Letters to the Editor: Readers not happy with Cameron for putting party first in pandemic
What is AG doing?
So, we are staying socially distant, at home, reading the e-edition of the newspaper. And I am perplexed by the actions of the state’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron. He has now filed a brief in support of one preacher who wants to hold live church services against the governor’s order. Meanwhile, there are 40-plus daycare owners who have closed their doors for five weeks, are looking at another five weeks, and have had their insurance claims denied because “an outbreak of a communicable disease at the insured premises” can’t be proved. These daycare owners have had to contact a private insurance lawyer. Should not Daniel Cameron, the Kentucky attorney general, be all over this insurance claim denial issue? Have the duties of the attorney general changed, and the public not been informed? Perhaps it’s becoming apparent that Cameron lacks the experience necessary to do the job.
Jaclynn A. Williams, Lexington
Proof of party
State Attorney General Daniel Cameron has positively proven that he is a Republican through and through. Filing a lawsuit regarding the travel ban and threatening a suit if the open church ban was not rescinded proves that he only cares about politics and not the general welfare of the people of Kentucky, which should be his primary concern. His only goal is to prove to the Republican Party that he is loyal to the misguided values of his party, and by doing so advancing his political ambitions. The coronavirus pandemic should not be used as a political ploy to gain favor of the current ruling party.
Sara Wellnitz, Lexington
Cut coach salaries
Our commonwealth spends an awesome amount of its tax revenue on NCAA football and basketball at state-financed institutions. The coaching staffs are extravagantly paid and a whole lot of time and money is lavished on the recruitment of out-of-state athletes.
How about shaming those coaches into $1 million salary caps and asking them to donate their excess back to the state that made them super rich? If they want more, do more celebrity endorsements or move up to the profit-making professional leagues.
Also, why not limit athletic scholarships to Kentucky athletes? If there are not enough Kentucky kids available to be coached to play on Division 1 teams, it might be time to reduce the number of Kentucky’s Division 1 schools. Let the free market select how many public or private schools in Kentucky can compete at the highest level. There are not very many universities in the United States that can afford to splurge on big-time sports.
Times are tough and tough choices need to be made. After all, the athletes are the real moneymakers for sports programs, and they do not get paid.
Douglas Andersen, Lexington
Healthcare broken
Our healthcare system was dysfunctional before COVID-19, with per capita spending twice as high as other industrialized nations but more than 72 million lacking adequate insurance.
Prior to the pandemic, inadequate coverage was the number one issue of the 2020 elections, sparking the “Medicare for All” debate. The specter of tens of thousands dying and millions of Americans losing their jobs and healthcare coverage because of COVID-19 should dramatically fuel that debate.
Why have we been unable to achieve universal coverage in this country? Simply put — we have been unable to address cost. Our current fee for service system provides strong incentives to do more, without addressing our need for quality and health outcomes improvement and cost control. We need a global payment system, with risk-adjusted per capita payments for a standard set of benefits; this will engage providers, focusing their efforts on population health and quality of care, while eliminating redundancy and overutilization.
Global budgets do not mean single payer. Vouchers, purchased by individuals, employers, and government agencies, can secure coverage from an array of insurers or healthcare systems, continuing our market-based system while emphasizing quality and efficiency through competition.
It’s conceivable that, because of the pandemic, one in three Americans will be uninsured or underinsured. Will this crisis give us collective will to finally fix our broken healthcare system?
Dr. Michael Karpf and Teresa M. Walters, Lexington (Dr. Karpf is former executive vice president for health affairs at University of Kentucky. This letter reflects his personal opinions.)
Postal info, thanks
The United States Postal Service is committed to delivering your mail and packages throughout the current pandemic. We are proud of our role in providing an essential service to every community.
We would like to share the following information and requests:
▪ USPS wants to help keep you — and our employees — safe. We ask for you to maintain a safe distance at all times between you and your letter carrier and post office clerk. The Centers for Disease Control recommends keeping a distance of six feet or more between other individuals.
▪ We know it is a challenge to find ways to connect with family and friends at this time. Please remember anything without postage and not related to USPS business should not be placed in mailboxes.
▪ It is important to note that the CDC and other health agencies have all said there is a very low risk that this virus is being spread through the mail.
Our mission to bind the nation together is achieved through the efforts and sacrifices of our dedicated employees. The outpouring of support you have shown has had a great impact on everyone at the postal service. On behalf of all the employees at the Lexington Post Office — thank you.
Nicolas Benrey, customers relations coordinator, USPS Lexington
Kids’ sports a priority
Youth sports are as vital to the fabric of the community and its future health as any nonessential endeavor that will inevitably begin to gradually resume operations. If proper procedures are in place and closely monitored, reconvening outdoor youth sports should be a policy priority.
Policymakers are considering how public life might return with strategies for suppressing rapid spread of COVID-19. Planning should be allowed to help return kids to the ballfields this summer while causing minimal risk to the public.
The reality, blessing really, is that young people are unlikely to experience severe symptoms from COVID-19. Therefore, the goal should be to follow the best public health practices to protect at-risk adults from the virus and to discourage the spread to children who could then become carriers of the virus.
Some of those considerations could include eliminating concession stands, reducing the number of practices and games, and masks and gloves for umpires, coaches, and volunteers.
If necessary, the leagues in consultation with the Lexington Fayette Urban County government could also limit facility access and use to Fayette County teams and residents only.
As psychologically damaging as this crisis is, allowances can be made to give kids a chance to reclaim some normalcy while keeping the public safe.
Matt Sawyers, Lexington
Praise for pickup
The Lexington Fayette Urban County Government recently made a special pickup of yard waste material in my neighborhood. My wife and I watched the workers through our front window, and we both commented about their careful, professional efficiency.
We shouldn’t have been amazed. The quality of their performance is the norm, not the exception. Local, state, or federal government typically only hears from the public when they have a complaint.
My wife and I have lived at our address for over 50 years (we both will be age 77 this year).
I am satisfied with the quality of service and personnel we have in our area.
Chuck and Joyce Clater, Lexington
Keep newspapers alive
Why do I read the Herald-Leader? There are several reasons; the third one may surprise you.
Local and regional news that can’t be found anywhere else: The Lexington TV stations are fixated on weather and sensation (“crime and calamity” is the accepted term) at the expense of news of public meetings, education, legislative actions, religion, the arts, and all else which really affect our livelihoods. Local and regional radio have largely abandoned any obligation to inform and enlighten. Only the newspapers and to a lesser extent NPR and PBS try to fill the gap.
Human interest stories: people and groups whose activities may not warrant headlines, but which do enhance the quality of life for all of us.
The obituaries: I started scanning them because my wife wants to know who in her home county may have passed on. An obituary is a notice of a passing, but it is also a life history. Much as with the human interest stories noted above, these obituaries often remind us of the best and most important characteristics of our lives: decency, service, empathy, love, self-sacrifice, and yes, certain quirky attributes which often make the whole adventure worthwhile.
And so, please don’t let our newspapers die away. The consequences would be disastrous.
Ernest Henninger, Harrodsburg
Big bucks undeserved
In her recent column, Herald-Leader opinions columnist Linda Blackford revealed some distressing information: University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto is getting another raise. Last year his salary increased to $1.5 million, making him the fourth-highest-paid public college president in the nation. As the song goes, “Nice work if you can get it, and you can get it if you try.”
That was then. Here’s the new kicker: On June 30, Capilouto will get another $178,000 in what is being called deferred compensation.
And this comes when UK has a $70 million deficit and has furloughed 1,700 employees.
Now the main point: In 2019, U.S. News & World Report did not list UK among the 100 best national universities in the land. It didn’t make the magazine’s highest bracket this year either. The only SEC universities in the 2020 honors are the same as before: Vanderbilt, Georgia, Florida and Texas A&M.
If and when Capilouto can steer UK into the top group, he might deserve the big bucks. But not before.
Buddy Waller, Mount Sterling
Chance for change
By now we are all aware that we are living through a major historical event. As a 21-year-old, the COVID-19 pandemic is the only event that has drastically altered my life. My peers and I are told this pandemic is something we will tell our children and grandchildren about. However, we are also aware of the coming climate crisis — an even larger life-altering event — and we are left to wonder if we will even be around to have grandchildren. The truth is I’m scared, and I know my concerns are shared by many others my age.
Amidst COVID-19, there is an urge to return to “normal” as quickly as possible, but the pandemic has brought to light the innumerous inequalities (race and wealth) within the United States. We cannot be shortsighted: returning to business as usual would be detrimental to both Americans and the environment.
We are living through a tragedy, but we must use it as a turning point to mitigate the next tragedy which could see even more suffering: climate change. Let us consider our ability to shape how we move forward. We must not waste this opportunity to think critically about how we will adapt in the face of the impending climate crisis.
Shelby Hammonds, Versailles