Opinion

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Published: 19 April 2010

The health care industry wanted mandatory insurance and no public option. They got their bonanza, using a politician bought to the tune of $2.5 million in campaign contributions, to take the public option off the negotiating table – a public option the majority of Americans wanted – and negotiate this juicy deal for them.

What did we get? Nothing but a couple of long overdue improvements that could have been obtained through nothing more than crucial regulations, if the government had the back bone to stand up to the sharks.

But laissez faire capitalist America no longer regulates, we now trust the gangsters in Armani suits to regulate themselves, we've seen how well it worked with the banking industry.

By the way, the Republicans blamed the Democrats for deregulating this industry; today Obama appears to want to mildly regulate Wall street, and the Republicans are opposing him. So much for conservative logic … the same logic that blamed Obama for the bailout, while a no strings attached bailout was demanded by Bush and his cohort under threats of imminent economic collapse. But according to Republican arguments, Bush and his policies never happened … the Republicans had an eight years blackout.

Why did Republican politicians oppose the health care bill, knowing it was a blatant giveaway to the industry? Because, possibly following the battle cry of their deluded messiah Rush Limbaugh, they want Obama to fail at any cost. They consequently will oppose him no matter how conservative and

conciliatory his policies, they can't let him out-right wing them, so to speak.

As Obama said himself, whenever he picks up a Republican idea, this conservative idea is then immediately opposed by the Republicans. When will Democrats wake up and realize they are dealing with rabid bulldogs, bullies of the worse kind? It won't happen, because they are all working for the

same people, and these people are not us but the elite, industry, corporations, and especially Wall Street.

Why are some not-so-bright individuals screaming "socialism" (not to mention "antichrist")? If coercing the people to fill the pockets of private industry by buying private insurance is socialist, it is certainly a previously unknown, alien definition of socialism. Is mandatory car insurance a socialist law? Is a transfer of wealth from the poor and the middle class to industry a socialist policy? Are Republican voters living in the same world we do?

This health care fiasco is a textbook example of how, under all administrations, either right wing (Democrats) or far right wing (Republicans), the US government works: for the benefit of industry and to the detriment of the people when the two interests compete and clash, while dividing the people along oversimplified and inaccurate ideological lines to confuse them and bury the relevant issues, and implementing, without further impediment and while the people foam at the mouth spitting in each other's face, the unchanging agenda of industry: ever more profits.

Raphael Montoliu lives in Lakeport.

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Written by: Judy Thein

Published: 18 April 2010

April 18 through 24 is National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme for recognition of crime victims is “Fairness, Dignity and Respect,” which encourages us all to raise awareness about these foundation principles and to continue striving to ensure that all crime victims are still treated with fairness, dignity and respect.

National Crime Victims’ Right Week is a time for all Americans to learn about the dynamics of victimization, reflect on the cost of crime on their community and our society, and vigorously support and promote the enactment and application of laws, policies and programs to help victims of crime rebuild shattered lives.

Only a few decades ago, unfairness, indignities, and disrespect confronted many victims of crime. As of 2010, every state has passed victims rights laws, and 32 states have constitution victims’ rights amendments. There are more than 10,000 victim assistance programs throughout the country, and every state has a crime victim compensation fund.

Such changes have made victims participants, rather than bystanders, in the criminal justice system.

Despite all of the programs and all of the progress in supporting victims and their rights, much work remains. Victim rights are meaningless unless they are enforced. Some victims never learn about victim compensation or receive victim services. Some surviving family members of crime death cases are forced to suffer an overwhelming victimization without assistance, because victim rights were not enacted.

Some courts deny victims the right to be heard at sentencing or receive no notice when an offender is released. Some courts fail to issue protection orders to keep victims safe or they fail to order restitution. For victims that receive court orders for restitution, all too often offenders are released from probation without having met their obligations of restitution, leaving the victims with another act of betrayal. Such failures block victim’s access to their rights.

When a victim reports a crime because an officer treats him/her fairly, it enhances the safety of the entire community. When a court hears an impact statement or issues an order of restitution which is enforced by conditions of probation, victims learn the power of fairness, dignity and respect. Yet, when our nation falls short on these ideals, we fail victims and dishonor the progress we mark this week.

Lake County is fortunate that we have the Lake County District Attorney’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program, which excels in their on-going support and advocacy, assisting victims and survivors of crime. These victim advocates work tirelessly to give victims a voice and to help crime victims and their families understand the rights they are guaranteed under the California criminal justice system.

Knowing first hand the indignities and lack of enforcement victims suffer from some agencies outside of Lake County that fall short of enacting objectives, I commend the Lake County District Attorney’s Victim/Witness Assistance Program as their guidance, dedication and commitment of services embody the ideals of Crime Victims Right Week: Fairness, dignity and respect.

Judy Thein is founder of Team DUI and the mayor of the city of Clearlake.

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Written by: David W. Smith

Published: 14 April 2010

I’m writing this letter as both a concerned citizen of Lake County, and a concerned care provider.

Recently our wonderful state of California has made precedence with new requirements for caregivers within the In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program. These requirements are for fingerprint and subsequent background checks on all IHSS caregivers.

The idea of this is certainly considered a good idea, however, something has come to my attention, that the criteria that is set for these providers hasn’t been made very clear to everyone involved, both providers and recipients alike.

I’m hoping, through this letter, to assist with sharing this information with the help of our local media.

The state sent a letter to all providers and recipients with a vague idea of what the criteria is for screening all providers. What the letter succeeded in accomplishing was scaring the living daylights out of everyone involved.

What the letter failed to do was explain the exact criteria for what would keep a provider from being able to do this critical job of keeping someone safe in their home and, thusly, keeping our taxes from going up, because these individuals will be staying out of institutions that are paid with those very same taxes.

The scary part of this situation is that the state has made it clear that they want to reduce this critical workforce by attempting to “weed out” people that “they” feel are undesirable.

The fact is: Regardless if someone had a conviction many years ago that had nothing to do with hurting any individual (such as possession of a controlled substance felony), and this person served their time after that conviction, and this was done well over 10 years ago, they should be allowed to find employment, even if it is taking care of a disabled person, who may really need and want this particular person.

We as a society should be asking ourselves two big questions about this subject: “Who are we to judge another human being, especially someone who has paid the price for their indiscretion?” and “Should we continue punishing those individuals even after they served the time for that crime?”

Another fact: On Nov. 24, 2009, the Supreme Court of California, in the county of Alameda in the Case of Ellis vs. Wagner; a decision was handed down with exactly what was needed to stop all this confusion surrounding the criteria for these requirements intended for the IHSS providers. The “ONLY” felony convictions that can stop someone from being an IHSS caregiver are: (1) felony child/adult/elder abuse and (2) felony medical fraud.

What has truly worried and concerns me is that many people are not aware of this decision and some are even considering giving up on working with IHSS and accepting that they cannot be paid for doing this critical service, because they feel that they may not pass the background check; all because of something stupid that they did when they were a young, cocky 18-year-old.

Not only will this type of decision affect the provider by not working anymore, it will affect the unemployment numbers, and the benefits of unemployment (all paid for with tax dollars).

This will also affect the individual recipients who stand to lose their lifeline to the outside world, especially from a job that barely pays minimum wage in Lake County.

Not many people are willing to do this type of work because it can be a very stressful job and especially when the wonderful people already doing this job have been with these recipients (in some cases) many years.

For those of you reading this, please help in passing this information along. It is very important for the sake of all those involved.

David W. Smith is an IHSS caregiver. He lives in Nice.