from parents bit by bit through the use of drugs and the invention of maladies for which they need the drugs. Remember the April Columbine High School massacre The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado near Denver and Littleton. Two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a shooting rampage, killing 12 students and a teacher, ? One of those children was on a psychiatric drug prescribed for depression. It didn't work. Schools exist to educate children. Children are educated to equip them to make informed and rational decisions in life. If we want the next generation to be rational, intelligent leaders of tomorrow, we must use our educational system to educate and return parenting to parents. - Anita Rodgers Tujunga $100,000 for what? The editorial on Richard Alatorre Richard Alatorre is a politician, and a member of the Democratic Party. Alatorre has served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council. He was the first Latino to serve on the council in 23 years. was very enlightening en·light·en tr.v. en·light·ened, en·light·en·ing, en·light·ens 1. To give spiritual or intellectual insight to: . Regarding this $100,000-a-year job he was given by powerful Democrats: Does this committee meet every day? Once a week? Or once a month? How many more jobs are like this in Sacramento? It makes one wonder about our form of government. - Nino Polito Woodland Hills The `grate debait' I can hardly wait for Dan Quayle James Danforth "Dan" Quayle (born February 4 1947) was the forty-fourth Vice President of the United States under George H. W. Bush (1989–1993). He unsuccessfully sought the Republican Party Presidential nomination in 2000. and George W. Bush to debate. Think of all the new words, spellings and pronunciations we, and our children, will learn. - Zachary A. Charles Burbank Shame on DA Shame, shame, shame on you, Ventura County District Attorney Michael Bradbury. I had looked to you in hopes of justice being served in the senseless death of my father, William Kremper. You have failed. Perhaps your promise of no plea bargaining plea bargaining, negotiation in which a defendant agrees to plead guilty to a criminal charge in exchange for concessions by the prosecutor (representing the state). for the previously convicted felon An individual who commits a crime of a serious nature, such as Burglary or murder. A person who commits a felony. felon n. a person who has been convicted of a felony, which is a crime punishable by death or a term in state or federal prison. slipped your mind. A maximum of 14 years cannot be real. The first nightmare, which I prayed to wake from, has now turned into a trip to hell. Did the fact that this felon pleaded guilty to all counts lead you to believe you were saving the taxpayers money? I wonder. Did you know my father felt it not only a duty, but also an honor, to go on jury duty? How disgusted he would be at you. The last time he served on a jury, a man got a sentence longer than 14 years for a lesser crime. It was my 11-year-old son, the apple of my father's eye, who said it best: ``Don't worry, Mommy. When he gets out he will kill again, and then he will get more.'' I can only pray to God that it isn't any one of your family members who has to be killed in such a sad event. As a family, we have united in nothing but understanding that the Sheriff's Department had a job to do, and we accepted that. As a family, we then turned to you to give us closure. I must now go to court to beg a judge to give this murderer the maximum you have set. Tell me: What does a 14-year sentence come out to in jail time anymore? Six years, maybe seven, with good behavior Orderly and lawful action; conduct that is deemed proper for a peaceful and law-abiding individual. The definition of good behavior depends upon how the phrase is used. ? I now need Valium to sleep. What do you people use to sleep at night? I have lost all faith in the justice system in Ventura County, and it is on your shoulders that you must now carry the pain you have caused. It is the District Attorney's Office that is the true criminal in this act, and I wish I could be on the jury to prosecute you. My father always hated a liar more than anything else, and I was lied to by your office when I was told: ``We will do whatever it takes to see this man prosecuted to the fullest.'' Just as I began, I shall finish. Shame, shame, shame! - Linda Kremper Moon Porterville Politician's candor amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. David Nyhan's article about John McCain For McCain's grandfather and father, see John S. McCain, Sr. and John S. McCain, Jr., respectively John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936 in Panama Canal Zone) is an American politician, war veteran, and currently the Republican Senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. , ``Spurning the Hogfest'' (Opinions, July 7), was a breath of fresh air. Imagine, a conservative politician who truthfully speaks out about the divisive political mess we're in. A guy who said that ``the system has become corrupted'' and ``we have squandered squan·der tr.v. squan·dered, squan·der·ing, squan·ders 1. To spend wastefully or extravagantly; dissipate. See Synonyms at waste. 2. the public trust'' and ``average Americans are not represented any longer.'' McCain continues to crusade against the corruption of campaign finance, despite the disapproval of ``soft-money'' lobbyists. He's also taken on Big Tobacco and telecommunication lobbyists. I sure hope we don't lose him. We can use a truthful politician in Washington - and everywhere else. - Preston P. Birenbaum Woodland Hills Don't cry over area codes In regards to the continually recurring area code split or overlay brouhaha, the definitive solution is really very simple: Just add another digit to every local number. Voila! Ten times as many available telephone numbers. Do you remember when Valley telephone numbers had only four digits? And later two letters plus five digits? Seven digits is not sacred. Progress, the inexorable kind, now requires eight-digit local telephone numbers. - John Southworth John Southworth is the name of:
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