Page 4 - The Reedley 6-20-19 E-edition

The Reedley Exponent A4 Thursday, June 20, 2019 Editorial & Opinions
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A Mid Valley Publishing Newspaper
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Fred Hall — Publisher
In my OPINION
Jon Earnest — Editor / Sports Juanita Adame — Panorama Editor Budd Brockett — Editor Emeritus
QUOTE
“Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps, for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be.”
William Hazlitt (1778-1830)
Wouldn’t it be great if our politicians took some sort of oath which is the equivalent to that of physicians? “Primum non nocere.” That, in classic Latin, translates as: to help, or at least do no harm. The time has come for that vast, and growing, segment of our society that is bureaucratic to realize their job is not some kind of gigantic social experiment! Treat the business of government as if you have to answer to shareholders. In a perfect world, the political class would have to answer to critical voters — today, not so much.
Esquivel allegations a tough story to report, but a necessary one to be told
Fred Hall
Believe me when I say, I take no joy in the least reporting on this week’s press conference in Ba- kersfield disclosing the allegations against Monsignor John Esquivel of St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Reedley regarding his time at St. Joseph Church in Ba- kersfield during the 1980s. Once this was made public on June 17, it’s a news item that took wings of its own and quickly spread around the Central Valley, particularly in the sphere of the Diocese of Fresno.
I don’t formally know Msgr. Esquivel, although we have brief- ly met and I’ve attended events at St. Anthony’s and St. La Salle Catholic School. It’s obvious he is a well-respected leader and loved by many. I attended the special Mass of Thanksgiving in April 2018 celebrating Esquivel’s 50-year an- niversary of being the first priest ordained by the new Fresno Diocese in 1968. I saw that love and respect displayed by the congregation and fellow church leaders.
All that makes the news ear- lier this week difficult to hear, and moreso to understand. It’s obvious there will be sharply contrasting opinions, much like the political di- vide we find across our nation. The monsignor will have his spirited de- fenders, as well as the likely detrac- tors who feel recent months of alle- gations against the Fresno DIocese are reflective of what the Catholic Church has been experiencing in recent years.
I feel for the good people of St. Anthony’s and St. La Salle, and
other Catholic churches. And many Protestant ones, for that matter. But empathy must be felt for the woman making the allegations. Based on her words, it sounds like she car- ried a great deal of torment for the last three decades and knew she’d face derisive opinions and condem- nation from many people suspecting she’s just in it for a payday. For the record, she said she plans no civil action and wants no money.
The important thing is, the mon- signor is presumed innocent in this incident. There will be internal in- vestigations that likely will include a criminal investigation. The dio- cese has gone public with their mes- sage of cooperating fully. We have no idea what exactly could transpire in the coming days and weeks.
Those who believe in a higher power — and the power of prayer — would be wise to practice those actions and pray for the monsignor, the woman and all involved in the process. For those who don’t, at least maintain human dignity and have a hope that the truth — what- ever that may be — wins out in the end.
•••
The city of Reedley has hit on
a great idea with its monthly Town Hall meetings in 2019. Although the audience dwindled the last month or two, the city has put on forums that are informational and beneficial to the community.
The last of the six Town Halls will address an important topic for all — “Drought, Contamination and Your Front Lawn.” City offi-
cials will be on hand to address any questions you may have about the water quan- tity and, perhaps more importantly, the water quan- tity residents will have this year and beyond.
If you happen to be one of those rare peo-
ple who has ever doubted that there is a double standard for doing business in this country — one for us and one for the government — ask any of the farmers here in the Central Valley who have had their land taken by the High Speed Rail project. Better yet, try buy- ing a parcel of land and then not paying for it.
Eminent domain is bad enough where the government is allowed to seize one’s land, basically on their terms, but now, months later, farmers are getting the run-around on payment for land that has been essentially ruined for agriculture.
A simple so-called “order of possession” by a Superior Court allows the State to take ownership of the land even if negotiations with the land owner are continuing. There is no way for a landowner in California to hold a winning hand when the deck is so stacked against them.
Being “put down” is a euphemism we use when an animal reach- es a point where life is no longer viable and the suffering they en- dure makes the termination of their life preferable to their pain. It just seems to me that the time has come for the entire High Speed Rail project to be put down! In their case, throwing good money after bad makes no sense at all so drop your lawsuit against the federal government for more taxpayer money and, for heaven’s sake, pay the farmers who have been harmed by your stupid plan!
Everyone realizes that the mess is no longer viable — never was — and should be terminated. Make peace with it and realize that Jerry Brown’s legacy will be the mess he created, benefitting no one. Many people, including numerous consultants, have been enriched by this boondoggle. The time is here to cut our losses and move on.
Having mentioned the fact that California has filed suit in an effort to gain additional taxpayer money from the Trump admin- istration, it might be illuminating to point out that Gavin Newson and Xavier Becerra have already filed four dozen lawsuits, mostly over policy differences. With all the problems currently being ex- perienced in California it seems the attorney general could make better use of his time and budget!
Newsom and Becerra are fighting Trump over $3.5 billion which they want to blow on something that, for all intents and purposes, is see as being in its death throes. These are the kind of guys who make it embarrassing to tell out-of-state friends that you are from California — after all, we elected them!
It seems that every time we assume that these people elected by the people of California to oversee the well-being of everyone managetoone-upthemselvesonstupidity.Towit: thispastweekthe pandering group of politicians who “represent” us in Sacramento passed a health care bill which will provide free health care for il- legals. The additional cost to Medicaid for that hare-brained scheme will, in most estimates, run to $3 billion annually.
We’re being told, by the liberal pundits and politicians, not to worry because California has plenty of money! Really? Last time we checked, the state had a $1.3 trillion debt and a $258 billion un- funded state employee pension fund. Adding to that is the often overlooked fact that tens of thousands of taxpayers are fleeing the state because the quality of life here in the golden state is becoming untenable. Housing is scarce and costs are prohibitive. Energy costs are the highest in the nation. Poverty increases daily and homeless- ness is rampant. Given all that and all our political class can think of to provide more “entitlements” for illegals who can offer the most basic skills at the lowest wages imaginable. Their drag on our soci- ety far outweighs their contribution. I know that may sound cold but it’s just a hard dose of reality, something our politicians fail to deal with every day of their cushy government employment. I continue to hear the old adage about us getting the government we deserve but, honestly, we need some relief!
Ronald Reagan probably said it better than anyone I’ve heard when he uttered “If you want less of something, tax it. If you want more of something reward it.” It just seems to me that we continue to reward wrongdoing.
But, as always, that’s only one man’s opinion.
Jon Earnest
By Greg Dill
Guest colunnist
If you’re approached by someone who offers “free” genetic testing or cancer screening, turn them down.
Medicare doesn’t cover such tests unless a doctor who’s treating you orders them and they’re medically necessary.
Laboratory representa- tives have allegedly been taking swabs inside the mouths of Medicare ben- eficiaries at health fairs, senior centers, residential complexes for older people, and veterans’ centers.
Some seniors are get- ting cold calls about genetic testing kits. The caller usu- ally offers to send a “free” genetic testing kit and asks only that you return the completed kit with your in- surance information — in- cluding a Medicare number.
Beneficiaries’ numbers are then used to bill Medi- care for thousands of dol- lars of medically unneces- sary genetic testing.
More creative schemes involve sending invitations to an “ice cream social” where seniors hear a pre- sentation about “no cost” genetic testing and/or can- cer screenings. During the presentation, seniors are asked for their Medicare numbers – and Medicare is later billed thousands of dol- lars per test.
Seniors are also being asked for the Medicare numbers and other private information after being brought into health-fair booths for DNA swabs of their cheeks.
In some instances, se- niors are given gift cards and told that Medicare will be billed for the tests, even though there’s no physician order for them.
Remember:
Don’t give your DNA away to a stranger! Beware of people who cold-call you or show up at your front door uninvited to push genetic tests and cancer screenings. Watch out for people who claim such tests
are “100 percent covered by Medicare.”
Medicare does cover such tests, but only when they are medically neces- sary and have been ordered by your doctor.
Look for charges on your Medicare Summary Notice statements for un- necessary tests or screen- ings that you didn’t want or weren’t ordered by your doctor.
In general, don’t give out your Medicare number or Social Security number to anyone you don’t know and trust. Be cautious of unsolicited requests for your Medicare or Social Se- curity numbers. If your per- sonal information is com- promised, it may be used in other fraud schemes.
Medicare will never contact you out of the blue and ask for your Medicare number or other personal information.
And don’t consent to any lab tests at senior cen- ters, health fairs, or in your home. Be suspicious of any-
one claiming that you’ll pay nothing for genetic tests and cancer screenings.
If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, we want to hear from you. Please call us, toll-free, at 1-800-MEDI- CARE (1-800-633-4227).
You also can report sus- pected fraud at 1-800-HHS- TIPS. Or, you can contact your local Senior Medicare Patrol, a terrific group which educates people with Medicare about how to avoid healthcare fraud and abuse.
You can reach Senior Medicare Patrol 1-877-808- 2468, or visit https://www. smpresource.org.
One last tip: enter your phone number on the Do Not Call Registry https:// www.donotcall.gov.
Greg Dill is Medicare’s regional administrator for Arizona, California, Nevada, Hawaii, and the Pacific Ter- ritories. You can always get answers to your Medi- care questions by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800- 633-4227).
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the Reedley Community Center’s Senior Room, located at 100 N. East Ave. It’s worth attending, and it would be a good series to bring back with new topics in 2020.
•••
Reedley resident Sidney K. Har-
man, who died at age 86 on June 6, was well-known for his passion for cars, vintage cars and hot rods. He was one of the longtime members of the Nomads Car Club and was in- volved for many years with the an- nual local car shows at the annual Street Faire events.
Sid was given a fitting sendoff at his funeral June 18 at Full Gos- pel Tabernacle Church in Reedley. Drivers from the Nomads and other local clubs like Cruising for Jesus lined up to escort his remains to his final resting place. A hot rod tribute to a life well-lived.
•••
If the heat gets unbearable, re-
member to avoid any temptation of even the briefest of journeys into the Kings River. Play it safe and visit the Reedley Aquatics Swim Complex (check for availability) or the Luke Trimble Splash Park.
Seniors urged to say no to ‘free’ genetic tests
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