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Letters to the Editor

Medicare for All would provide US best care

As someone on Real Medicare, I am worried about the people being talked into the Medicare Advantage Plans. The Advantage Plans are doing what the healthcare plans I had when working — Advantage plans are demanding referrals and are denying claims. My husband and I settled on a plan that covers everything with a supplemental plan. You get what you pay for. We have not gotten a bill or denial for claims. On July 30, 1965, Medicare was signed into law, bringing about a new era of guaranteed healthcare for our nation’s seniors and Americans living with disabilities. 58 years later, ...

Pop-up pantries need better organization

Hesitate on writing this as my critics criticize my drafts. They are poor communicators and thus can’t compose information effectively. On July 14, I attended the pop-up food pantry at Wildcat Stadium. Thought I’d help my friends/handicapped neighbors who don’t have a car. The two-hour wait was overwhelming and stressful. There weren’t any dry goods, canned goods, no frozen food — just some milk, produce, and some grapes. Arrived at 11:40 to find three lanes of cars at AHS to Bagley and no parking on the street as the police were monitoring the area. I was to wait at the ...

Court attacking our fundamental freedoms

Our fundamental freedoms are being attacked by the Supreme Court. The partisan right-wing majority on the bench gutted voting rights, opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate money in our elections, struck down gun safety laws, and limited the government’s ability to protect our air and water. In the year since they overturned Roe v. Wade, abortion has been effectively banned (with extremely limited exceptions) in fourteen states. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans have lost access to abortion care. This year, the Court overturned access to clean water and student debt relief for ...

Grateful for support of friends, neighbors

I’m grateful for my friends, neighbors and family for all the love and support shown to John and I and our children. Dementia is a terrible disease. I’m grateful for all the prayers for John and for myself to be able to care for him the best I could for as long as I could. I’m grateful for Kurt and Margie Haaxma, Paul and Mary Rajasekhar, Terry and Beth Denmark and Russ Courtney for the Bible study and support group. John led the study for 15 years until the confusion set in, then Terry has led it the past couple years. All our church families who were alongside to help the ...

Nice to see inclusivity in Northeast Michigan

I’m sure there are many Alpena and Posen stories, both known and unknown, that mirror the experiences of Douglas Taratuta and Clint Taratuta-Kendziorski as well as stories that have not had as happy an ending from earlier less enlightened times. Some very well might have included members of the many family groups that make up my familial heritage. Of interest today, no vendor refused the gentlemen their help in providing services for the ceremony. It’s an interesting real-life prebuttal to last week’s news from Washington. Most people recognize that love is love...and it’s nice ...

Something needs to be done about speeding

I am amazed that there have not been more accidents on French Road. We have lived here for four years. The traffic and the speed just keep getting worse. In these four years, I have never seen anyone stopped for speeding. This road is used consistently as a speedway; mainly motorcycles and hot rods. I worry constantly that a child or dog will run out and these stupid people will not be able to stop in time, or a deer will run out in front of them and they will not be able to stop in time. What is the solution? I think more patrols would help this problem, but I don’t know if that’s ...