ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, May 3, 1996 TAG: 9605030014
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: LETTERS
I UNDERSTAND Uncle Sam is considering collecting Medicaid's long-term care costs from patients' children. In other words, the government plans to impoverish not only the at-home spouse but the entire family!
Consider Mr. and Mrs. John Doe who, while raising and educating their daughter, saved about $50,000. Then Mr. Doe falls ill and ends up in a long-term facility.
Medicaid splits the $50,000 in half. Mrs. Doe watches her husband slowly dying. In less than two years, his $25,000 is gone, but he lives another five years, costing Medicaid about $150,000. She spends $6,000 for a casket, funeral, etc. - and her $25,000 is down to $19,000.
Her seriously reduced Social Security payments and lack of company retirement income mean she cannot pay for rent, heat, light and food, let alone think about that gall-bladder operation she needs. So Mrs. Doe is forced to move in with her daughter. The daughter and her husband have low-paying jobs and two kids, and cannot keep their own heads above water. Mrs. Doe helps with the bills, but her diminished income doesn't help much. Things are tough.
Now, Uncle Sam tells the daughter that her father's Medicaid bills exceeded $150,000 and she must work out a payment plan. Not only has the system impoverished Mrs. Doe, but it plans to impoverish the entire family, setting the stage for more welfare, broken families, suicide, spousal abuse - you name it.
America spent $2 million per day for nine years just to lay land mines in the Vietnam War, which amounted to $6.5 billion for land mines. We shot cruise missiles into Baghdad for $500,000 each, as fast as the launchers could load them. We have money for Somalia, Jerusalem, Panama, Desert Storm, Haiti, Cuban refugees, legal and illegal aliens, dope addicts, dishonest welfare recipients and crooked medical claimants. And yet we see fit to impoverish the old-fashioned, honest, hard-working, dedicated American citizen.
We need to get our priorities straight, America!
CLARENCE JEWELL
HUDDLESTON
County residents have long memories
REGARDING John S. Koehler's April 16 letter to the editor, ``With apologies to Letterman ... '':
He should direct his 10 alternative ways to the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors. I think it had someone with his mentality in mind when the bonds for sewer lines were issued in the 1950s. North County homeowners voted yes then. Do the research on what happened. We also voted yes on Spring Hollow. For what?
Koehler needs to do his homework; then, point a finger.
HELEN C. DUNBAR
ROANOKE
Police need not defend their actions
AFTER READING your April 23 news article (``Police defend fatal crash''), I felt compelled to write. Never in my life have I been angry enough to write a newspaper, but I am today.
I'm a parent, so I understand a parent's need to defend their children. What I don't understand is Jimmie Allman's comment: ``Had he killed anybody prior to that time? No. But they made him a murderer.''
Nobody made Scott Allman kill that family, that baby. Nobody else can even share the blame.
I don't believe the police should have to defend anything. Scott Allman will have to defend himself in a court of law, and he will have to live with what he did for the rest of his life.
The police always get a bunch of static from the public when things like this happen. That's taking the heat off the person it should be on. Allman is responsible for this tragedy, not the police. They were doing their job, and if he were a law-abiding citizen, this would never have happened.
PEGGY L. MARTINEZ
ROANOKE
Smeltzer has good ideas for Salem
STEVE SMELTZER, Salem City Council candidate, is honest and has integrity. His leadership, into the 21st century as a council member, can be demonstrated by his accomplishments to date. Smeltzer has served in membership and leadership roles in organizations such as the Salem schools' Gifted Advisory Committee, Southwest Virginia Health Systems Agency, Salem/Roanoke County Chamber of Commerce (he's a past president), and the Tanglewood Breakfast Lions Club.
In this election, he has initiated proposals, such as a visitors' center, which the other candidates either favor or are now looking into. He also favors technological training in schools to encourage our youth to stay in Salem so that we have a work force that high-tech businesses can draw from. He feels the proposed golf course should be run by private enterprise, and that local government shouldn't compete with private enterprise.
When elected to Salem City Council, Smeltzer will continue to serve our citizens with a common-sense approach and innovative ideas.
DON B. SEAY
SALEM
Hockett will help bring results
YOU ARE correct in stating (May 1 editorial, ``The town of rising expectations'') that Christiansburg's citizens are asking more of town government. It's already working. Town Council is being more responsive, whether due to the upcoming election or citizens' attendance at council meetings.
Three council seats are available. I hope citizens will see that action causes reaction, and will vote for Bob Hockett on May 7.
Residents of this community can work together for a better quality of life in Christiansburg. Citizens wanting to make things change know they have to work for it. Please vote.
BETTY ASHBROOK
CHRISTIANSBURG
Time to replace Mayor Bowers
THE TIME has come to sweep the mayor and many of Roanoke City Council members out of office.
Mayor David ``911'' Bowers has proved his incompetence by his personal and political behavior. Under ``911's'' leadership, the city should take over the Patrick Henry Hotel since the city opened up Hotel Roanoke as a competitor. Then it should buy the Marriott and all other hotels and motels.
Bowers tried to take over a private company (Roanoke Gas Co.) and put it under government control. This sounds like socialism. Many of his associates on City Council are of like mind.
We've made many mistakes in the past by electing people who say what you want to hear. This election, let's elect people who say what they believe and do what they say.
JEFF BORTHEN
ROANOKE
Brown, Packett deserve re-election
AFTER READING about and listening to the five candidates for Salem City Council, it seems they all agree on the following points:
* Salem is fiscally sound.
* Salem has a superior school system.
* Salem provides a quality environment in which to live and raise a family.
* Salem provides excellent services to its citizens.
I certainly agree, and I'd like to add this: Alex Brown and Howard Packett were and are vital contributors to our fine standard of living. We should re-elect both men to ensure we continue this commitment. Having served with them for many years, I know they care more about Salem and its citizens than one could possibly imagine.
The only ``manufactured issues'' seem to be the lack of citizen participation and future development of Mowles Spring Park.
Regarding citizen participation, there are 16 active boards and commissions with 88 Salem citizens participating. There are three citizen committees with 54 citizens participating. If my math is correct, that total is 19 boards, commissions and other citizen committees using 142 civic-oriented Salem folks. We advertise quarterly in the Salem Times-Register requesting interested citizens to apply for upcoming expiring terms.
Regarding Mowles Spring Park, we have one committee (Future Use of Mowles Spring Park/Landfill) composed of 10 Salem taxpayers who are highly qualified in many diverse business areas. Council hasn't received its recommendations and no decision has been discussed.
We have two excellent incumbents in Brown and Packett. Let's keep Salem a great place to live and re-elect these outstanding and progressive men.
JIM TALIAFERRO
Mayor of Salem
SALEM
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