Bruce Allen: Thanksgiving: Trump vacation
So the Thanksgiving vacation is upon us. All of us have our traditions — however what is going to the Trump family do?
They could have turkey, is my guess. However I ponder, although: Perhaps they may serve up a Donald Jr. kill of elephant and giraffe; perhaps a little bit lion to ingest its energy and dignity.
And if it’s solely turkey? In the event that they eat the liver, too, it may very well be just like the eagle that Zeus despatched every day to eat the liver out of Prometheus for giving mankind fireplace.
Will the Trump Wine served be nearly as good because the schooling served up by Trump College?
I think about they may serve mincemeat pie, slathered over with white whipped cream, to fully cowl over these little darkish raisins . . .
And a take-your-turn oral studying of Charles Dickens’ story, “A Christmas Carol” — Scrooge dropping off a goose to the indigent household. Who reads at this fest? In all probability taking turns from McEnany, to Miller, to Melania, to Donald Jr., to Invoice Barr: humble, joyous, heartfelt readings by all.
Would Dickens be appalled? Not more than 79 million People.
Bruce Allen
Louisville
Jon Etra and Laurel Seppala-Etra: Thanksgiving: That is tough
Allow us to inform you what’s laborious.
Not having the ability to go to a good friend or relative dying of COVID-19. Worrying a few good friend or relative in hurt’s method within the navy, on land, beneath the ocean, within the air.
Not having a job. Not having the ability to pay your lease. Not having the ability to feed your loved ones. Dropping your medical health insurance.
Caring for a disabled member of the family with no different assist. Closing your small enterprise and shedding your workers.
Working ridiculous hours in a hospital. Altering bedpans for nursing dwelling sufferers.
Crossing deserts and seas as a refugee to flee violence or famine. Having youngsters taken away from you on the border.
Being in an abusive relationship, day after day. Being hooked on opiates, medicine, alcohol. Being a peace officer within the face of a riot. Being on rations in WWII for, like 4 years!
Allow us to inform you what’s not laborious.
Touring to have vacation meals with household and mates.
JUST DON’T DO IT!
Jon Etra and Laurel Seppala-Etra
Boulder
Louise Chawla: Proposition 2C: Transfer to renewable power
With the passage of Proposition 2C that certain the Metropolis of Boulder to a 20-year contract with Xcel Power, it’s now as much as our metropolis authorities and Xcel to point out that they’ll transfer shortly collectively to 100% renewable power sources at inexpensive charges.
This yr’s fierce wildfires across the state and county and our prolonged drought — according to local weather change predictions — present that we can’t delay the shift from fossil fuels to renewable power. Nearly all of metropolis councilors selected to go the choice on the Xcel contract to voters via this poll measure … however earlier than concluding that folks clearly wished this contract by a 53% to 47% margin, we have to contemplate the probably outcome that this vote represents these for the contract, these in opposition to and the confused.
Think about the principle a part of the poll query: “Shall the Metropolis of Boulder grant a franchise to Public Service Firm of Colorado to furnish, promote and distribute gasoline and electrical energy to the town and to all individuals, companies and industries inside the metropolis …” My husband, an clever man with a graduate diploma, thought it was asking him if he wished to get gasoline and electrical energy from a utility service.
After I talked with mates and neighbors about it, the commonest responses have been, “2C, what’s that about?” or, “I noticed some indicators and I questioned what it‘s about.” Sure, folks ought to do their homework, however as a social science professor, I do know that they usually don’t, even when it’s assigned. A random survey of metropolis voters might point out roughly how many individuals understood the proposition’s again story, and what number of have been making inventive guesses. Going ahead, we are able to solely make our personal guesses about what the general public supposed.
Louise Chawla
Boulder
Invoice Semple: Well being care: Structural racism in motion
Systemic racism is baked into our well being care. COVID-19 has made clear to all this lived expertise of individuals of coloration. How we pay for well being care is central to systemic racism in motion in addition to to the associated rising financial inequality.
It’s heartening that the Boulder Metropolis Council intends to take systemic racial injustice critically.
So it’s equally discouraging that this identical council has missed the chance to face up heartily for Improved Medicare for All. As an alternative, on Nov. 11 it permitted a coverage assertion on well being care that endorses as acceptable tweaks to the Inexpensive Care Act or a multipayer insurance-based system, both of which might proceed the gross and systemic inequities suffered by folks of coloration.
Fairness in well being care works. Blacks in VA well being care stay longer than whites. Dialysis for finish stage renal illness qualifies anybody for Medicare; Blacks on dialysis stay longer than whites. Turning 65, with universally obtainable well being care, is a good equalizer for well being outcomes.
Within the face of spending twice what we must always for well being care, whereas leaving one out of 4 uninsured or underinsured, and having poor outcomes, it’s time for elementary change. It’s a shame that we ship eight million People into poverty yearly, lots of them folks of coloration, as a result of they bought wanted well being care.
The time for politics that enshrines winners and losers is over. Hiding in plain sight, for-profit-insurance-based paying for well being care is racial inequity in motion.
To study extra, go to couniversalhealth.org.
Improved Medicare for All is the true deal. We are able to cowl us all, spend much less and have higher well being care, important to having fun with life and liberty and pursuing happiness.
Invoice Semple
Boulder
Source link
