To the Editor:

Now that the Republican Party has temporary political control over America a strong push is being made to “promote” Christianity. Christians, beware! Did I mention that Christians need to beware of this effort?

When you boil it all down, Christianity is only a belief. It is not a science. It is not based on provable facts as some political leaders seem to be claiming these days. Some are pushing for teaching the Bible in schools. They will not be able to present that as a book of facts.

I personally believe there are many truths and sound tenets within the Bible. However, that does not render the whole book a collection of facts. Neither is evolution as factual as once perceived and accepted (according to many modern scientists).

Here is powerful evidence that Christianity has been and will remain a belief. The first five words of the King James Version of the Bible are: “In the beginning God created ….” Thinking people must ask this question — specifically, when was the beginning? You don’t have much to work with when you say merely that something happened in the beginning if you don’t know when the beginning was.

Humans seek clarity on the onset of all events, i.e., births, historical happenings, etc. Why do Americans celebrate the Fourth of July? Why not just celebrate sometime around that date? Does anyone know exactly when Jesus was born? Does anyone know when He was crucified and died? Scientists use standard methods in an attempt to establish dates for inanimate objects as well as for life forms on earth. This usually results in a good “educated guess.” It gives us something to go by. We want to nail things down as well as we can.

What compels humans to seek such precision, the truth? Maybe that is just the way we work. We want to understand things in terms of their relative time. Tree rings show foresters the growth rates and climatic conditions affecting trees. Even they are unable to interpret that evidence as facts. It is merely a systematic and useful guide.

Now to the words that are very difficult to say and consider. Where did God come from? When and how did He assume control of the heavens and the earth that the Bible says He created? Native Americans befuddled our European ancestors with those questions. Native Americans had their own beliefs and oral history. Rather than listen to them about their beliefs and historical accounts, they were subdued militarily and endured the “Christianizing” process, wiping out much valuable insight into how they developed their beliefs.

Country Music Hall of Fame singer Merle Haggard sang, “No, you never liked the clothes I wear on Sunday just because I don’t believe the way you do. But, I believe the Lord knows I’m unhappy ‘cause I can’t be myself when I’m with you.” If Haggard was accurate that he was rejected because he didn’t believe like someone else, what does that say about Christian acceptance/rejection of others?

Today there is a religious struggle being played out between Christianity and Islam. Or is there? Is this not really a struggle for worldly power that is playing Islam against Christianity in yet another “holy” war?

In summation: If (1) we can’t say when the beginning was even when some people are claiming that we are near the “end of time,” and (2) we don’t know how God came to be, how could anyone propose a “creation science”? We are left with a belief. We have to choose as individuals to believe or not to believe. Governmental bodies should not be trying to coerce anyone to accept the Bible as a book of facts.

Christians need to look before they leap into the idea of a theocracy for America. The marriage of Christianity and government will corrupt both like mixing coffee with cream. Neither component (coffee or cream) could ever be restored to its original state of being. If Christians want to practice Christian tenets, they would be wise to not allow worldly governments to creep into their environs in search of political strength.

Dave Waldrop

Webster

After the fall 2016 wildfires concluded, biologists feared that the flames had devastated populations of the rare noonday globe snail — but a recent survey revealed that the snail could be closer to coming off the endangered species list than anyone thought possible.

After a couple years of uncertainty, Heinzelmannchen Brewery in Sylva will close its doors on Thursday evening.

A restored brownfield property in Franklin is now home to a hive of Carniolan honeybees.

Environmental groups working to improve water quality, aquatic habitat and recreational access recently saw $182,000 in grants from the Pigeon River Fund of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, with most of that money going to Haywood County organizations.

The N.C. Division of Water Resources has honored 49 water treatment plants statewide for surpassing federal and state drinking water standards, and five WNC plants made the list.

The other night while channel-surfing I stumbled upon an online Sunday School class sponsored by a host of Baptist churches in the Southeast. I was amazed at the participants, all dressed in $1,000 suits. There was Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Neil Gorsuch, Rex Tillerson, Mike Pence and Franklin Graham. Each dignitary sported a Christian symbol in the form of a tie clasp, lapel pin or cufflinks. The emcee looked nervous at the prospect of dealing with such prominent American politicians.

“Gentlemen, I want to cover only five foundational Biblical tenets here tonight for the benefit of our dedicated viewing audience to see for themselves the state of our Christian impact on the U.S. Some might view this particular show as a preview of the leaders needed to develop a theocracy in American government. If you know the answer simply press your green ‘Reply’ button on your console.”

“Number one: What is the first commandment?” Only silence ensued. “Well, gentlemen, the correct answer is, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’

“Number two: What is the first question a human ever asked God?”  Once again silence.

“When Cain slayed Abel he asked God, ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’

“Number three: What did Jesus tell the rich man to do with his worldly possessions?”

Nothing but embarrassed silence.

“Gentlemen,” the emcee nervously asserted, “Jesus said, ‘If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.’

“Number four: What did Jesus say to his disciples about the rich man?”

I don’t have to tell you there was no response button pressed on this question either.

“Answer: ‘And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’”

At this point the emcee looked a little bewildered.

“I think I’ll skip the fifth prepared question. We’ve had a real good show tonight. Let the fifth question be simply this: Do you profess to be a Christian?”

My! My! The console board lit up like a Christmas tree. Each man bellowed into his microphone: “You bet your bottom dollar.” Most in the audience went wild in admiration of their prominent political leaders. However, a precious few raised their eyebrows in disbelief.

Before I awoke the next morning I drifted into the R.E.M. phase of sleep. I dreamed that the famous Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, walked over to Franklin Graham’s console, pressed the button and said for the whole world to hear:

“Christ’s teaching is not generally understood in its true, simple and direct sense even in these days, when the light of the Gospel has penetrated even to the darkest recesses of human consciousness; when in the words of Christ, that which was spoken in the ear is proclaimed from the housetops; and when the Gospel is influencing every side of human life — domestic, economic, civic, legislative, and international. This lack of true understanding of Christ’s words at such a time would be inexplicable, if there were not causes to account for it.

“One of these causes is the fact that believers and unbelievers are firmly persuaded that they have understood Christ’s teaching a long time, and that they understand it so fully, indubitably, and conclusively that it can have no other significance than the one they attribute to it. And the reason of this conviction is that the false interpretation and consequent misapprehension of the Gospel is an error of such long standing. Even the strongest current of water cannot add a drop to a cup which is already full.”

I was in awe of Tolstoy’s confident delivery of his brief message. So much so that I went to my bookshelf, pulled out The Kingdom of God is Within You and reread the words he had written many years ago. Most of you know Tolstoy better for his two other very famous works — War and Peace and Anna Keranina.

I suppose dreams are supposed to be a little entangled and hard to understand. I hope my memory is correct and that I actually saw the evangelical show. That it, too, wasn’t merely a dream…

Dave Waldrop

Webster

To the Editor:

Last week’s letters to the editor were critical of the proposed healthcare reform. HRMC executives write, “Without coverage, many ...[are] left without access to the healthcare service they need ....” If HRMC is turning away patients, they are in violation of federal law.

The writers hope for “a bipartisan solution.” I don’t remember them advocating that for Obamacare, which had no Republican support.

They wail about “Medicaid cuts,” but the only “cuts” are to the rate of increase. Even the far left Politico admits, “Medicaid spending goes up under any scenario. It’s just at a far lower rate under the Republican health care bills.”

Elsewhere, they have written in opposition to proposed per capita caps for Medicaid, but never complained about Clinton’s proposal of caps in 1995. Tom Daschle, Obama’s first choice for running HHS, said Congress should fund states’ Medicaid programs on a capped basis. Where was the outrage then?

They cavil that “Medicaid ‘cuts’ could have a detrimental impact ... for many years to come,” but ignore that every study shows that Medicaid enrollees have outcomes that are no better than those with no insurance. Certainly, these health care executives must be familiar with the CDC’s WONDER database which shows, in the decade before ObamaCare, the all-cause mean death rate for ages 15-64 was 310.4 per 100,000 and never higher than 313.5. For 2014-2015, the rate jumped to 320.4.

What is responsible for the surge? Increased insurance coverage or health care? How’s “Primum non nocere” working out for us? Why are they focusing on all the “what-ifs” of reform instead of the realities of the morbidity that ObamaCare wrought?

Many of the claims they make are directly from the Commonwealth Fund, which has been mocked by various publications including the Institute of Economic Affairs, National Center for Policy Analysis, Forbes and the Federalist. One describes their “studies” as “advocacy pieces masquerading as research.”

Maybe the next criticism they will come up with is that if I like my plan or my doctor, I might not be able to keep them. Or, that instead of saving $2,500 on my premiums, they will double and my deductibles will soar.

Dr. Wall asks, “Why does President Trump not ask the Senate to have open hearings? Why the secrecy and the rush to get this done before any public or expert input. We must demand answers.” Did he demand answers when Senate Democrats discussed ObamaCare in secret? ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber said the bill’s inherent “lack of transparency is a huge political advantage” in selling it. There are your “answers,” Dr. Wall.

Remember, if you want to tick off a conservative, lie to them. If you want to tick off a liberal, tell them the truth.

Timothy Van Eck

Whittier

To the Editor:

On Sunday morning, July 2, Donald Trump tweeted a short doctored video clip of him attacking an individual whose face was covered with a CNN (Cable Network News) logo. If you have not seen it, you should.

The original video was filmed in 2007 and taken from WrestleMania 23 where Mr. Trump took part in the fake action by a simulated attack on WWE chairman Vince McMahon. In the current video, the face of Mr. McMahon is covered by the logo of CNN, thus portraying an attack by Mr. Trump on a CNN reporter or possibly the CNN network itself.

Let us be perfectly clear here, this is an incitement of violence against the reporters and employees of the CNN network by the President of the United States. When I was growing up, I was taught by my father and other responsible men in the community to never make threats that I was not willing to carry out. Most of these men were veterans of World War II and had seen the results of violence. They had the perspective that threats were not funny, nor were they a game. Threats, even in jest, are serious, because too often someone will take them seriously and act on them in a serious manner.

Does this video mean that CNN reporters should hire bodyguards or begin carrying a gun to protect themselves from the Trump supporter that may not be mentally stable? This is not an indictment of Trump supporters. We know that that there are unstable persons of every political persuasion. We only have to look to the recent shooting of Republican representatives at a baseball practice in Virginia to see this fact. But I am pretty sure that we should not be fanning the flames of intolerance through this type of tweeted video

In plain terms, if I were to post a video of me attacking a person upon whom I had superimposed the face of Donald Trump, I am pretty sure that the Secret Service and the FBI would be looking into my background and investigating me. Were I to state that I wanted to attack and/or kill the President, I would be arrested as a threat to not only the President but to the nation. If that is so, then what makes it right for Donald Trump to perform that very act on an individual associated with CNN?

David Frost, while interviewing Richard Nixon, once asked if the President of the United States could give an illegal order. Nixon’s reply was that if it was an order from the President, then it could not be illegal. We pretty much know how that turned out: Watergate.

We need to ask ourselves if we have reached that point in our lives and our political system that whatever the President says is legal and law. We need to examine our political parties, governmental systems, and our souls to see if we are alright with the direction that our country is taking. I, personally, am not.

Luther Jones

Sylva

The World Methodist Museum in Lake Junaluska announces its participation in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History exhibit. The “Religion in Early America” exhibition is currently open to the public.

The present pains for drivers on Interstate 40 in Haywood County are temporary.

It seems like every day there's a different headline, tweet or Facebook post warning us against specific foods or ingredients in our foods.  Sometimes it can be hard to sort out the scary information from the facts and science.  Here are 3 basic tips for "Food Sanity" in the Supermarket:

By Rod Harkelroad and Maurice Phillips

Our country’s healthcare system is in the midst of a massive upheaval. Never before have we witnessed such challenges that will impact both the type of care our community receives and the ability of our local hospital to continue providing the high-quality care that we know each of you have come to expect from our physicians, nurses and staff. 

To the Editor:

A wise good man once said, approximately, “politics is about making people’s lives better.” 

I don’t believe that our representatives in Washington will improve a huge percentage of people’s lives, people they elected to represent, if they give in to this abomination of health care reform legislation.

By now, our senators and representatives have certainly seen the Congressional Budget Office score. Of course, it is all about tax cuts for the wealthy. The wealthy are a tiny fraction of the people they are elected to represent. But this legislation will kill people, and it will really kill jobs, unlike the “so-called” job-killing acts of our great former president, acts which afforded the majority of Americans genuine protections, real protections, against financial abuse, against health care robbery, against the destruction of our environment.

I want to plead with our elected representatives to work for America and not just for the chosen, clever, greedy few who always need more and more. Please oppose the current attempt. Work with everyone in transparency and keep America great.

Bill Aylor

Bryson City

To the Editor:

We had the great pleasure of visiting Haywood County on Saturday, June 17, as we attended the Roots of Resistance: Sixties Social at the Frog Level Brewing Company.

At this event, Phillip Price for Congress Campaign team got an opportunity to get to know the Haywood County community a little better. We learned about several great things local Democrats are doing to make the community a better place to live, such as people dedicating their time and talents to the Grace Giving Garden and to stock and service the Food Pantry at Grace Church in the Mountains. 

We were inspired to continue to reach out to folks to offer a helping hand to ensure we work together to help one another with basic needs. We would like to thank Doreen Carroll for organizing this event and we look forward to our next visit to Haywood County, such a beautiful place to work, live and play.

Michelle Price

Nebo

To the Editor:

My organization, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the AARP, the American Cancer Society, The American Heart Association and many others are deeply concerned that the fate of health care in America is being discussed and worked out totally in secret, with no hearings before the public, no expert testimony, no input from the major health care providers, from new born nursery staffs to emergency room doctors to nursing home personnel. 

The planned $800 billion cut to Medicaid, the pilfering of the Medicare trust fund, the threat to over 5,000 children in Haywood County on Medicaid, to the thousands of seniors who today or tomorrow may need Medicaid to cover nursing home fees, and the 6,000 people here who are covered by the Affordable Care Act all deserve real open discussion. 

Secret negotiations are un-American! We must ask Senators Tillis and Burr to open this process and reject the harsh bill that was sent to the Senate by Rep. Mark Meadows, R-Asheville, and other House members who seem to care more about massive tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans than they do for “the least of you.” We should not return to the good ld days when medical illness was the number one cause of personal bankruptcy in America. 

Why does President Trump not ask the Senate to have open hearings? Why the secrecy and the rush to get this done before any public or expert input. We must demand answers.

Stephen Wall, MD, FAAP

Waynesville

The Whitewater Falls viewing area is on track to reopen by July 4 after being closed since wildfire destroyed it in November 2016.

Views from the breathtaking Hump Mountain in the Roan Highlands are now protected thanks to a 324-acre purchase the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy has completed on the mountain’s northern slopes.

A plan to make recreational access to the Chattooga River ecologically sustainable calls for construction of three kayak launch sites, new trails to access those sites, trailhead information kiosks and trailhead parking improvements.

The North Carolina Senate unanimously passed comprehensive legislation to combat the opioid addiction crisis that is plaguing the state.

A bail bondsman who faces federal charges for sexual abuse of a minor has been detained at the Buncombe County Detention Center since his arrest May 10 after waiving his original detention hearing, but he will present a case for his release during a detention hearing scheduled for July 5. 

To the Editor:

Coal has played an enormous role in the history of our country, and the infamous black rock remains a primary source of energy. Lighting homes, powering factories, and influencing economic and environmental decision-making, coal can be found (in many ways, shapes and forms) at the heart of the American story. But coal is complicated.

Mountaintop Removal Coal Mining (MTR) is the most violent and disruptive form of mining to date — and a great deal of our energy is obtained in this way. MTR involves blasting the summit from the mountain and then bulldozing debris (including timber, rock, and mining chemicals) into neighboring valleys. This process buries pristine headwater streams, leads to mudslides and severe flooding, and permanently destroys an ecosystem that’s biodiversity has been compared to that of the rain forest. Furthermore, coal contributes significantly to climate change.

Coal miners are also struggling greatly. Easily accessible coal is a thing of the past, and modern-day coal mining is highly mechanized — meaning far fewer jobs for people in coal country. We must remember these coal-mining communities, and the women and men who have dedicated their lives to America’s energy supply, as we transition to clean and renewable energy. We must respect them and work toward a just transition in which the people of Appalachia are valued and given jobs in sustainable industries. We must work for economic diversification. Appalachia has been forgotten for too long, and we have much to learn.

“From the Ashes,” a documentary dealing with the complexities of the coal industry and the importance of these many narratives, will be showing at Mad Batter Food & Film in Sylva on Thursday, June 22, at 7:30 p.m. The film is a Tribeca Film Festival official selection for 2017 and has been called “Heartbreaking and enlightening at the same time. A must-watch for everyone because we should all be in this together …” by former Secretary of State John Kerry.  Please join the Creation Care Alliance of WNC and MountainTrue as we engage in this important dialogue.

Sarah Ogletree

Sylva

To the Editor:

Now that the Haywood County School Board is keeping Central Elementary, it’s a good time to consider repurposing it into a unique community asset that could be the biggest economic development in years and benefit the entire county as a “Children’s Discovery Place!”

While there may be many possible uses, none are likely to require all the classrooms, auditorium or playgrounds. Nowhere in the county can you find a more unique asset that lends itself perfectly to this type of development.

The best example is KidSenses in Rutherfordton that has had over 500,000 visitors since opening, is housed in just 10,000 square feet and has an annual economic impact of a $1.38 million. It’s so successful they’ve launched a new division called The Factory to broaden the appeal to teens with a whole new slant on STEM education.

Here’s how it could be structured. Establish a public-private partnership between Haywood Schools and a new nonprofit to raise funds to renovate and operate year-round with exhibits, tactile discovery, playgrounds, concerts, STEM programming, etc.

Engage the Chamber of Commerce, EDC, TDA, Arts Council, HCC, WCU, HRMC and even the county library with its expansion plans to create a Lifelong Learning Campus.

Use it as an asset for public schools along with rentals to private schools. Haywood Schools could expand learning opportunities for all students without incurring any additional costs.

Revenue would come from admissions, grants, sponsorships, rental fees and major private donors.

To make this happen, several steps would have to be taken, including:

• Host a meeting with speakers from other children’s museums.

• Form a “Community Exploratory Committee” and conduct a feasibility study to determine community support.

• If there is a groundswell of support, the committee could start a nonprofit to develop a master plan, launch a capital campaign, apply for grants, seek corporate sponsors and cultivate private donors.

Our school board has an opportunity to launch a transformative initiative that will benefit residents and visitors of all ages for generations. I urge the community to let them know of your support.

John Curtis

Waynesville

To the Editor:

The mere length and involved reasoning of your editorial reveals a level of nuance that makes issues such as the captioned insoluble.

In stuff like this, I’m a fan of Occam’s razor: The simplest solution with the fewest assumptions is probably the best. So, let’s do this:

On redistricting: Have computers draw the lines with the sole purpose of making them contiguous and compact.

On IDs: If such there must be, issue IDs to every occupant of the U.S., with clear indications of citizenship and voter eligibility status. For free.

From time immemorial, we have concerned ourselves with race, creed and tribe, creating a slow-moving, quasi-stasis, always to the detriment of the just operation of a republic.

If a reaction to the above begins with “But what about (some group) ...,” it would be reasonable to inquire as to whether we really want an objective solution, preferring instead to continue the present system but with different controlling forces.

Jim Graber

Franklin

To the Editor:

Republicans are again touting the critical need for tax cuts for the upper economic classes.  This is going on at both the state and federal level. The cuts are even embedded in Trumpcare. The promised benefits of large tax cuts? More jobs and a growing economy — if only it were true.

There are two related arguments for tax cuts that primarily benefit the investor class. The first is that the increased wealth at the top will create jobs through investment. Were that the case, the economy during the Reagan and second Bush administrations would have roared, driving unemployment to record low levels and vastly increasing income and wealth for the middle and lower classes. 

That didn’t happen. Investors are free to invest their money overseas and in various schemes that make more money for the investors, while generating little or no benefit for the U.S. economy.

Second, the promised job and income increases from the tax cuts were promised to increase government revenues and reduce deficits. That didn’t happen either. Instead, we got the largest deficits in history until we had to increase expenditures that were necessary to prevent the George Bush recession from becoming a global depression.

Then there are corporate taxes. On paper the U.S. has one of the higher tax rates in the developed world (35 percent). However, after the various deductions and exclusions, the average corporate tax payment is only around 20-25 percent. Eighteen large corporations (e.g. International Paper, General Electric, Priceline, Duke Energy) paid no federal taxes from 2008-2015. How does this happen? They write the tax laws.

Clearly we need tax reform. That reform should ensure that any profitable company pays taxes.  Small- and medium-size businesses, rather than large corporations, should be the primary beneficiaries of tax reform because that’s where most jobs are created.

For individuals, any tax cuts should focus on the lower and middle income groups at the expense of the already wealthy. Both income and sales taxes should be considered. The current tax code has transferred massive income and wealth to the upper economic classes over the last 30 years, and the results for the U.S. economy are obvious. It hasn’t worked.

To grow the economy, tax policy must emphasize the individuals who actually drive the economy rather than investing overseas or in transactions that only serve to increase personal wealth rather than growing the economy. One simple, though radical, solution would be to treat capital gains on investment income as ordinary income rather than with a flat 15 or 20 percent rate.

To be clear, this is not an indictment of democracy or capitalism — only the way it is currently practiced in the U.S.  Hard-working people must be rewarded for their efforts.  People with great ideas and the willingness to take the risks of bringing them to market should be rewarded if they are successful. That is the American story.  

What has increasingly happened is that rewards are conferred upon those with the best teams of lawyers, accountants and lobbyists. Meanwhile, tens of millions of citizens are left wondering what happened to their future and grasping at the false promises of a better future while wondering how to pay their bills..

The issue is fairly simple. Do your representatives support the wellbeing of 95 percent of their constituents or the 1 to 5 percent of their big donors? It’s your choice in 2018!

John Gladden

Franklin

To the Editor:

As an inveterate library user, a long-time volunteer at the Haywood Public Library, a former Board member of the Haywood Friends of the Library, and a former board member of the Friends of North Carolina Public Library (the statewide library support organization), I feel compelled to weigh in on the issue raised in last week’s article on the library in The Smoky Mountain News.

While I realize the reluctance of the county commissioners to undertake a $6 million project to expand the Waynesville library, I fear that the goal of County Manager Ira Dove and the commissioners is to so dilute the project by a desire to be penurious that nothing substantive will get done to improve our aged and inadequate flagship library.

Libraries are important in Haywood County, just like they are in every community across our country. The well-respected Pew Research Center concluded in their study on the importance of libraries titled “How Americans Value Public Libraries” that: “Americans strongly value library services such as access to books and media; having a quiet, safe place to spend time, read, or study; and having librarians to help people find information. Other services, such as assistance finding and applying for jobs, are more important to particular groups, including those with lower levels of education or household income.”

It seems to me that the last portion of this quotation may address the focus of the problem that the library faces with our county commissioners and Mr. Dove as they address the role of the public library in our community. I fear that they don’t understand the importance of having a great library to making Haywood County the kind of place that we all want to call home. Can you imagine the message sent to the world by a community by an inadequate library? It suggests a community that doesn’t care about literacy and a community that doesn’t value an inclusive and welcoming community center, which is what a good library is.

In the sidebar to last week’s article was the usage pattern for the library and a statement that 25 percent of the survey respondents never use the library, for very real reasons that could be addressed in improvements to the library facility and collections. 

More importantly, county commissioners need to think about the other 75 percent of the population who do use the library and accept their responsibility to provide the best possible library for Haywood County.

Forbes Magazine concluded in an article titled “Why Public Libraries Matter: And How They Can Do More” that: “… public libraries in America are dynamic, versatile community centers. They welcomed 1.59 billion visitors and lent books 2.4 billion times — more than 8 times for each citizen.”

Doesn’t Haywood County deserve libraries that are dynamic, versatile community centers?

Kent Stewart

Waynesville

A new nationwide outreach program will bring NASA resources to Western North Carolina, with the Fontana Regional Library selected as one of 75 libraries in the U.S. to participate.

Bear-safe food storage is now mandatory within 1,000 feet of Avery Creek Road following an Emergency Food Storage Order issued June 12.

A recent study quantifying the economic impact of trout fishing showed that 149,000 trout anglers in North Carolina fished 1.6 million days in 2014, contributing an estimated $383 million to the state’s economy. 

Coldwater fisheries will get a boost thanks to a $95,000 grant that Duke Energy’s Water Resources Fund awarded to Trout Unlimited this year.

Volunteers are needed to help rehabilitate the 6-mile Rainbow Falls Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with workdays held every Wednesday 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Results are back from this year’s winter bat surveys in Western North Carolina, and numbers have remained low following the arrival of white-nose syndrome to the area.

The emerald ash borer has made it to Asheville, with its arrival to Craftsman Circle providing the first evidence of ash trees under attack in city limits. 

Planning is underway for the management of 5,329 acres that the Blue Ridge Parkway acquired around Waterrock Knob last year.

Elk will stay out of the crops at the Mountain Farm Museum following construction of a historically accurate fence funded by a $5,000 Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership grant awarded to Friends of the Smokies.

Angel Medical Center in Franklin is the recipient of three prestigious awards given by the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association in the critical effort to combat stroke.

By Kurt J. Volker • Contributing Writer

Following a somewhat contentious debate leading up to final budget approval, Macon County Commissioners last week approved a $49.6 million spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017, with no hike in property taxes. That rate will remain 34.9 cents per $100 of property valuation.

Since announcing its closure after 51 years in business, Joey’s Pancake House owner Brenda O’Keefe and her staff have been bombarded with well wishes and awards, including the highest honor in North Carolina — Order of the Long Leaf Pine.

The Haywood County Chamber of Commerce recently presented its annual awards to business leaders who have gone above and beyond to make the community a better place to live, work and play.

Blue Ridge Public Radio (BPR) continues to invest in the development of local programming and content with the hiring of Matt Peiken as the NPR station’s first Arts Producer.

Wonderful blue skies, great entertainment and over 60 multi-talented artisans brought out more than 3,000 people to Front Street Arts & Crafts Show on Saturday, June 17, in Dillsboro.

Thursday, June 29th 3-6pm Ingles Market on Sand Hill Road, Candler NC.

By Martin Dyckman • Guest Columnist

It’s easy to make a mistake, particularly when relying on another person’s promises or character. It’s harder to admit one. That’s just human nature.

A lot of good people who put their faith in Donald Trump still can’t accept that it was misplaced. But if they care to be good citizens, there are some hard questions to ask themselves in the light of James Comey’s testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee:

To the Editor:

How many people do you know who are old enough to be eligible for Medicare insurance but decline to enroll? Likely none. If there are any, they would have to be extremely rich to be able to afford to forego this great program. People simply do not decline to enroll when they become eligible at age 65, because Medicare is, and has been, the best deal available for health insurance coverage in the U.S. since its inception in 1965.  

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if at birth, every U.S. citizen could get a health insurance card, like a Medicare card, giving them access to any doctor or hospital in the country? It turns out this scenario is quite achievable. “The Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act,” HR 676, was introduced in Congress in January and currently has 111 co-sponsors. It would guarantee high quality coverage for all medically necessary services for every single American. It would cover doctor visits, hospital care, prescriptions, mental health services, nursing home care, rehab, homecare, eye care and dental care. Instead of paying premiums, copays, and deductibles, we would pay a similar or smaller amount in taxes. (Just as we pay taxes so that every American can receive the basic public education that we as Americans believe to be a right and a necessity for a modern civic society.) 

The Medicare for All Americans plan is the only health care reform that will cover everyone and control costs. Under such a system, private health insurance companies could still offer supplemental plans, as they do currently for Medicare beneficiaries, but only for services not covered by the public plan, such as cosmetic surgery. Unlike Medicare, private health insurance companies operate to make a profit and they have huge overhead. Expanding a government plan like Medicare would save billions in administrative costs and profits, and thus drive overall costs down. A single payer system would also drive down prescription drug costs.  

To become more informed, go to the website for Physicians for a National Health Program, www.pnhp.org, an organization of physicians who have been advocating for this type of health care insurance for decades.  

Don’t let anyone tell you that single payer is “government run health care.” That would be like the Health Department or the Veterans Hospitals or the British Health Care system, all of which provide good care but in each of these systems the government directly pays the salaries of doctors and the costs of hospitals. Under single payer, doctors would not be employees of the government and we would all get a health care card that would allow us to go to any doctor or hospital in the U.S. 

Don’t let anyone tell you that you a single payer plan will take away your right to choose your own doctor. Currently private health insurances tell you which doctor you must go to, which are “in network” or “out of network.” Medicare for All Americans would not do this.  

Don’t let anyone tell you that a single payer plan would lead to “rationing like in Canada.” We already have “rationing.” Currently, it is private health care insurance that rations your care, telling you and your doctor what services they will and will not cover. And currently our health care services are rationed even more by income. If you can’t afford insurance, you don’t get care. No one dies or goes bankrupt from lack of access to health care insurance in Canada.  

Unfortunately, the House narrowly passed a very different kind of health care reform bill in May. According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, this bill would increase the number of Americans without health insurance by 23 million within nine years. That would make 51 million Americans under age 65 who would not have health insurance if this law goes into effect, almost double the number who would not have insurance if the current Affordable Care Act would stay in place.  Fourteen million of those additional uninsured people would already be without insurance by next year.   

Republicans in the House are claiming that their bill, HR 1628, protects people with pre-existing health conditions, but the CBO’s report reveals that this is not true. Their bill allows states to waiver two current federal requirements: they could modify the “essential health benefits” that must be covered under approved health insurance policies, and they could set premiums based on a person’s health status if that person has not had continuous coverage. Therefore, the report concludes, “Premiums would vary significantly according to health status and the type of benefits provided, and less healthy people would face extremely high premiums … people who are less healthy, (including those with preexisting or newly acquired medical conditions) would ultimately be unable to purchase comprehensive non-group health insurance at premiums comparable to those under current law, if they could purchase it at all — despite the additional funding that would be available under HR 1628 to help reduce premiums.” 

HR 1628 was opposed by conservative, moderate and liberal health care experts, including the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Hospital Association, the American Nurses Association, The American Cancer Society, The American Diabetes Association, The American Lung Association, The American Heart Association, The March of Dimes, and the AARP.  

A majority of Americans now favor a single-payer system. Join us. If you would like to see Medicare for All put into place as our health care plan, please be in touch with your legislators. Call Rep. Mark Meadows, (202.225.6401 or 828.693.5660) to tell him the time has come for a single payer health insurance system. Tell him if you do not like HR 1628, and ask him to support instead HR 676, the “Medicare for All Americans” bill.   The Senate is currently working on its own plan behind closed doors. If you are a Republican and have voted for Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis in the past, but do not like the direction the Republicans are now taking health care insurance, please call Sen. Burr (202.224.3154) and Senator Tillis. (202.224.6342) and tell them so.  

Tell them you will not be able to continue to vote for them if they cut American’s access to health care insurance. Tell them that the time has come for a Medicare for All single payer health insurance system. At the very least, ask your senators to conduct open public hearings about their developing plan, and to get an analysis by the Congregational Budget before they vote on it.  

Thank you.

(Joyce Hooley, MD MPH FAAP, is a former Haywood County pediatrician now practicing in Mars Hill.)

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