Columbus Day? That ship sailed

Re "Columbus Day crossed off state holiday list" (Page A1, Oct. 12): Honestly, I hold nothing against Christopher Columbus nor his native country, nor those who, much later, left it to come here. And I have nothing against a day off that's still part of a workers' contract.

But Columbus Day went obsolete 30 years ago, and the world knows it. The Vikings beat Columbus to North America by about 500 years, and left much hard evidence of their presence then in Newfoundland.

After 12 years of archaeological research at one site on the northern tip of Newfoundland, in 1977 Canada officially designated L'Anse aux Meadows as a national historic site. It provides the earliest known evidence of Europeans in the Western Hemisphere and is the first known Viking site in North America. A year later, UNESCO designated it as a World Heritage Site.

Vikings in A.D. 1000 not only "touched down" here – they built a small base and occupied it for several years. They smelted a tiny amount of iron from local "orange" sand, and even traded a bit with nearby native people.

Did Columbus, 500 years later, leave any similar traces on the islands of the Caribbean? It's time to rename this holiday.

– Dale M. Heckman, Davis

Canada's health care now ahead

I'm a Canadian who has lived in the United States for the past 20 years. Until two years ago, I would rate the overall medical service I've received in both countries as about the same.

I've been employed since my immigration to the United States and have been enrolled in typical employer-subsidized health care plans. In addition to the amount that is deducted from my paycheck for family coverage, I now pay up to $3,000 per year in out-of-pocket co-pays and deductibles. This year I've paid about $2,500 out of pocket. My deductible/co-pay maximum will be increasing again next year.

Relatives and friends I stay in touch with in Canada haven't experienced long delays for treatment, or the "rationing" of care I've heard mentioned in commercials and speeches here. I don't think there would be many Canadians who would be willing to trade their health care system for the model we have in the United States.

– Gary Jones, Rocklin

Matsui deserves more credit

Re "Matsui takes the pulse of the public" (Editorials, Oct. 9): The editorial seems to emphasize that public forums are the most important way for Rep. Doris Matsui to test public opinion. I wish to point out that Matsui has done much more than conduct phone and live public discussions.

She has visited The Effort, the largest nonprofit provider of health care for low-income people in the Sacramento region. She visited again a permanent housing program for chronically homeless people where The Effort also provides health and mental health care. The hours Matsui spent at these sites were dedicated to learning first hand the real problems of people needing access to health care. She also sought local innovations that might be included as national models for reform.

Finally, Matsui advocated effectively in Washington for The Effort's federal funding that will allow for our expansion to meet the growing needs in the face of cutbacks.

I'd say that public input is important, but not the only way to judge the effectiveness of a congressional leader of the stature of Doris Matsui.

– Robert Caulk, Sacramento, chief executive officer, The Effort Inc.

Positive stimulus news 'buried'

Re "100,000 jobs funded by stimulus, state says" (Page A4, Oct. 11): Buried in a small article on the lower part of Page A4 in Sunday's paper it was stated: "100,000 jobs have been saved or created from the nearly $5.3 billion in federal stimulus funds state agencies have spent so far." The article says the state reported this to the federal authorities as required.

Our government is holding recipients of the stimulus money to be accountable for the use of it, and the stimulus plan is working in our state. Why wasn't this accountability and success a featured story instead of being buried on Page A4?