Page 4 - Reedley Exponent 10-25-18 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent A4 Thursday, October 25, 2018 Editorial & Opinions
Serving “The World’s Fruit Basket” since 1891
A Mid Valley Publishing Newspaper
Founded March 26, 1891, in a two-story building on the corner of 11th and F streets, by A.S. Jones
Fred Hall — Publisher
In my OPINION
The problems arising from many polls and statistics are that they are often conflicting in information as well as counter-intuitive. Take, for example, the one that indicates that Cali- fornia is number one in the nation in ease of registration and availability of methods and opportunities to cast one’s ballot, while ranking dead last in percentage of population partici- pating in the process.
Jon Earnest — Editor / Sports Juanita Adame — Panorama Editor Budd Brockett — Editor Emeritus
QUOTE
“Both the cockroach and the bird would get along very well without us, although the cockroach would miss us most.”
Joseph Wood Krutch (1893-1970)
Advice on how to shop for Medicare health and drug plans
Placing the Department of Motor Vehicles
in charge of registering voters has already
proved itself to be a bad idea. Apparently, thou-
sands of non-citizens have been placed on voter rolls while they are being provided with driver’s licenses which opens all kinds of doors to mischief within our system. We’ve always felt there was a large number of voters who were allowed to vote illegally in California every year.
I don’t know about you, but my trust of our infamous DMV is about as minimal as possible! Agencies such as this leads one to the conclusion that government is incapable of doing anything well. That one is inarguable because our bureaucrats go out and prove us correct every working day. I use the term “working” rather loosely. If you’ve had them opportunity to observe their activities, you will know exactly about that of which I speak.
Think it can’t get any worse? Think again! At the time during which this is being written there is a virtual army of 7,000 migrants from Central America, which is growing every day, headed toward the United States. The scripted response which is being echoed by the mainstream media is that all of these poor people are seeking asylum from their native country. There are a couple of problems with blindly accepting that as a rationale. First of all, there are a number of countries much closer that could, and would, provide sanctuary. Secondly, most of these appear, from photographs and television coverage, to be young men. Most parents of young chil- dren normally would not place their young families in the middle of such a dangerous trek. It appears to me that when one sees families featured on television they are photo ops.
Strangely enough there is nothing about this that indicates such a gathering happened organically. Perhaps we are too cynical, but it appears there is organization and money needed to put together such an endeavor. America of today is awash in left-wing money being used to finance such disruptions.
There seems to be little doubt — at least in my mind — that, given the size, organization and timing that everything about this is supposed to impact the midterm elections in America.
Given the fact that California has become a virtual “candy store” of benefits and freebies for those who choose to come to our coun- try illegally, there can be little doubt that many of this horde will seek out the “golden state” as their new mailing address. Given the welcoming arms of the Democrat establishment we shouldn’t be surprised when our newest “citizens” arrive at our southern border with a greater understanding of their “entitlements” than most legal American citizens. The politicians in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sacramento make up one giant de facto “welcome wagon.”
Politicians of all stripes send up a hue and cry about our “bro- ken immigration system,” but the truth of the matter is that there are a large number of laws on the books specifically dealing with immigration into this country. They deal, in great specificity, with the requirements for legally immigrating to and becoming a citi- zen of the United States. President Barack Obama and both of his Attorneys General chose to ignore the enforcement of those laws, but that does not mitigate their existence. In our country, which is a constitutional republic, the very basis of our living in peace and har- mony is an adherence to basic law dealing with human interaction.
One can’t choose to obey those with which they agree and show total disdain for those which may offend their sensibilities. Such is not the extent of peaceful coexistence without anarchy or tyranny.
What ever happened to the idea of becoming self-sufficient without becoming a burden for others, learning the language and assimilating. By assimilating, we mean becoming an American, lov- ing this country and everything about it that has made the United States the greatest and most successful democracy known to man.
If we accept anything less with foreign flags everywhere and so many languages being spoken in the public square as to resemble the Tower of Babel we are facing the breakdown of a great, strong nation into tribal division. Our national motto which is literally, “out of many, one” truly typifies what the Founders had in mind when people came from all over the world to become American citizens and form the great, singular in purpose, American culture.
Sadly, we now are watching a mob descend on America, intent on joining the political mobs which have recently become the bench- mark of selfish politicians. The careers and power of the political class has, without reason, become a case of the ends justify the means. Absolutely no thought is being given by the new Democrats and Socialistic Democrats as to the damage they are doing to Amer- ica as a healthy, prosperous republic.
As for the caravan (that’s the officially accepted term from the mainstream press) which is growing in size every day and still head- ed for the United States, I do have one final thought. If this truly was about seeking refuge from oppression there are countries within the 500-mile range instead of the 2,500-mile trek. There’s more to this than consideration for their safety in their home country. Come to think of it, if the country they are leaving is so repressive why are many of them carrying flags from those nations? Sorry, I don’t believe in coincidences.
By Greg Dill
Guest columnist
When you shop for a new car or truck, you don’t just buy the first one you see, do you?
Probably not. You shop around, looking for the best deal you can get on a vehicle that fits your driving needs as well as your pocketbook.
Well, it’s the time of year when you can shop for a Medicare health or drug plan.
Medicare’s open enrollment peri- od began on Oct. 15 and runs through Friday, Dec. 7.
If you have Original Medicare, meaning that you can choose any doctor or hospital that accepts Medi- care, you don’t need to think about open enrollment.
But if you have a Medicare Ad- vantage (Part C) health plan, or a Medicare (Part D) prescription drug plan, you may want to see whether there’s another plan on the market that would be a better match for you, at a lower price.
If you’re enrolled in a plan and you’re happy with it, you don’t need to do anything.
But Medicare health and drug plans — run by private insurers ap- proved by Medicare — can change from year to year. A plan can raise its monthly premium or drop a medi- cine that you need.
So it makes good sense to review your coverage each year. Make sure your plan still is a good fit for you in terms of cost, coverage, and quality.]
If it isn’t, look for another plan.
During open enrollment, you can sign up for a Medicare Advantage health plan or Part D prescription drug plan, or switch from one plan
to another. Your new coverage will take effect Jan. 1, 2019.
How do you shop for a new plan?
One way is the “Medicare & You” handbook, mailed each fall to every Medicare household in the country. This booklet lists all the Medicare health and drug plans available where you live, along with basic information such as premiums, de- ductibles, and contacts.
There’s also the Medicare Plan Finder, at www.Medicare.gov.
Look for a green button that says, “Find health & drug plans.” Click on that, plug in your zip code, and you’ll see all of the Medicare Advantage and Part D plans avail- able in your area. You can compare them based on benefits, premiums, co-pays, and estimated out-of-pocket costs. Contact information for the plans is listed.
The Medicare.gov website also can help you decide whether Origi- nal Medicare or Medicare Advan- tage is better for you, and can help estimate your out-of-pocket costs with either type of coverage.
Each Medicare health and drug plan has been assigned a star rat- ing of from one to five stars, with five stars being the best in terms of quality.
If you don’t have access to a com- puter, call 800-MEDICARE (800-633- 4227). Our customer service repre- sentatives can help you with ques- tions about Medicare health and drug plans. The call is free.
Another terrific resource is the State Health Insurance and Counsel-
ing Program.
SHIP is an independent, nonprof-
it organization that provides free, personalized counseling to people with Medicare. You can make an appointment to speak with a SHIP counselor in-person or over the phone.
SHIP counselors are well-trained volunteers who often are enrolled in Medicare themselves, so they know the issues. They can help you sort through different health and drug plans and find one that’s right for you. They’re not salespeople and they won’t try to sell you a specific plan.
To contact your local SHIP of- fice, go to shiptacenter.org.
If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of Jan. 1, 2019 but you’re not satisfied with it, you have a 3-month window to dis-enroll. Between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2019, you can drop your plan and return to Original Medicare (and join a stand- alone Medicare prescription drug plan).
Having trouble paying for your Part D plan? You may be eligible for the Extra Help program, which helps cover your premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. Medicare beneficiaries typically save about $4,000 annually with Extra Help.
For more information about Ex- tra help, go to www.SSA.gov/pre- scriptionhelp.
Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, Califor- nia, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pa- cific Territories. Anyone seeking in- formation always can get answers to their Medicare questions by calling 800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227).
Fred Hall
Jon Earnest’s column will return next week.
But, as always, that’s only one man’s opinion.
Thanks for successful Taste of the Town
On behalf of the Reed-
ley Downtown Association, we would like to thank the restaurants, the myriad of other food/beverage ven- dors, and the community for coming out for Taste of the Town. From check-in to the last clean-up, the entire event was the result of an amazing volunteer effort unique to Reedley.
It takes a village to put on an event of this magni- tude. Thank you, again, to everyone who helped make Taste of the Town a great success. What’s next? We’ll look forward to seeing you downtown on Halloween for Trick or Treat on G Street from 3 to 6 p.m. Thank you.
Shelly Henderson and Reedley Downtown Association Board
An honor to serve as Fiesta King & Queen What an honor it was to
serve as 2018 Reedley Fi- esta King & Queen. Thank
you to all who were part of the nomination and se- lection process. We don’t know what you saw that triggered this, but we re- ally appreciate that you found us worthy. Your gen- erous descriptions and kind words were overwhelming.
A shout out to the 2018 Fiesta Committee for the outstanding job they did. As King and Queen of the event, we were greeted and escorted with enthusiasm and warmth. We are appre- ciate having been a small part of this event.
A special thanks to the Reedley Lions Club for their organization and instruc- tion. They helped keep us on schedule with gentle prodding and reminders. A special thank you to our chauffeur, both for gliding us down the parade route in style and for sneaking us up to the review stand. And whoever ordered up the weather — way to go! It could not have been better.
There were count-
less others, too numerous to mention, who were in- strumental in making our weekend so special. You all have a distinct place in our hearts.
Thank you again Reed- ley for the wonderful honor you bestowed upon us. We are humbly grateful.
Carol and Ron Surabian Reedley
‘Community effort’ makes Fiesta a success As the Executive Direc-
tor of the Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce, I would like to extend my gratitude to everyone who “jumped in on the fun” to make the 53nd Annual Reedley Fiesta a phenom- enal success. It was a com- plete community effort that brought this event together.
I must begin by thank- ing our event sponsors for supporting this prominent Reedley tradition. I must also thank the City of Reed- ley and the various depart- ments for their support in
executing the event. There are also many community organizations that made this event possible, they include: Reedley Rotary who organized the Fiesta Parade; the Reedley Elks Lodge, who hosted the beer and wine garden; and the Reedley Lions Club, who handled the coronation of the Fiesta King and Queen. I would like to thank the Fi- esta Frog Jump Crew for keeping our unique Reedley tradition going, the Reedley Senior Commission and Si- erra View Homes for put- ting on the Diaper Derby, and Kings Canyon Unified School District for organiz- ing the Children’s Art Show downtown.
The Reedley Fiesta is a truly unique event and the Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce is honored to keep this tradition alive for our great community.
Erik Valencia, executive director, Greater Reedley Chamber of Commerce
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