Dear Editor, Public facilities, paid for with everyone’s tax
dollars, will be used to sell our children memberships. Our city
managers and elected officials planned for our children to pay to
play at the skate park from the beginning. This was obvious from
the expensive and very dangerous spear pointed fence to the large
black sign placed at the entrance. The sign listed nine rules that
they knew children would not follow.
Charging children for using the skate park is not fair
Dear Editor,
Public facilities, paid for with everyone’s tax dollars, will be used to sell our children memberships. Our city managers and elected officials planned for our children to pay to play at the skate park from the beginning. This was obvious from the expensive and very dangerous spear pointed fence to the large black sign placed at the entrance. The sign listed nine rules that they knew children would not follow.
The Morgan Hill public baseball parks and tennis courts have rules that are not enforced. Baseball and tennis is played at night and causes immense lighting costs, but no membership payments. I assume our children to be members will be asked to sign the YMCA’s “Hold Harmless Clause.”
We pay for a security guard, I understand, at the “City/YMCA Commercial Athletic Center.” This facility is only about 20 yards from the skate park. This security guard, that we pay for, could easily monitor both. We pay for lifeguards at the YMCA but we cannot afford a lifeguard at the skate park?
We are planning to spend significant amounts of money to expand the Centennial Recreation Center facilities for just the Commercial Athletic activities (i.e., YMCA profit). We have purchased buildings from some “downtown land owners” for millions of dollars and then left them vacant. We give the Downtown Merchants Association and the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce about $150,000 per year of our tax dollars. And, then we charge our children to play. Why?
The city has announced that YMCA members (citizens of Morgan Hill or not) can use the skate park, the Centennial Recreation Center, and the Aquatic Park for free. But, Morgan Hill children – even the poor ones – will have to pay to skateboard at our public park. YMCA members (providing profits for the YMCA), from other cities, are allowed to use our public facilities free without sharing the membership revenue with our city.
Why are we building multi-million dollar public facilities for social programs if we cannot afford the social program?
Staten M. Johnston, Morgan Hill
Keep the government out of the health care business
Dear Editor
I will have to assume I am the letter writer referenced by John Quick in his column as I have no knowledge of another with a similar topic appearing in the Times. If so, in his column the first paragraph would indicate my previous letter was because of an isolated incident. Why would he think this is the case and that gossip and myths results? My thinking regarding the health care in this country is based on personnel experiences of my own and the last couple of years where the family and extended family underwent major medical issues. I could easily list a dozen major procedures. Not one of the recipients are members of a union or would be considered wealthy. His stance that only the wealthy receive high quality health care is just not true. His statement that only 1 percent of the richest people in the world can afford our health care is ridiculous. He does validate my statement that we have the best medical care as this country is the first choice for the wealthy.
Of course costs are high. Take a look at the frivolous lawsuits filed against the medical profession and drug companies. Who pays even if the lawyers lose? We do. Do these add to cost? I would like to see some detail as to how the government is going to reduce costs. Do something about malpractice insurance if you can.
Then his statement that the bureaucracy involved in the systems would be reduced with a one-payer system. If ever an agency has built-in bureaucracy, it is the government. And how is a one-payer system going to allow us to see any doctor we desire or where to go for health care? And how does this increase competition and efficiency by eliminating the private health care providers? As for the pharmaceutical costs in the article, the editor and John Quick should read John Stossel’s book, “Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity,” pages 56 through 60.
What study showed productivity is improved with adequate health care? The most incompetent non-productive country in the world at one time was the former Soviet Union, and they had socialized health care.
As for Fareed Zakaria’s book, the “The Future of Freedom,” it makes you think. Fareed stated on page 173 in quoting economist Mancur Olson that the rise in special interest groups has made the American government utterly dysfunctional. Congress should work on improving the safety and well-being of our citizens, not running a health care system.
Now for one-payer system, I do feel this is an excellent idea. The population must realize that it will not be free. It will be expensive. Just as liability insurance on all drivers is now mandatory, so should health insurance. In 1986 Congress passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. This requires emergency rooms to treat any person who shows up seeking medical treatment regardless of the ability to pay. Knowing how to work the system has allowed the non-insured to be treated. The cost is passed on to those who pay.
As for lack of government controls causing this economic mess, it took a lot more than the lack of government controls.
How about people just breaking the law like Madoff, Stanford and the hundred of other greedy people? How about Countrywide Loans, Barney Frank and Bill Clinton stating every American should be able to buy a home, just get an ARM? How about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We want government controlling the medical and health industry, the same people that got us into the mess we now face.
Fred Oliveri, Morgan Hill
