Housing, Aid in Dying, Medi-Cal, Shooting

Why the big rush on new housing?

Re “Big push starts for 10,000 new units” (Local, Aug. 27) : I’m a fan of Mayor Kevin Johnson; he’s done a great job.

But I can’t see why he and the City Council are pushing so hard and fast for 10,000 homes/units downtown.

We’re in a drought. I say put it on hold for now. Let’s see what goes with the drought. Securing better water storage is key to this process. One really has to look at the total parts of the equation before making a bold, can’t-turn-back decision.

It’s not misplaced compassion

Re “The fine print of assisted suicide” (Insight, Aug. 26): Marcos Breton wrote about the “misplaced compassion” of Senate Bill 128, the right-to-die bill in the Legislature.

His diatribe ignored the people whom the bill targets. Had Breton talked to dying patients like Brittany Maynard, who fled to Oregon to escape an excruciatingly painful death, or to her family, he’d understand this bill’s intent is hardly misplaced.

Only a small number of dying patients will qualify and actually use SB 128, which allows them to die on their terms – not a doctor’s, not a religion’s, nor anyone else’s terms. Oregon’s right-to-die law works and its compassion for the dying has not been misplaced.

New Field Poll inspires hope

Re “More favor Medi-Cal for unauthorized immigrants” (Page 1A, Aug. 26): The voices of our undocumented friends, family members and neighbors are being lifted up across the state, and Californians as a whole are clearly turning a page toward acceptance and inclusion for all. It’s no coincidence that in the months following a new report showing undocumented Californians contribute $3.2 billion to the economy, more Californians support health care for all.

So while last week’s encouraging Field Poll findings give us plenty of hope, we still have a long way to go. We will continue to blaze new trails so that all Californians have access to quality, affordable health care – regardless of immigration status.

Health care is a basic human right.

Additional costs for immigrants

How much of our taxes are used to support Medi-Cal?

More than 12 million Californians, or about 33 percent of our population, are on Medi-Cal. Medi-Cal costs in California are about $86 billion a year. There are about 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S. and about 2.5 million are in California.

Are we in favor of adding 20 percent to our Medi-Cal costs? How much will that raise my personal taxes? Why do we want to give dishonest foreigners more incentives to come here illegally?

No quality therapy available

Re “How many more must die before we see the light?” (Editorials, Aug. 28): There was a documented history of a personality disorder or mental illness involving anger issues with Vester Lee Flanagan, the killer of two innocents. Did anyone bother to intervene to help this man avoid expressing rage in the worst possible way? I doubt it.

Currently, the insurance industry reimburses psychotherapists at such a low rate that it is close to impossible to find quality therapy without paying cash, and few can afford it. As long as quality mental health treatment is only available to the wealthy, we should expect more pernicious acts of rage to be brought down upon our society.

When gun control will happen

I will tell you when we will get common-sense gun control. When some mentally unstable person shoots his way into Congress or the NRA headquarters and murders some politicians or NRA personnel, then and only then will we get gun control on the books.

This story was originally published August 30, 2015 at 5:00 PM with the headline "Housing, Aid in Dying, Medi-Cal, Shooting."