18 OPINION
Author grateful for response
I just wanted to thank the East Valley community for the overwhelming amount of responses I have received so far from people who lost a parent at an early age. Between referrals, and people forwarding the articles to friends or to family members on social media accounts, the amount of responses, feedback and suggestions I have received for my research has been amazing. Not only do I now have enough voices of stories to include in my book, but everyone has been suggesting additional resources I can include that will help the very teens who will hopefully be reading this book. I wanted to thank the Tribune for writing the article (“Writer seeking people who lost a parent when they were young,” Feb. 5) and all of the members in the community who have referred me to others, have helped, have offered support and have been brave to share their stories. I also wanted to thank the members in the community who are still working with me in regards to conducting interviews and editing their writeups for their patience. The responses I have received and the 50-60 people I have been communicating with have kept me up seven days a week until 3 a.m. since the article got published. I am trying to respond to everyone in a timely manner, but I appreciate everyone’s patience. Thank you again everyone for wanting to help out with this book project. – Michelle Shreeve – Gilbert
THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | FEBRUARY 26, 2017
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The draft proposal Evaluation Design has Time to embrace Trump a goal “to reduce individual reliance on public Many people right now are bashing on President Trump. I think that rather than argue amongst ourselves, we should embrace him as our new leader. There has been a real uproar about the travel ban he signed a few weeks ago. A lot of people can’t see why it would even be helpful, but I think it was a smart decision, because we are fighting so much against each other that we have become a weaker target for our enemies. Wouldn’t terrorists choose to strike when we are debating on whether to let them in or not? And especially now that the order was overturned, what can we do to stop them? We aren’t saving anybody by endangering ourselves. I wish people would see that and wait the four months it will take to stop the bleeding in our own country. – Alex Alldredge – Mesa
Tangled web of ACA
While the nation toys with ACA, efforts continue to amend the existing Arizona Medicaid contract. Who knows how long it will take to untangle the ACA web. Meanwhile, work goes on, via the AHCCCS Administration per statute, to amend the existing contract. The proposal asks for authorization to limit lifetime eligibility for able-bodied adults to five years and ban eligible members for one year given infractions that are way too complicated to explain in a few words.
assistance.” Historically, when the economy tanks and unemployment goes up, the need for public assistance goes up. I ask, how does this policy fix a need? Answer: It does not. Let’s be clear; the real intent of the proposal is to remove health care public assistance. Well, that won’t work either. If we do not have access to health insurance and health care, then we all lose. Hospitals lose money through uncompensated care, we lose through higher premium costs, public hospitals lose revenue which is passed to property taxes, the economy loses, and the biggest loser of all is our collective health. So, let us figure out something else – lipstick is optional. Comments are due to AHCCCS by Feb. 28. – Jana Granillo – Tempe
Stop this hunting measure
Last week, while we were distracted by headspinning chaos in the White House, Congress quietly passed legislation to “Make America Great Again.” One action was HJ Res 69, overturning a Fish and Wildlife Service rule prohibiting egregious trophy-hunting methods and “predator control” including shooting or trapping wolves with pups at their dens in the spring, killing hibernating bears with cubs, trapping bears with steel-jawed leghold traps and wire snares, luring grizzlies with food to
get a point-blank kill, and using airplanes to scout and shoot grizzlies on Alaska’s national wildlife refuges. Andy Biggs helped pass the measure with an appalling partisan vote of 225 to 193. The House undid a rule, years in the works, launched by wildlife scientists at the service. The practices are disallowed in almost every state, yet the House approved reviving them in national wildlife refuges – the one category of federal lands specifically created to protect wildlife and promote the diversity of species. Alaska voters oppose these inhumane and unsporting methods by a 2-1 ratio, and state and federal wildlife scientists have roundly condemned them. Since the resolution goes before the Senate as SJ Res 18, we can still contact Sen. John McCain and Sen. Jeff Flake and let them know where we stand. I marvel how people sleep at night after casting such a shameful, clearly partisan vote. Perhaps, in some alternate world, they actually believe these cruel practices reflect something that makes America great. Please don’t stay quiet since your voice is the only one these animals have. – Barbara Steele – Chandler
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