Health care
Health care
A different reality
In response to Dr. Bintliff’s letter, this is my reality: My doctor was overbooked with 22 patients the day I tried to be seen with what turned out to be a sinus infection and pneumonia. He referred me to the urgent care offices across the driveway.
They refused to see me. It seems that I am “blacklisted” from their practice because of a procedural question I had on a service I had eight years ago when I first moved here. So, my doctor told me to go to the ER. This turned out to be a $1,500 charge to get antibiotics.
And we all wonder why our health care costs are so high. This is my reality.
Carole Costello
Kailua-Kona
License renewal
Some questions
I am writing in support of the letter from Dr. McCary (WHT May29) regarding the run-around he experienced at the DMV when he attempted to renew his Hawaii driver’s license.
I reviewed the so-called Act 38 law cited by the department as the legal grounds for this unnecessary and probably illegal harassment of our citizens.
The first question that comes to mind is who was the elected moron who wrote this piece of trash? Sounds like Sheriff Joe Arpaio from Arizona, but somehow I doubt it. More likely, it was some muddled-thinking legislator, with little better to do than create more hassle for the citizens of Hawaii, rather than to deal with real problems of taxation, budgets, public services, education, supporting the local economy and general well-being of constituents.
The stated purpose of the law was to ensure anyone with a Hawaii driver’s license was legally authorized to be here. Somehow, I thought that the federal government was responsible for assuring that people living in any state were authorized to be there, not a state government that finds itself in dire financial straits, unable to provide basic services.
Proponents would argue “illegal residents” use a disproportional amount of public assistance and services. If that is true or not, it is irrelevant. They are not going to be denied critical assistance when needed regardless of their status.
Actually, most illegals and perhaps many legal residents just won’t bother to renew their license at all. It is a fact many drivers do so without a valid license. What is the risk? They can’t put everyone in jail, and fines can’t be collected if the person is broke.
The net effect of this stupid law is to create far more headaches for the harassed DMV personnel, who have a tough enough job to do without this silly stuff. Then, of course, there is the added benefit of more employment in the department. Just what we all need, a process that was simple, efficient and could be done in a few minutes, now takes hours, days or weeks, depending on how the DMV interprets your particular documents.
For those of us who are fortunate enough to have current U.S. passports, and a “pristine, certified copy of our Social Security card,” I guess we are OK to go, but wait, if you are a woman whose documents show your maiden name (or previous married name), well… not so fast. You will need valid copies of your birth certificate, marriage license, divorce decree or more. Be very careful these are new, unfolded and certified. Just think, for only $25 or so, and several hours of your valuable time you, too, can get a new certified birth certificate or similar document. Many may not know when Congress initially passed the Social Security law way back when, it specifically restricted the card from being used as a form of identification. Are you surprised?
The last and perhaps the most important questions: Is there any candidate running for state representative or senate who has the intelligence and will to submit a bill to repeal this piece of junk?
Do we have a governor who has the wisdom to sign it?
Somehow, I remain skeptical.
D. Miller
Kailua-Kona