Horse Camp
TO THE EDITOR: Almost 100 4-Hers, along with more than 150 adults from Clinton, Essex and Franklin counties participated in our regional 4-H Horse Camp.
Horse Camp gives youth a place to practice horsemanship skills, explore careers in the equine industry and learn science process skills.
Thank you to the many organizations and businesses that supported 4-H Horse Camp, including the Agriculture and New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, Griffith Energy, Fountain Brothers Post 1619 American Legion, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, Dannemora Riding and Driving Club, Champlain Price Chopper, Plattsburgh Price Chopper, Giroux Poultry, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Stewart’s Shops, Wal-Mart and Friehofer Outlet. Your support makes this event possible for our families.
Thank you, also, to the team of 4-H volunteers, including 4-H club leaders, 4-H alumni and clinicians, who planned, taught, brought in help and otherwise brought camp to life. You provided a positive example of how a team can work together to achieve great results.
ALEXA KING
Plattsburgh
Comprehensive care
TO THE EDITOR: The United States is the only rich nation in the world that doesn’t provide free or inexpensive comprehensive health care to its entire population.
Fifty million Americans have no health insurance; most of them are relatively poor, and one-third are ages 18 to 34. These numbers have risen steadily since the 1970s.
Those without health insurance die younger; work less, due to chronic health conditions; and face persistent personal/financial problems caused by illness. When forced to seek treatment, they get it too late, and the costs of treating neglected disease and injuries are high.
Because of this, premiums for people with insurance have increased significantly since the 1980s. Rising health-care costs is the principal cause of soaring federal budgets.
Americans pay more than 17 percent of the Gross Domestic Product for health care, more than any other nation; yet our health-care system is not measurably better and is often considered worse than those of other rich nations.
After 60 years of failed proposals, the Affordable Care Act will provide coverage for almost all American citizens, bringing health insurance to approximately 32 million more Americans. Half of them will be covered by an expanded Medicaid program. The other half will be subject to an individual mandate requiring them to sign up for (at least) a minimal insurance plan or pay a penalty. Most parts of the act go into effect in 2014 except for the prevision that any child today may stay on a parent’s insurance plan until age 26, which already has 2 million more young people insured.
Conservatives resent the individual mandate, and if the Supreme Court overturns the mandates (a decision due in June), there are other options to persuade millions of Americans to buy insurance.
J. S. WATERHOUSE
Plattsburgh
