Letters to the editor, July 27, 2022 | Opinion | rapidcityjournal.com – Rapid City Journal

Letters to the editor, July 27, 2022

Goodwin wrong about Medicaid expansion

Tim Goodwin offers the usual menu of non-arguments against Medicaid expansion, since its still politically incorrect to say the actual reason aloud, that some Republican politicians think its an election day winner to bash poor people.

Mr. Goodwin cant finish his first non-reason without acknowledging the federal government bankrupting is unthinkable, politically and technically cant happen. Instead of agreeing its a good thing, for all, that able bodied workers need not weigh risk of the hospital billing department garnishing wages when they decide whether to take kids or spouse to the ER, Goodwin sets up a false conflict based on having to define who is poor enough for Medicaid, while offering the usual sneer that if you work for a small business that cant pay exorbitant private insurance premiums, youre a lazy loser.

People are also reading

See what happens if everybody who works without health insurance goes on strike, everybody free of the services of alleged sluggards. Regarding more jobs than workers in SD", workers are more likely to come to states with Medicaid when new jobs are benefit-free, so Medicaid expansion would help fill jobs and make the economy hum, compared to trashing workers and sending our Medicaid dollars to other states.

It smells of money

When the primary funder/mover of the proposed packing plant in Rapid City laughs at a concerned citizen's inquiry about odor, this sends major warning signals. It does not represent community nor leadership. She is right: 'It smells of money.'

Not enough help

With the influx of people dealing with post-covid syndrome and struggling to hold down a job because of it, do you think 22 people making decisions on disability claims is enough? Was it even enough before the pandemic? On average, according to South Dakota's Department of Human Services, these twenty two people make decisions for 9,000 cases annually.

That's about 400 cases per person. That's more than one case a day counting weekends. The amount of physicians on staff for Disability Decision Services is only 15. That comes out to 600 cases per physician per year. Which is around 2 cases per day that they would have to look at. Is it a wonder that the wait times for disability determination decisions take years? When looking up suicide statistics for disabled individuals, you will not find any.

You will, however, find that one of the reasons disabled people commit suicide is financial insecurity. It makes me worry for these newly disabled covid survivors and their families. It makes me worry about the wait times for all disabled individuals becoming excessively long and putting a strain on an already vulnerable population.

Why I left the party of evangelical nutjobs

I know this won't be published as it goes against the Rapid City Journal's (more than obvious) mantra of voicing the GOP's prevailing party line rhetoric, and does not publish any opinion that opposes that of the South Dakota Republican Party and/or Kristi Noem.

What I've learned over the past quarter century is that the GOP has become the political party of the extreme right, evangelical nutjobs, science deniers and white supremacists.

I once was a life-long republican voter; however the party lost my support when Newt Gingrich appointed himself the Supreme Poo-Bah of the "Moral Majority," nevermind that he was sleeping with two mistresses while his wife was dying of cancer.

I changed my party registration shortly after the 2000 election, the only election in this country's history that was truly stolen. The GOP has been sliding towards the dark morass of the extreme fringe right ever since.

By the way, for the record, I hold both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Political Science (Magna Cum Laude), a Master of Science in Leadership & Development, and a Doctor of Science in Physics / Atmospheric Science / Climate Science.

Trump doesn't deserve public trust

Donald Trump and Trumpism represent a far more serious threat of the seizure of power by an aspiring autocrat than did the criminality of Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. And yet, during that former episode I recall being proud of my country's response, namely, the strong bipartisan condemnation of a leader who considered himself above the law.

By contrast, Donald Trump until now has been spared the consequences of his egregious misuse of official powers resulting in two impeachments, each followed by the Senate's party-line failure to convict.

I believe these exonerations emboldened Mr.Trump, confirming his earlier claims of personal invulnerability, and leading to his horrendous misconduct following the 2020 presidential election

The acquiesence by many public officials (including our SD Congressional delegation) following Mr. Trump's previous transgressions has also led, I believe, to erosion of respect for civil norms, increased vilification of non-white and immigrant Americans, and a general loss of faith and cohesion in our society.

Surely this is the time when those leaders who previously excused and condoned this man's actions must assume the responsibility of informing still-loyal Trump supporters that this man of bigotry, megalomania and malice deserves no further public trust.

Lusting to control others

Prior to the Dobbs decision outlawing abortion rights, 80% of Americans supported a woman's rights to choose.

Last week in the House 99% of Republicans voted against a woman's right to choose abortion.

Last week in the House 96 % of Republicans voted against the right to use contraceptives (family planning).

Last week 77 % of House Republicans voted against marriage equality.

97% of House Republicans voted against a woman's right to travel across state lines to obtain an abortion.

More than 75 % of House Republicans voted against gay marriage recently.

Many GOP members join with Justice Clarence Thomas questioning the past Supreme Court rulings that different races may marry.

To me, Republicans are so consumed by sexual thoughts; who's having it with whom and where and how that they've totally become ignorant of real American's deep needs and wishes. They seem to lust over "control" of others, eh?

Jake Kammerer, Silver City

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Letters to the editor, July 27, 2022 | Opinion | rapidcityjournal.com - Rapid City Journal