Letters to the Editor for April 13, 2009

Smokers cost taxpayers a lot

To the editor:

While I truly feel sad that in their declining health, Jim and Lyn Grant are going to be coughing up their last dollars (no pun intended) to pay for the new tax increase on tobacco, I’d like to remind them and other smokers of the following: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report in November 2008 stating among other things, that smoking costs the nation 193 billion dollars on health care each year.

In your article Jim Grant quoted an RJ Reynolds statistic that “the majority of smokers are from low income households.”  You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that most low income families are getting their health care from our tax dollars. Thus, a large portion of the 193 billion dollars spent on smokers’ health care is being paid for by us, the taxpayers.

I abhor smoking, and I hate to see my tax dollars being wasted on unnecessary health care costs, but I also realize that smoking is an addiction that is very hard to break.  The CDC report also stated that smoking is on the decline, but that U.S. Surgeon General’s goal of reducing the number of smokers in the USA to 12 percent by 2010 is unrealistic (19.8 percent in 2007).

I think that educating our children to the horrors of smoking would be a better story for your paper than a story about smokers complaining about a tax increase on cigarettes. P.S. I can’t wonder if the Grants’ health issues have been exacerbated by their years of smoking. 

Joshua DeCarl

Baker City

Who’s to blame? Maybe we are

To the editor:

We the people usually put the blame in the wrong place. The current administration blames the previous administration. The liberals blame the conservatives and vice versa.

This character defect started very early. “She made me do it,” said Adam to God, referring to Eve. Eve in turn blamed the serpent in the tree. In our democracy, where we the people elect our leaders, perhaps we are the real problem. We choose leaders that promise to give us an easy life without hard work, a big government without higher taxes (let someone else pay) and give us big guaranteed returns on our investments without risk on our part.

We want someone else to pay for and fix our broken-down bodies after we have crammed them full of all the wrong things. We the people need to relearn the lesson that all choices have consequences. Our children need to be taught this lesson. Let us all stop trying to escape unwanted consequences by putting the blame on someone else. 

Larry Lambeth

Baker City

Teachers hope to avoid early end

To the editor:

The number one goal of teachers in this community is to provide a quality education for all students.

The Baker Education Association is more optimistic regarding the necessity of ending the school year five days early than is the district office. The Legislature continues to vacillate on education funding and until the May budget forecast is in, the teachers do not recognize a shortened school year.

We will remain hopeful that we will be teaching your children until June 5. In the event of budget shortfall, BEA will work with the District to ensure that impact to students and community will be minimized. 

Tim Smith

Baker Education Association president and 5J educator

Baker City