Will we be the agents of change?

Two words heard often during the presidential campaign were "change" and "maverick" – voters expressed that they wanted it, and candidates proclaimed they offered it.

Since we want change, what changes are we prepared to initiate in our lives? Since we like mavericks, are we mavericks ready to conquer our status quo and chase the new opportunities awaiting us? Or do we prefer to sit passively and let our elected leaders serve us the change and be the mavericks they decide we need?

Well, the election is over, and it's time for us to ask ourselves these questions and demand honest answers. And once those questions are answered, it's time for us to initiate these changes in a maverick way to make a better life for our families and ourselves, and a better country for all Americans, rather than wait for the government to do it for us.

President John F. Kennedy expressed it best in his inauguration speech on a cold winter morning on Jan. 20, 1961, when he said, "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country."

– Ed Pierini, Sacramento

Of prisons and pedicures

Re "Inmate costs 'staggering' " (Page A1, Nov. 1): Saturday morning, a warm cup of espresso, no whip, and the mesmerizing sound of rain pitter-pattering on the top of my prison cell. The morning breakfast chimes have just sounded. I slip into my newly state-issued slippers, being careful not to smudge my fresh pedicure from yesterday's weekly appointment. I leave my "decorated living space with outdoor courtyards, private rooms and overnight visitation," making my way to one of three square meals provided to me each day.

As I walk down the newly wall- papered hallways peppered with positive, motivational sayings, I breathe in the morning air and remind myself how lucky I am to be spending the next 15 years in a place where people care about my rights as a prisoner.

Wake up, California! Look into my crystal ball, for I have seen the future if this ridiculous plan is allowed to go through. "It is unclear what the reaction of the public will be."

Are you kidding me?

– Bob Melville, Sacramento

Madness on prison health care

If the plan to build the 10,000-bed long-term medical-care facilities doesn't prove that the judicial branch and the receiver, J. Clark Kelso, are out of control, I don't know what will. Judge Thelton Henderson has ordered the governor to give $250 million toward this plan, which could eventually cost the taxpayers $2.3 billion a year. That is insane.

Has Kelso determined that this level of service is required to meet the constitutional care of the inmates? If so, how did he do this? Kelso indicated that he was disappointed in the leak of the internal draft report.

Hmm, don't you hate it when the public gets involved and just maybe common sense could prevail? He should have expressed embarrassment. Somebody stop this kind of madness.

– Derold Franks, Reedley

Know the advantages of HMOs

Re "Health insurance shoppers, be wise" (Page B8, Nov. 3): Choosing something as important as health care benefits should not be taken lightly, nor should it be a terrifying experience as The Bee recently reported. As open enrollment approaches, it is critical for consumers and employers to understand the difference between HMO insurance coverage, in which medical groups work with their patients to coordinate their patients' treatment needs, vs. PPO coverage, which leaves it to the patient to navigate the complex health care maze.

Managed care works to keep people healthy and covers a far greater portion of the cost of care when they're sick. The coordinated-care approach is one in which physicians collaborate with patients, make treatment decisions based on the best medical science available and ensure that patients get the right care at the right place at the right time. This is in stark contrast to PPO insurance products, in which patients may not have a primary care doctor who manages their care or keeps them from experiencing significant treatment gaps, benefit limits and devastating financial surprises.