Health Care and Voting
Dear Editor: Cat’s paw. It’s a colorful expression borne of an ancient fable about trusting someone and getting burnt. In the tale a conniving monkey, thru deception and pandering, persuades a trusting cat to filch roasting chestnuts outta the fiery hearth, thereby burning the cat’s paw in the crackling flames – whilst the monkey gobbles up alla the chestnuts, leaving the burnt cat smoldering with none.
Monkey punks cat. Sucks to be the cat, right?
Now, after nearly four years of a Trump administration that repeatedly disgorged a whole lotta big-talk promises, regular folks in Alaska don’t have much to show for their Trumpublican troubles but burnt paws. Examples are legion, but I’m a limit mine to healthcare.
Trump and the Republicans in ’16: “We’re gonna repeal and replace Obamacare! On the very first day! With something bigly better!” Member that mighty wind that swept Trump and the Republicans into power four long years back?
Yet in ’17 and ’18, despite unified Republican control of the presidency and both branches of Congress, Republicans and Trump not only failed to repeal Obamacare as promised, worse, the Republicans and Trump cavalierly tried – repeatedly – to kill Obamacare without even bothering to produce a *plan* for replacing it. At all. Not once. Ever. This dearth of a back-up healthcare plan was among the primary reasons why three GOP Senators defected from their fellow Republicans on the failed repeal vote (Collins-MA, McCain-AZ, and Alaska’s own Lisa Murkowski). Four long years later, the Republicans and Trump still ain’t got jack for healthcare but a sticky Venus fly-trap fulla “Trust us, cuz we’re gonna repeal Obamacare first, then try’n figure a replacement out later, and in the meantime, you’re on your own, buttercup!”
Tell me: Would you buy a used car from someone who used you like that?
Know what that’s like? That’s like removing the only anchor from your boat before a trip to Shelikof Bay – whilst deliberately choosing not to bring a spare – and then telling yer shipmates (who all trusted you with their safety, mind, cuz yer the cap’n!): “Dude, planning is overrated! So are anchors, brah! Sure, we ain’t gotta anchor, and sure there’s anvilheads piling up ominously on the horizon, but hey, we’ll just drift around here in Shelikof without an anchor while we figure it out on the fly! Maybe we can throw out a cannonball! That might work! Trust me! Trust us! We got this!” (As the gale builds and as the ship rocks for shore and as Covid storms the beach.) Given that foolproof Republican “plan” for healthcare, what could possibly go wrong!
That ain’t no way to run a country.
If you *do* care about healthcare, and if you *are* counting on Trump *and/or* the Republicans to preserve what you got and improve on it, specially in these perilous Covid times, I’d simply ask you to riddle me this: Try’n divine anything concrete – anywhere – on the Republican healthcare alternative once they’ve finally captured their holy grail of burying Obamacare. Just try’n find the Republican spare anchor.
Yer gonna look long and hard, cuz it don’t exist. And that’s the rub.
Republicans affect to pretend that they have a healthcare plan when Republicans transparently do not have a healthcare plan. Of any kind. At all. What Republicans and Trump got on healthcare is like a lost ball in the tall grass can’t nobody find.
It’s worth pointing out that the Trump administration – *right now* – is in court trying to destroy Obamacare. Again. Without a replacement. Of any kind. At all. If you care about healthcare for Alaskans, does that sorta deliberate bad-faith dishonesty inspire confidence in Trump? In Republicans?
And by their fruit, ye shall know them. Are you inclined to trust the bumbling clowns who can’t even keep Covid out of the White House and who recklessly endanger their own supporters in the midst of an uncontrolled pandemic by holding potential super-spreader events? Cuz why not, right? Whad’ya got to lose, right? If healthcare matters to you, are these the sorts of folks you trust to keep bedrock promises to all Alaskans? Specially after they’ve repeatedly and demonstrably lied about healthcare for four years straight, all while gaslighting you about your burnt cat’s paw? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice ....
Like many, I went to the meet-and-greet for Senate candidate Al Gross at the Centennial pavillion last eve. Will say: I was impressed by Gross’ practical approach, his strong Alaska roots, his absence of rigid ideology, and his willingness to work in good faith with others to get things done for Alaskans. Gross went back to school and got a masters degree in public health – precisely because Gross wanted to bring an informed mind to the Senate to fix health care for all Alaskans. Any fool can kick down a door; takes time, preparation, effort and grit to build something durable and useful.
One point Gross stressed was that he wanted to improve healthcare by securing a public option so that the insurance companies are compelled – by competition – to offer solid plans that are far less costly. Gross also stressed the corollary point that providing affordable healthcare for all Alaskans made sound economic sense – not just in protecting Alaskans from being bankrupted thru no fault of their own, but also in providing all Alaskans with greater economic opportunities that greater security affords.
(Sidenote: Al started briefly as a hand-troller and eventually became a gill-netter, in addition to his medical practice. I bent his ear for about 5 minutes on issues relevant to Alaskan trollers, and I found him receptive and engaged on the importance of fisheries issues.)
And Biden, it should be noted, distinguished himself while winning the Democratic nomination by making it explicit that private health insurance, if you have it, will remain your right. It’s your choice, simple as that.
So: After four years, am I “tired of all the winning” like Trump promised I would be? Yes. I damn sure am. Fact, I’m positively exhausted by all the “winning.” If you are, too, I encourage you to vote for Democrats (and those independents who will caucus with Dems) this election cycle, from Biden to Gross to Galvin to JKT, even (or perhaps especially) if you have never voted for Democrats before.
To use Trump’s own formulation in ’16 as a turnabout appeal to traditional Republicans (and conservative-leaning independents) to consider voting Dem this year: Whad’ya got to lose?
The country you save (and the piece of mind you preserve) may be your own.
David Richey, Sitka
Pumpkin Patch
Dear Editor: As we wind down from a somewhat untraditional Pumpkin Patch fundraiser, we, the staff and board of 3 to 5 Preschool, are humbled by the outpouring of support from this wonderful community that we call home.
Our yearly fundraisers are vital to the success of our program and our sponsors and the people of this community continue to make it happen for us and for (more importantly) the children.
First of all, we wish to thank everyone who came to our event; we loved seeing everyone out in a safe and responsible manner. It brings us so much joy to put on an event in these times when many may feel disconnected.
We want to give a BIG “thank you” to AC Lakeside for not only hosting the Pumpkin Patch event, but also for donating the food and pumpkins for purchase. Thank you to Sitka Bottling for donating the drinks for our event as well as contributing to the cost of the freight for the pumpkins. It was due to your generosity that 100% of the pumpkin sales were able to be donated to the 3 to 5 Preschool program. The last of our sponsors (but certainly not the least) is Fisheye coffee. Thank you for donating a percentage of sales to our cause and adding your twist with your coordinating themed drink.
The amount of time, effort and energy that our sponsors have given to this event is appreciated beyond words.
Three Americorps volunteers and a member of the Sitka High National Honor Society helped tremendously, too. Your joyful attitude and willingness to work contributed in a huge way to our successful day. Thank you, everyone!
3 to 5 Preschool Staff, Board,
Parents and Children
Library Hours
Dear Editor: The Sitka Public Library appreciates your continued support as we navigate the changing conditions of operating safely during COVID-19. The health and safety of our patrons and employees is our top priority while at the same time keeping our public space open as much as possible.
To do so, we are adapting our in-person programs to online delivery; we have shortened our operating hours; four days a week the building is open for browsing and computer services; and three days a week we are open with a service desk set-up from our oceanside walk-up window.
However, due to unforeseen circumstances, we may at times need to close unexpectedly. Library closures will be posted at our entrance, the walk-up window, and on our Facebook page. We apologize for the inconvenience these unanticipated scheduling changes may cause.
Thank you for your patience during this challenging time for all.
Sitka Public Library staff
