Healthcare for kids

February 28, 2024

EDITOR: Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin has stopped accepting Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Health Plan (Medicaid.) What this means for U.P. kids on UPHP who need pediatric services is a 22 hour round trip car trip to lower Michigan to receive care instead of two hours away in Appleton. Whose fault is this? According to an appeal letter I received from UPHP my daughter and her insurance was not accepted by Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. According to a CHOW representative I was told that the problem lies with UPHP for not continuing negotiations with WCHO on provider ...

Firearms law

February 27, 2024

EDITOR: Sadly, it didn’t take long to see a demonstration of the impotence of Governor Whitmer’s gun storage law. A two-year-old child was killed through the negligence of her father (law or not) regarding access to a loaded firearm. Two articles in the Daily Press and other sources provide similar accounts, but also leave out vital information. Not only do gun control laws not prevent the crimes for which they are written (as is so plainly demonstrated here), but pre-existing laws (felonies) were violated earlier in this case. The Feb 22 article noted “(the father)… also ...

Jail diversion

February 23, 2024

EDITOR: The Daily Press recently republished a Traverse City Record Eagle editorial titled, “Jail diversion correct the systems.” Diversion programs are more successful and less costly to taxpayers than jail and prison. Delta County is missing some diversion options that some other Michigan counties have: day reporting, random drug testing, random residence searches for contraband and a sheriff’s work camp. Day reporting requires criminals on probation to report daily, often very early, between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. Once present, they’re randomly tested for drug use. ...

A sacred right or a sacred cow?

February 13, 2024

EDITOR: Michigan’s new clean energy legislation was adopted last November and makes Michigan a national leader in using solar and wind to transition our state away from fossil fuels to create electricity. The new law pits local zoning officials against local landowners who want to place clean solar and wind on their land. According to Citizens for Local Choice, “local zoning control is a sacred right enjoyed by local units.” Really? If that were true, vital public services like highways, telephone, internet, and electricity could be stopped by local zoning boards. Thank goodness ...

Gun laws

February 10, 2024

EDITOR : This letter is for all (yes… all) Michigan firearms owners. House Bills (passed by both House and Senate) 4138, 42, 43 go into effect February 13. Of course, the stated rationale is “safety for children”… again. Some highlights: Storage - New Law Requires… their firearms either stored in a locked box or locked container or kept unloaded and locked with a trigger lock; Purchase or Transfer… obtain a license before they can purchase a rifle or long gun, and means that background checks will be required for all gun purchases. Those who already own rifles will not ...

Free community college

February 1, 2024

EDITOR: This may seem contrary, but regarding free community college (CC) is counterproductive to a successful society. If you have a mortgage, auto loan, credit card, etc. you have “skin in the game of life”. You place a value beyond dollars in what those items can provide for you. Continuing possession requires you to act in a responsible fashion lest the quality of your life suffer. There is no free lunch… you have to pay. Having taught in a CC for 20 years (one of my “side-hustles”) it became obvious that the students who were responsible for their education excelled, ...