Page 4 - Reedley Exponent 4-18-19 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent A4 Thursday, April 18, 2019 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
To provide some perspective for the ra-
tionale for this column, I must advise you
that it is being written on the morning of
April 15 — tax day! There is nothing which
focuses the mind more than having to sign
the check and realize just how much money
one has invested in the operation of this
hyper-bloated government of ours. Any
sane individual will question whether the
bureaucrats are making better use of all
this money than those of us in the private
sector. Internal Revenue Service collec-
tions are staggering and the Democrats want more to give away in wasteful social programs and special interest support.
How did we ever get to the point that, in total, taxes take almost half of what we earn? Let’s take a look at the scam and how it’s perpetrated.
Next to a “sin tax” levied on alcohol or cigarettes, the easi- est tax increase to get or bond issue to pass would be for our often-dysfunctional educational system. Tell the voters that it’s for the schools and will help back-fill a shortage of funds to adequately educate our children in modern facilities, which will replace the run-down schools that are currently in service.
Truth is, if you’re like most of us, you have children or grandchildren attending the impacted school or college and can’t find yourself possibly being so cold-hearted as to turn down such a simple request. After all, it’s only a few more dollars a year and we’ve been taught, year after year, how im- portant a proper education is to the future of our youngsters.
Factually, in view of the recent “pay to play” scandals in- volving colleges, it gives one a reason to be skeptical of the educational complex and deserves a helluva lot closer inspec- tion of where our taxpayer dollars are truly going. By the way, in this recent scandal it appears that the colleges themselves will not have to pay a price for the quasi-sanctioned cheating that was taking place right before their eyes. Perhaps because so many of the programs currently in place for scholarship money or assistance are little more than a scam of our gen- erosity.
Perhaps we should “follow the money” and see if it is being wisely and prudently spent. Every marker which we have ex- amined indicates that is not necessarily the case. As one would do with any business, let’s examine how the ever-increasing funding is being used.
During a recent poll charting school activity from 1970 to 2010, researchers discovered the growth of students amounted to 8.6 percent, while the growth o non-teaching staff (admin- istrative) burgeoned by 130 percent. This is punctuated by little growth in actual teaching personnel. Fordham Foundation found that “states could have saved more than $24 billion annu- ally if that increased/decreased the employment of administra- tors and other non-teaching staff at the same rate as students between 1992 and 2009.”
Even with the spending of all that money, test scores and graduation rates show little evidence of improvement despite this explosive growth of non-teaching positions.
The largest segment of that increase in administrative and non-teaching positions was for teacher aides — employees who work in the classroom, giving students individual attention, often children with special needs.
It is my absolute conviction that we should eliminate fed- eral oversight and regulation of education and educational cur- riculum to wit.
The passage of laws like the Disabilities Education Act and the Bilingual Education acts contributed significantly to the greater need for teacher aides.
A study by Fordham University discovered that a higher number of teacher aides generally corresponded to a greater presence of children with individualized education plans. That study also concluded that special needs kids are not the only reason for increased personal. It notes that “during roughly the same time period, schools were further burdened with obliga- tions to provide special programs and services for youngsters with drug issues, health challenges, sex-and-sometimes-preg- nancy, homelessness, and a host of family challenges.”
It just seems that so many of these so called “challenges” fall within the purview of a parent and not our school system. We’ve produced a whole generation of the “everybody gets a trophy” youngsters who were dropped on the ground at the finish line by our educational system, untaught, insecure and unable to compete in any sort of global market. They have been told they are perfect in every way and see no reason to adapt to the reality of the world as it truly is. Somebody lied to them along the way to protect their precious feelings. Competition around the world may not have gotten the message about how
special our kids are.
The only realistic fix for a problem such as this is to im-
prove the entire system. Investment should be made in those who are doing the actual teaching and not in people whose main function is administrative or oversight. Our schools should not be considered a social experiment. Curriculum should be structured to provide children with an education which will help them to compete in a world that is inherently competitive. Nothing is to be gained by all the politically correct crap being espoused by academics throughout high school and college.
Spend money on things that will pay dividends and teach true worldly survival skills!
But, as always, that’s only one man’s opinion.
Jon Earnest — Editor / Sports Juanita Adame — Panorama Editor Budd Brockett — Editor Emeritus
RC’s Center for Fine and Performing Arts quickly bringing in the funding
Fred Hall
If you’ve been wondering how the proposed Center for Fine and Performing Arts at Reedley College was coming along, an April 10 “un- veiling” ceremony at the college pro- vided some exciting answers.
Just where will the Center be go- ing? As we learned, it will at a his- toric site on the northeast corner of the campus. the same site where the city’s founder Thomas L. Reed had his home as well as headquarters for the family’s early farming opera- tions. Now, the site will be a magnet for cultural arts activity in the area and even the Central Valley.
And the big question, how much will the Center cost? Initially thought to be in the $10 million range, an ever-changing vision on what the designers wanted from the center brought the cost to what one would thought to be a staggering $27-$30 million. But it’s not so staggering, as generosity from many circles has raised more than $22 million to the 500-plus-seat facility.
What’s not surprising is the name — the McClarty Center for Fine and
Performing Arts. After all, it was the generous $1 million donation from Harold and Debbie McClarty that really got the ball rolling. Another huge bit of financial support was the $500,000 from the Pete P. Peters Foundation. That makes for a fit- ting title of the theatre as the Pete P. Peters Theatre, in honor of the late Fresno businessman and philanthro- pist who former Valley Foundry and later founded the Peters Foundation.
“This building is going to be even greater because of the multiplying effect,” Paul Parnell, chancellor for the State Center Community College District, said at the unveiling. “Peo- ple are excited to give, and we now are up to about $22 million That’s significant, but to build the kind of building we want, we want to raise about $28 to $30 million. So we’re still in the fundraising stage.”
Based on what’s already been committed and pledged, it’s not a reach to expect the Center to reach its fundraising goal. The conceptual drawings show a beautiful facility that will provide Reedley and sur-
rounding commu-
nities with a venue
to showcase the region’s talented artists. The Center
will showcase vi-
sual and perform-
ing arts, which backers say is one
of the best ways
to educate people about different cultures.
By Greg Dill
Guest columnist
Did you know that Medi- care has an ombudsman to help you resolve complaints you may have about your healthcare?
Congress created the job of Medicare Benefi- ciary Ombudsman to assist people with Medicare with their inquiries, complaints, grievances, appeals, and re- quests for information.
The Medicare Beneficia- ry Ombudsman also shares information with Congress, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and other organizations about what works well and what doesn’t work well to improve the quality of the care you get through Medicare.
If you need help with a Medicare-related inquiry, there are several ways you can get help.
First, you can call your plan. If your inquiry is re- lated to your Medicare Ad- vantage (Part C) plan or Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) plan, contact your plan first using the phone number on your plan mem- ber ID card. Your plan is the best resource to resolve plan-related issues.
You also can call 1-800-MEDICARE (1- 800-633-4227). TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048.
Other Opinions
If your concern is related to Original Medicare, or if your plan was unable to re- solve your inquiry, contact 1-800-MEDICARE for help.
Another option is to contact the SHIP. The State Health Insurance Assis- tance Programs (SHIPs) provide free, high-quality counseling to people with Medicare regarding their benefits, coverage, appeals, and complaints. SHIP coun- selors are volunteers who often have Medicare them- selves, so they know the is- sues and they’re not trying to sell you anything. Find your local SHIP at: https:// www.shiptacenter.org/
In addition, you can con- tact the Medicare Benefi- ciary Ombudsman. If you have been unable to resolve your concern with your plan or 1-800-MEDICARE, ask a representative to submit your complaint or inquiry to the Medicare Beneficiary Ombudsman. The ombuds- man will help to ensure that your inquiry is resolved ap- propriately.
No matter how you get your Medicare, you have certain rights and protec- tions. As a person with Medicare, you’re entitled to: • Be treated with dignity and respect at all times.
• Be protected from dis- crimination. Every company or agency that works with Medicare must obey the law. They can’t treat you differ- ently because of your race, color, national origin, disabil- ity, age, religion, or sex.
• Have your personal and health information kept private.
• Get information in a way you understand from Medi- care, health care providers, and, under certain circum- stances, contractors.
You can receive un- derstandable information about Medicare to help you make health care decisions, including what’s covered, what Medicare pays, how much you have to pay; and what to do if you want to file a complaint or appeal.
You also can:
• Have your questions about Medicare answered.
• Have access to doctors, specialists, and hospitals.
• Learn about your treat- ment choices in clear lan- guage that you can under- stand, and participate in treatment decisions.
• Get healthcare services in a language you understand and in a culturally-sensitive way.
• Get Medicare-covered ser- vices in an emergency.
• Get a decision about healthcare payment, cover-
age of services, or prescrip- tion drug coverage.
When a claim is filed, you get a notice letting you know what will and won’t be covered. The notice comes from one of these: Medi- care; your Medicare Ad- vantage plan (Part C); your Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D); or your other Medicare health plan.
If you disagree with the decision on your claim, you have the right to file an ap- peal. You also can request a review (appeal) of certain decisions about healthcare payment, coverage of ser- vices, or prescription drug coverage, If you disagree with a decision about claims or services, you have the right to appeal. Finally, you can file complaints (some- times called “grievances”), including complaints about the quality of your care.
You can find more in- formation at: medicare.gov/ claims-appeals/your-medi- care-rights/get-help-with- your-rights-protections.
Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Ne- vada, Hawaii, and the Pa- cific Territories. You can get answers to your Medicare questions by visiting www. Medicare.gov or calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800- 633-4227).
QUOTE
“Die? I should say not, dear fellow. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him.”
John Barrymore (1882-1942), last words
In addition to the McClarty’s and the Pete P. Peters Foundation, major supporters include Deb and Greg Lapp and the Clark Family Founda- tion. And while the two main naming rights have been sold, there still is a market for the art gallery, donor wall, welcome center/ticket booth, lobby and stage. Donations also go all the way down to personalized walkway brickiest or tiles for as little as a $100 donation.
If you’re interested in making a donation or seek more informa- tion on the project, contact Valerie Pieroni at (559) 797-5621 or valerie. pieroni@reedleycollege.edu.
Jon Earnest
You have many Medicare rights and protections
Thank you for the noon whistle
Growing up in Reedley, the noon whistle was always part of everyday life. Moving away after high school and being a military wife, it was al- ways great to come back home.
I have lived for the past 45 years back home in Reedley and have loved the daily reminder when hearing the noon whistle.
Recently after daylight savings time change started the whistle went off at 1 p.m. for 3 days and then si- lence. No more whistle. So, when the
Historical Society had their spring fundraiser, I asked the “question” what happened to the noon whistle. John Powell a member of the histori- cal society said he would address the problem.
On Saturday after the dinner, I went to the museum and Mr. Powell was out back by the enclosure of the water towers and all of a sudden to my pleasant surprise the “whistle blew.” What a welcome sound. It had to be set manually that day. I was overjoyed and I know that a lot of Reedleyites were also.
I want to take this opportunity on behalf of the Reedley Museum to thank the Chief of Police, Joe Garza, Reedley Fire Chief Jerry Isaak, Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba and Reedley Mayor Frank Pinon for their interest in restoring a bit of Reedley history.
The noon whistle is unique to Reed- ley and the only one left of its kind in the Valley. Also the twin water towers are the only ones anywhere. Reedley is a great town and it is a privilege to beapartofit.
Nancy Petinak Reedley Historical Society
Letters from readers