The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/862179
D-8 Opinion Wednesday, August 16, 2017 The Press-Dispatch niques" and "creative billing" of the health suppliers. Some are outright fraud. They are done either from greed or plain thievery. However, there are still many many sectors who provide services that are honest and ethical. There are checks and balances in place and many of them work quite well to control deceit. Another aspect that esca- lates cost is the fear of law- suits experienced by health providers, institutions, work- force, etc. So in order to play safe, more tests are ordered at every level you can imagine. We also invest very heav- ily on information technol- ogy that is very expensive. No more papers, just comput- ers. Documents have to prove there is no neglect or errors that took place. There is no room for human error allowed for and by human beings. A rather bizarre contradic- tion. In one way it does protect the consumers from incompe- tent care but again a price has to be paid for the cost of pay- ing malpractice insurance, computers, information pro- grams, compliance with dis- ability laws, etc. and the loads of tests ordered for safety. So now we go into the aspect of ethics. The reports I have come across indicate one of the most expensive and cost- ly care takes place during the last few years of the elder- ly population. We are a very compassionate people, and we want the best for those who supported the Medicare program while they were in their employment years and contributing to the program. We expect and sometimes de- mand the latest technology and treatment even though we know the results or outcome may not be that good in the re- maining years of life. I named three aspects I could identify, I d not want to wear out the reader so I will continue on my next go around. • • • Humor of the week: A doc- tor was addressing a large au- dience in a medical program. He starts by saying: "The ma- terials we put into our stomach is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks corrode the stomach lining. Some Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long term harm caused by artificial sweeten- ers and high carbohydrate food. But there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all, and many still eat it or will eat it. Would anyone care to guess what food causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it? " A fter several seconds of qui- et, a 75 year old Jewish man in the front row raised his hand and said, " A vedding cake? " Have a great week. will be able to fill out their tax return on a large post- card," he recently said. "You can imagine how that makes things easier for them and easier for us at the IRS." Yet some lawmakers ob- ject to major tax reform. They recoil at the very thought of tax cuts. They in- sist we can't afford it — that cuts would have to be "paid for" by finding new revenue streams for our deficit-laden federal government. Wrong. Deficits are the re- sult of a spending problem, not a revenue problem. "Reforming the tax code should not require finding new revenue sources," Ms. Boccia and Mr. Michel write. "Persistent deficits are the result of uncontrolled spend- ing, not insufficient taxation. Without spending-based re- forms, deficits will continue to grow, requiring still high- er taxes in the future." That's why true tax re- form must combine the right cuts in tax rates with the right cuts in spending. Indeed, it's the only way to put the federal budget on a sustainable path. Focusing only on one side of the bud- get ledger would be a major mistake. Unfortunately, pro- growth tax reform will face an uphill battle in the Sen- ate, where a 60 -vote thresh- old is necessary for passage. Reform-minded lawmakers would be better off using the budget reconciliation pro- cess, which would put their efforts on a fast track and limit needless delays. In- stead of needing 60 votes to break a politically motivated filibuster, a simple majority is all that would be required. "We will have success," said Mr. Mnuchin. "This is a pass/fail exercise, and we will pass tax reform, peri- od." For the sake of all tax- payers, let's hope he's right. Ed Feulner is founder of The Heritage Foundation (heritage.org). Continued from page 7 REFORM Continued from page 7 HEALTH to a new Cold War. But the recent passage of the Sanc- tions Bill [nearing 200 pages long] also targets Iran and North Korea; we may not be too far from the world choos- ing sides. The average citizen has no recourse and cannot shape the outcome of events; but together as a group we can. I don't know if it is time to march for peace, but I do know it is time to move away from identity politics and victimization because it polarizes and poisons ev- eryone. All I can see that the faith- ful can do right now is talk peace to others, and pray. The Apostle James wrote, "…The prayer of the righ- teous person is powerful in what it can achieve." Never sell God short in what he can accomplish. Re- member Daniel the prophet in his praise to God wrote, "And He changes the times and the seasons: He re- moves kings, and sets up kings: He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that know understand- ing." The proof? When King Nebuchadnezzar saw that his attempt to inciner- ate Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace was thwarted by God proclaimed, "God has changed the king's word," Pray for peace! Continued from page 7 PEACE Continued from page 7 WORTH IT Court Report CRIMINAL Pike Circuit court Jeffrey S. Frakes charged with count I strangulation, a level 6 fel- ony, count II domestic battery and count III domestic battery. Kolby Alan Jenkins charged with count I criminal confinement, a lev- el 6 felony, count II domestic battery, and count III interference with the reporting of a crime. Albert E. Mattingly petitions for in- trastate probation transfer. Logan C. Grannan petitions for in- trastate probation transfer. In re: search warrant. TRAFFIC AND MISDEMEANOR Pike Circuit Court Nathan Wells charged with pos- session of marijuana. Christopher E. Kopp charged with domestic battery. Seth A. Pickering charged with count I operating a vehicle while in- toxicated and count II leaving the scene of an accident. Jason M. Roach charged with driv- ing while suspended. Bruce D. Hammond charged with count I possession of a controlled substance and count II possession of marijuana. Mark A. Coleman charged with op- erating a vehicle with an ACE of .15 or more. Robert A. Velazquez charged with driving while suspended. Brian P. Meeks charged with op- erating a vehicle while intoxicated. Dustin Levi White charged with domestic battery. Melanie A. Seeley Siggers charged with operating a vehicle with a sched- ule I or II controlled substance or its metabolite in the body. CIVIL DOCKET Pike Circuit Court Cavalry SPV I, LLC sues David Charkosky on complaint. Cavalry SPV I, LLC sues Laura D. Powell on complaint. The Bank of New York Mellon sues Yulin Cummins, Kimberly Cummins, and Capital One Bank on complaint. TD Bank USA sues Sandra B. Lovell on complaint. Regency Finance Company sues Schuyler L. Hume on complaint. PNC Bank sues the unknown heirs of Russel Tharp, Cindy L. Tharp and Regions Bank on complaint. Discover Bank sues Miranda Shoultz on complaint. Ashley Sims sues Davis Sims for dissolution of marriage. SMALL CLAIMS Pike Circuit Court Vera and Gary Hunt sue Norfolk Southern on complaint. Nemtus, Inc. sues Jerald and Nel- lie Charles on complaint. Tower Construction sues Chassie Umfleet on complaint. INFRACTIONS Pike Circuit Court Darrel Bacon II charged with speeding, 88 mph in a 70 zone. Jonathan Bales charged with speeding, 82 mph in a 70 zone. Alissa Bartenbach charged with speeding, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Jaymee Cannon charged with speeding, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Tarik Castro charged with speed- ing, 84 mph in a 70 zone. Kathryn Cato charged with oper- ating a motor vehicle without finan- cial responsibility. Jessica Hoffman charged with op- erating with expired plates. Austin Martin charged with speed- ing, 85 mph in a 70 zone. Gary Mason charged with failure to register. Eric Organ charged with speed- ing, 70 mph in a 55 zone. David Padgett charged with seat- belt violation. Michael Padgett charged with fail- ure to register. Lloyd Powell charged with failure to register. Garcia Ramirez charged with count I no valid driver's license and count II speeding, 87 mph in a 70 zone. Matthew Tisdale charged with fail- ure to register. Leah Vanwinkle charged with seatbelt violation. Stacey West charged with operat- ing a motor vehicle with a false plate. Tabitha Willis charged with speed- ing, 78 mph in a 70 zone. Austin Martin charged with speed- ing, 67 mph in a 55 zone. Christopher Dixon charged with seatbelt violation. Adam Mullins charged with driv- ing while suspended. Nathaniel Netherland charged with count I operating with expired plates and count II driving while sus- pended. Cade Sheperd charged with speed- ing, 89 mph in a 70 zone. Emily Veneman charged with seat- belt violation. thon, year in and year out, from 1966 through 2010. But he wasn't just a host for an annual event. He was MDA chairman and national spokesman. He used his ce- lebrity to tap corporate giv- ing and to mobilize heart- warming grass-roots gener- osity. He badgered his rich friends. By the time he final- ly threw in the towel at age 85, he had raised an aston- ishing $2.6 billion in dona- tions. That's billions, with a B. He left MDA in good shape. Last year they award- ed 70 research grants and were funding about 150 re- search projects, altogeth- er. They are contributing to dozens of clinical trials presently underway. And in 2016, the FDA approved the first disease-modifying drug treatments for Duch- ene muscular dystrophy (DMD) and spinal muscu- lar atrophy (SMA). MDA coordinated nearly 50,000 visits to its Care Cen- ters last year. Patients could see multiple specialists in a single appointment. It sent 3,800 kids to MDA Summer Camps at no expense to the parents, and it provided as- sistive devices to 3,000 pa- tients who were losing mo- bility and independence. Thank God for Jerry Lew- is, and for the people he em- powered to help. Continued from page 7 NOBEL dants, 83,000 bartenders and about 35,000 taxi driv- ers with bachelor's degrees in 2012. The bottom line is that college is not for every- one. There is absolutely no shame in a youngster's grad- uating from high school and learning a trade. Doing so might earn him much more money than many of his peers who attend college. Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. Pursuit of the Cure by Star Parker Getting clear about affirmative action A ffirmative action is once again in the news. This time because of a leaked Justice Department memo indi- cating possible action regarding com- plaints from Asian-American groups that Harvard University is discriminat- ing against Asian-Americans in its ad- missions policies. As this story was breaking, Harvard released news that, for the first time in history, the majority of its incom- ing freshman class will not be white. Per the story, 50.8 percent of Harvard's class of 2021 will not be white. Here's Harvard's spokesperson: "To become leaders in our diverse society, students must have the abil- ity to work with people from different backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives.... Harvard's admissions process considers each applicant as a whole person, and we review many factors, consistent with the legal stan- dards established by the U.S. Supreme Court." As the law stands today, although quotas and other quantitative ap- proaches to considering race in admis- sions policies are prohibited, universi- ties may consider race as a factor in ad- missions toward the goal of diversity. I agree with the Supreme Court and Harvard about the importance of diver- sity. But we differ about what kind of diversity we're looking for and wheth- er the law should mandate it. Do we have diversity in a class of students whose hues cover the full spectrum of the rainbow, whose eth- nic roots span the globe, but who are taught one way of thinking and chas- tised if they don't toe the line? It's not news that university faculties are skewed heavily to the political left. Harvard is no exception. Per analysis done by the university newspaper, the Harvard Crimson, over the three-year period from 2011 to 2014, 84 percent of political contributions from Harvard faculty, in- structors and researchers went "to federal Democrat- ic campaigns and political action committees." At Harvard Law school it was 98 per- cent and at Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which includes Harvard College, it was 96 percent. Does this pronounced faculty bias make its way into the classroom? Yes, according to Harvard Univer- sity Professor of Government Harvey Mansfield, a Republican. "The only de- bate we get here is between the far-left ... and the liberals," says Mansfield. "It gives students a view that a very nar- row spectrum of opinion is the only way to think." Per findings of the Harvard Public Opinion Project, done at Harvard's In- stitute of Politics, 51 percent of col- lege students say they "feel comfort- able sharing my political opinions at my college without fear of censorship or negative repercussions." Barely more than half of students feel comfortable expressing their po- litical sentiments on campus – that doesn't sound to me like an environ- ment where priority is given to diverse thought and discussion. And according to this survey, 21 per- cent of Republican students, compared to 8 percent of Democrat students, said they do not feel comfort- able expressing them- selves. I have enough person- al experience speaking on university campuses to know that embracing diversity and tolerance doesn't include conserva- tive thinking. No, I am not advocating affirmative action for con- servatives. I am advocating education based on the premise of the uncompro- mising pursuit of truth. This will pro- duce humility, mutual respect, ideals, excellence and diversity. When education becomes about politics and indoctrination, when po- liticized university administrators de- cide what the world should look like and choose to create a world in their image, rather than in the image of God, no one, even those who suffer from the legacy of racial injustice, are served. There are, unfortunately, still many parts of our society where the legacy of racial injustice limits opportunity. Let's discuss how to stop it and how to open the doors for every American to reach their God-given potential. But undermining equal treatment for all and compromising standards of excellence in the pursuit of knowledge is not one of those ways. Star Parker is an author and presi- dent of CURE, Center for Urban Renew- al and Education. Contact her at www. urbancure.org. Contact her at www.ur- bancure.org. 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