Letters on expanding Medicaid, County Commission, illegal immigrants, near miss

Cancer not a key health concern?

As I write this, a young friend in her 30s lies in pain after recently having had one of her breasts removed. When she noticed a small lump in her breast, she had a choice to make – pay her rent and buy groceries and gas to get to her job, or seek medical treatment. Because our governor refused to expand Medicaid, she didn’t qualify for insurance under the Affordable Care Act, so she postponed visiting a doctor.

Unfortunately, her breast cancer is a fast-growing type. By the time she found treatment, the lump had grown so large she had to undergo six months of intense chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before surgery. She’s now facing radiation and must postpone reconstruction for a year – important to her as she’s engaged to be married. If she’d been treated earlier, her breast would probably have been saved and she could have avoided months and even years of painful disruptions to her life.

The writers of “Expansion is wrong solution” (Nov. 3 Opinion) stated that Medicaid coverage is no more likely than noncoverage to improve key health measures such as blood pressure and cholesterol. Evidently, these think tank employees don’t consider cancer a “key health measure” worth mentioning. A recent study from Harvard University and City University of New York found that the failure of states to expand Medicaid will result in up to 17,000 premature and avoidable deaths.

Shrink commission

Voters need to take a hard, long look at the Sedgwick County Commission. As the majority commissioners shrink the scope and size of county government, the County Commission needs to shrink as well.

It seems that three commissioners can now handle the load carried by five commissioners. This certainly sounds logical, and beneficial to taxpayers.

Nor should it stop there. Though the county considers the commissioners to be full-time employees, they only conduct business each Wednesday, except for the last Wednesday of the month. Does this sound like full-time work?

Those on the Wichita City Council probably work the same number of hours. However, they make considerably less than the county commissioners. Why?

According to The Eagle, the county budget called for each commissioner to make more than $89,000 this year. Those on the Wichita City Council earn about $35,000. Why do those working for the county make so much more money?

I suggest that the commissioners downsize their numbers as well as their pay.

Respect the law

When I hear about people criticizing Sedgwick County Commission Chairman Richard Ranzau for his lack of empathy, I wonder if they have the same disdain for people who break the law. When immigrants don’t come here lawfully, they are committing a felony.

You only have to take a look around you to see more and more people with no respect for the law. If our society keeps looking the other way, we’re going to end up with a place like these people are trying to escape. Then where are we going to go?

We all must have respect for the law of the land, and not reward those who don’t.

Look both ways

Did anyone read about the two little girls hit by a car while crossing the street to board their school bus? No? Well, here’s why:

My granddaughters (ages 6 and 7) and I were at Keith Court and Keith Street in northwest Wichita. We waited to cross the street for the school bus driver to stop, turn on the flashing lights and extend the stop signs. I held the girls’ hands as they tugged on me to go, totally distracted by their excitement to board the bus.

As I started to say, “Look both ways,” the bus driver blasted her horn. Instinctively, I yanked my girls back by me. At the same instant, not 3 feet in front of us, a woman in a large SUV flew by, ignoring not only the speed limit but the flashing lights, stop signs and presence of two little girls about to step in front of her speeding vehicle. Thank God and our bus driver, Deb, for saving our lives that day.

This should be a wake-up call to everyone who nears a school bus stop. Do not ever assume the bus’s lights and stop signs are enough to keep your child safe.

This story was originally published November 12, 2015 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Letters on expanding Medicaid, County Commission, illegal immigrants, near miss."