Page 6 — THE CONWAY DAILY SUN, Tuesday, November 15, 2011
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Community health center needs your help To the editor: Gone: $133,000. That’s the amount the state and federal governments have decreased from White Mountain Community Health Center’s budget. The number may not sound astronomical when you think about a national debt in the trillions, but it’s a big number for a small, local health center to absorb. White Mountain Community Health Center serves Mount Washington Valley. Last year over 3,500 residents came to the health center for affordable health care. Neighbors and friends without insurance and those who fall into the abyss of astronomical co-pays and deductibles, depend on White Mountain Community Health Center for care. Nobody is turned away. The health center works with patients to place them on a sliding fee scale. It’s that sliding fee scale that gets hit the hardest by the $133,000 budget cut. The center’s sliding fee scale is a list of charges for services discounted for a patient, based on proof of income and family size. The scale reduces what the patient pays but not the
cost for the center to provide the service. The $133,000 being cut by the state and federal government is money that helps supplement that difference between cost of service and patient payment and helps keep the health center running. Despite difficult changes to operations and staffing, White Mountain Community Health Center refuses to surrender to the loss of government funds. This year’s annual appeal needs the support of the community more than ever. The health center can continue to provide affordable health care to residents of the valley, but not without community support. Please send your donation to: WMCHC, P.O. Box 2800, Conway, NH 03818 or donate online at www.whitemountainhealth.org. Everyone deserves affordable healthcare. Please help White Mountain Community Health Center continue to make that happen. Patricia McMurry, executive director White Mountain Community Health Center Conway
Why is unemployment at a stagnant 9%? To the editor: This is in response to Carol Shea-Porter’s Nov 5, column, “Yes, the stimulus really did work.” If the stimulus was such a success then why is unemployment at a stagnant 9 percent? If it was such a success then why did S&P downgrade the US AAA credit rating to AA? It’s no wonder you would believe Alan Blinder. He is a far left liberal who worked for the impeached and disgraced Bill Clinton (who remains the darling of the Democrat party). He also was one of the
first economists to support the “cash for clunkers” fiasco which was a complete and utter disaster. Just ask car sales people. Your far left and out-of-touch thought process is precisely why we fired you and Paul Hodes a year ago! You lost by 12 percent and Paul lost by 21 percent! But who is counting. Keep the letters coming in Carol. People need to be reminded who and what you are. We also need a laugh from time to time. Tom Butcher South Eaton
William Marvel
Mandatory Community In October the Associated Press reported but it hasn’t sold, and rather than enjoying that American mobility has reached its retirement, he has a 600-mile commute at lowest ebb since World War II. Only some 35 either end of every week. million of us moved to a new home over the An “urban theorist” at the University previous year, representing 11.6 percent of of Toronto found it very disturbing that so the population. That was down from about 13 many fewer people are uprooting themselves percent just before the recession hit, and was and their families each year. “The fact that the lowest since the Census Bureau began mobility has been crashing is something that keeping statistics on it, in 1948. Historically, I think is quite devastating,” he was quoted as much as 21.2 percent of the population as saying, and he added that America’s resihas moved in a single year. dential movement was a vital part of its “ecoAnalysts blame the nomic resilience.” declining national Part of our economic nomadism on the An “urban theorist” at the University of resilience it may be, stalled economy, and but it has also probthe specific inhibit- Toronto found it very disturbing that so ably contributed more ing factors seem to be many fewer people are uprooting them- than anything else to shrinking home values selves and their families each year. our alienation from one and job insecurity. another. Easy mobility Those who can’t sell has all but destroyed a their houses, or can’t sense of belonging that bear the loss that such a sale would require, was difficult to avoid when most people can’t afford to buy another one somewhere lived their entire lives — or at least their else. That impediment has pinned down a lot adult lives — in a single town. Our peripaof potential retirees, and as a result growth tetic society has trained people to think of has fallen sharply in retirement destinations “home” as a disposable concept, and to treat like Florida, New Mexico, and Arizona. One theirs accordingly. Exhausting the natural AP poll concluded that half of all baby boomresources and polluting the environment for ers now expect not to move somewhere else economic gain seem more acceptable when when they retire. one can pick up stakes afterward and find Meanwhile, with so many private companies a more pristine, salubrious climate. Soarcutting back on personnel, fewer people move ing municipal expenses pose no problem in order to accept new employment, and fewer for those in their prime earning years, with still relocate on speculation — instead hoping kids in school, if they can bail out afterward. they can just keep whatever jobs they have. Crime takes hold faster when residents are While the AP article mentioned nothing about too transient to know each other, and too it, it seems logical to suppose that of the 35 quick to run away from trouble. million people who moved in the past year, a I’ve seen some silver linings to the recesgreater number (and a much greater proporsion of the past four years. I sympathize tion) than usual consisted of those who had with those who have suffered from it, and it been foreclosed on, evicted, or forced by job has cost my household quite a bit, but I’ve losses to move in with relatives. enjoyed being able to travel through my town All but the most fortunate and exclusive without hearing the growl of bulldozers or among us know someone who has run afoul finding yet another hillside cleared for a new of this new economic reality, which may development, and it’s been nice to see fewer be nothing more than the return of an old cars on the road. The economy has taught and more valid economic reality. Just as a lot of people how much less they need to this report was published I encountered an survive, and that has the potential to curb acquaintance who had long since quit his job the consumerism that brought on financial with the idea of retiring closer to the rest of collapse in the first place. If, in addition to all his family, only to find that his house was that, economic constraints now force people not selling as readily as he had hoped. One to stay where they are, and invest the longterm attention real community demands, friend, whose career has taken him all across then long live the recession. the South, moved into his retirement home in Tennessee with the idea of keeping his William Marvel lives in South Conway. job in Virginia until his house there sold —
Mt. Washington Valley’s DAILY Newspaper Mark Guerringue Publisher Adam Hirshan Editor Bart Bachman Managing Editor Lloyd Jones Sports/Education Editor Alec Kerr Wire/Entertainment Editor Jamie Gemmiti Photography Editor Terry Leavitt Opinion Page/Community Editor Tom Eastman, Erik Eisele, Daymond Steer Reporters Joyce Brothers Operations Manager Frank Haddy Pressroom Manager Darcy Gautreau Graphics Manager Rick Luksza Display Advertising Sales Manager Heather Baillargeon, Frank DiFruscio Sales Representatives Jamie Brothers, Hannah Russell, Louise Head Classifieds Robert Struble Jr., Priscilla Ellis, Patty Tilton Graphic Artists Roxanne Holt Insert Manager Larry Perry Press Assistant “Seeking the truth and printing it” THE CONWAY DAILY SUN is published Tuesday through Saturday by Country News Club, Inc. Dave Danforth, Mark Guerringue, Adam Hirshan Founders Offices and Printing Plant: 64 Seavey St., North Conway, NH Box 1940, North Conway, NH 03860 (603) 356-2999 Newsroom Fax: 356-8360, Advertising Fax 356-8774 Website: http://www.mountwashingtonvalley.com E-mail: news@conwaydailysun.com CIRCULATION: 16,100 distributed Tuesday through Saturday FREE throughout Mount Washington Valley
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I have been overwhelmed by community kindness and support To the editor: I am not sure where to start but I guess I will start from the beginning. As many of you know I was involved in a dirt bike accident on Aug. 3. Although I suffered a broken neck that required surgery and am expected to be back to work in a little over a year, I am a fortunate young man and when I say that I mean it in a couple different ways. First of all, I am expected to make a full recovery. Secondly, I am so fortunate to have been raised and live in such a wonderful community. It was not to long ago I heard that Jenn Pelkie was putting together a spaghetti dinner fundraiser for my benefit. When I first heard about it I thanked Jenn, I was not sure what to expect but
when I walked into the Wadsworth Arena (Nov. 5), I could not believe what I witnessed. My community there for me. Wow! You are all so wonderful — it brought tears to my eyes that night and it is again now. I am writing this letter to thank Jenn and to thank all of you, my community. The generous donations of time and gifts you have all made on behalf are wonderful. The support I have received from the community is amazing and has been continuous since my very first day in the hospital. I wish I could list you all by name here because I really want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Bo Apt, “Number 4” Brownfield