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The health-care crisis
(Re: “Critical condition,” cover story, March 26.) Pamela sure covered a lot of ground with this story detailing the “health care” crisis in Boulder County — except for the 100-pound sick gorilla sitting in the room called “illegal immigrants” and their drain on the health-care system. According to FAIR (Federation for Immigration Reform) “Health care state-funded uncompensated outlays for health care provided to Colorado’s illegal alien population amount to more than an estimated $82 million a year. That is a net cost after crediting compensation from the federal government. Additionally, Coloradans who have medical insurance also pay higher medical insurance bills to help cover the costs of those without insurance.”
Seems like a story with this title wouldn’t leave out a major contributing factor to the “crisis” unless it was not PC to mention in “Boulder Pravda” — oops, I mean Weekly. Don’t be afraid to put all the facts in a story. You might find it liberating!
Kris Harris/Longmont
Thank you for your extensive coverage of the health-care crisis. I am sending this letter to comment on the statement in your article that “Boulder residents who aren’t already patients at People’s Clinic but lack insurance might find themselves facing an urgent medical need but having no place to go.” As director of Clinica Family Health Services, I wanted to clarify this and let your readers know that People’s Clinic is continuing to see new patients who are children, pregnant women or homeless. We also see new patients referred by the Mental Health Center as part of our partnership with them to offer integrated physical/behavioral health services.
We move into our new facility at 13th and North streets in Boulder in May. This will help increase our patient care capacity. Also, we have two new doctors and two new physician assistants joining our staff this summer, which will increase our capacity dramatically.
To assure each of our patients has a high-quality medical home, we do limit access for new patients from time to time. But we never deny access to new children, pregnant women or homeless folks. We are currently putting adults who are neither pregnant nor homeless on a waiting list, but as we move to a new facility and add medical staff in the coming months we will correct that problem.
I am confident that with adequate staffing, by September, every low-income resident of Boulder who faces an access barrier to health care will be able to depend on the People’s Clinic to be their very high-quality medical home. Readers can learn more about us and our exciting plans to open a new People’s Clinic in May at our website www.clinica.org.
Pete Leibig, CEO/Clinica Family Health Service
Addressing Danish
(Re: “Igor Panarin has a message for America: You’re through!” Danish Plan, March 26.) I am writing in response to your article about our country splitting up by 2011. It was a great article. The part that disturbs me the most is your “liberal friends” response to picking up arms to defend the 50 states to remain united. “Liberal” is a very nasty word! I am a Democrat, and I think that liberals are just as scary as religious conservative Republicans.
For instance, if these so-called Democrats on the far left decide to take away our right to bear arms, a fundamental American right, our country will start to disintegrate. Not only will I switch immediately to Republican, I would be willing to kill or be killed to retain the America that our Revolutionary brothers died for, our Civil War brothers died for, and our World War II brothers died for. Their sacrifice will not be in vain.
If shit really hits the fan, our country is full of middle-of-the-road Republicans and Democrats. When and if our country was threatened to that point, all the liberals can run off to Europe or Canada and watch the drama unfold because, have no doubt, there are millions and millions of people just like me willing to retain what is the United States of America — at any cost!
Thank you for your time, and keep up the great journalism!
Shane Henman/via Internet
Poor taste
(Re: “Bob the Prairie Dog,” March 26.) I don’t generally write comments to any publication, but I was disconcerted by the prairie dog cartoon about Natasha Richardson in the March 26-April 1 edition. Did your editor not read it before printing it? I have been a progressive/liberal all my life and seldom have others been as far to the left as my positions. I think the general tone of the prairie dog cartoons about classes, elitism, etc. are OK, but this just isn’t funny (even if I also despise Ann Coulter). To be flip about the death of some actress who, by all accounts was well-loved by many and who was a person who donated her organs to save other people, or to be flip about anyone’s death is in poor taste, to say the least. This cartoon seemed to typify those on the left who are as bad as their counterparts on the right. I was really offended. Thank you for allowing me to air my views.
Judy Nogg/via Internet
Respond: letters@boulderweekly.com
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