Letters to the Editor 7/6

Thanks from Altrusa

This is to express thanks from the Altrusa Club of San Luis Obispo to the donors and participants who contributed to the success of its recent golf tournament at Laguna Lake Municipal Golf Course.

The best ball format was enjoyed by a great group of golfers, as was the early breakfast table and barbecue lunch following play.

Local businesses and friends of Altrusa sponsored holes and donated many items for the silent auction and raffle.

The proceeds go directly back into the community through Altrusa’s many local programs, including the Laguna Lake First Tee program, high school and Cuesta scholarships, Hawthorne school’s literacy and educational programs, City/County Library Summer Reading program and dinners for the Maxine Lewis shelter.

A special thanks goes out to Todd Bunte, Laguna’s superintendent, and his assistant, Willie Long, along with the rest of the staff who did a beautiful job of “manicuring” the course and covering public areas to protect them from the overnight rain.

We give special thanks, as well, to Alan Mac-Meekin of SLO Night Time Kiwanis for the tri-tip BBQ. We thank you one and all!

Sandra Mason, Ann Gaines, Chris Hummel San Luis Obispo

Election memories

Watching Iran’s brave people protest the rigged national election brought back memories of the U.S. presidential election in 2000. They have every right to be suspicious of an investigation of election fraud by the Supreme Leader’s hand-picked people.

Although unlikely, I wish the people of Iran a better resolution than we got from our Supreme Court.

Jim Carlisle Atascadero

Breastfeeding bill

Regarding the breastfeeding clinic cuts:

The greatest tragedy of the San Luis Obispo breastfeeding cuts is not that the clinic is virtually closing, but that these cuts were completely avoidable if the clinic had only billed private insurance.

That’s correct: The clinic does not bill private insurance, only Medi-Cal. Why is this?

The consultants I spoke with had no idea. I would have been totally willing to pay myself (or have my insurance pay) a fee for the clinic’s services, but it literally wasn’t possible.

Breastfeeding may be natural and instinctive, but it’s also hard. It takes a lot of practice to do correctly.

I know many, many mothers who say that, without the clinic’s help, they would not have been able to breastfeed their children.

Attention county: Let’s not lose this terrific resource!

Let’s just practice common sense and bill for services!

Mary Corey Atascadero

Paying for prisons

As a former registered nurse in a prison and the state hospital, I have to respond to the June 22 letter from Tom Platz about all the free care a prisoner receives at taxpayer expense.

I truly wish all taxpayers could spend some time visiting a prison and see the conditions.

A prisoner has to pay $5 to see a doctor or nurse, and when you make 12 cents an hour, that $5 is a lot.

As an RN in the prison, I had to seek out inmates who I was told were in physical trouble because they couldn’t afford the $5.

If you want to be upset about the tax dollar being wasted, yell about the three strikes law, where a defendant gets life for stealing instant coffee from a 7-11, and then you and I have to pay to house him for life.

Think that doesn’t happen? It happens all the time.

We also pay for innocent men to stay in prison because of a refusal to allow DNA evidence to get them released. The taxpayer should be screaming about that too.

But, no, you all remain silent, with your heads in the sand.

So, we continue to pay and pay and pay.

You wouldn’t like pri-son, Mr. Platz.

Penny Takier Paso Robles

Generous donation

Three cheers for Barry Ross!

He heard that the Morro Bay City Council eliminated a $5,000 discretionary fund allowance as part of our budget cuts.

Barry showed up at our June 8 meeting and presented the council with a check for $5,000 so that we can continue to fund those small but important projects through the 2009-2010 budget year.

Thank you, Barry!

Janice PetersMayor, Morro Bay