Disgusted with hypocritical church leaders
As a Catholic, I loved Sam Sperry’s guest commentary on the need for Catholics to champion medical care for all, and not derail health-care reform over abortion [“Bishops take the low road on health-care reform,” Opinion, Dec. 10].
Sadly, Pastor Frank Schuster makes the counter-argument that by opposing health-care reform [“First Amendment rights for all,” Opinion, Northwest Voices, Dec. 15] if it covers a woman’s right to an abortion, bishops are being noble.
This stance, however, is hypocritical because it opposes lifesaving medical care for all, in favor of no abortions for a few.
If the leadership is so driven to support the dignity of human life, as Schuster says, then the church would have turned over for prosecution all priest pedophiles over the past decades rather than hide them, and then turned over those who hid them as accessories after a crime.
If any bishop wants to tell me I can’t receive Holy Communion because I support a woman’s right to choose, they can find me at St. Therese Parish, where I’ll be praying for their souls.
— Mary Browning, Mercer Island
Bishop’s conference violated the law
Frank Schuster’s defense of the Catholic bishops misses the point entirely. There is no doubt the Catholic Church is involved in myriad activities that better the lives of many. There is no doubt the church and its followers have a right to be against abortion. What is at issue is that the bishops have violated the rules that govern their nonprofit status.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is a 501c3 nonprofit. This allows them not only to be exempt from paying income tax, it also allows those who donate to them to deduct that amount from their own income tax as a charitable contribution. However, a 501c3 is, by law, prohibited from endorsing political candidates and from political lobbying.
In lobbying Congress to restrict women’s right to reproductive freedom, the conference violated the rules that govern their tax status. The IRS should change their status from a 501c3 to a 501c4 nonprofit. This would allow them to legally lobby Congress. It would, however, mean that donations to the conference of bishops would not be tax deductible.
The bishops have every right to free speech. They do not, however, have the right to enrich themselves financially by violating the law.
— Thalia Syracopoulos, Seattle
Duff Wilson and the protection of children’s health
The article by Duff Wilson on the over-prescription of anti-depressants to Medicaid children was alarming [“Study: Medicaid kids given more antipsychotic drugs,” News, Dec. 12]. The focus, however, should not be on the quantity of prescription drugs, but on the quality of the care between the provider and child.
While discrimination exists and occurs at both the provider and the system levels of care, improving quality in the health-care system has been shown to reduce racial disparities in health. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), reauthorized by President Obama in February, began the first effort toward improving quality of care for low-income children. Yet in plans for health reform, the House bill eliminates CHIP. The Casey Amendment to the Senate bill gives CHIP a lifeline for the next 10 years so that these important quality reforms can be addressed.
Let us not throw the baby out with the bath water. The Children’s Alliance in Washington has successfully expanded health care for all children through CHIP, yet these efforts are threatened by a state and national crisis no child is responsible for.
Now is not the time to forget the work already completed, now is the time to remember, and forge a way ahead so that others may follow.
— Robin Evans-Agnew, Seattle
Keeping our eyes on the prize
We must maintain focus on the goal of health-care reform [“Senate Dems appear ready to drop expanded Medicare for all,” News, Dec. 15]. One goal that has been accomplished to a greater extent by countries with less all over the world, is increased access for millions of hardworking Americans who currently lack any insurance at all.
The misguided behavior of some elected officials, in particular Sen. Joe Lieberman, in opposing reform that changes the operation of our system from one that lines the pockets of insurance company CEO’s with cash to one that improves the delivery of high-quality health care to our citizens must not be tolerated.
Our elected state and national officials have put in place protections for Washington citizens to ensure access. Others across the country are not as fortunate. We must stand together and demand change.
— Emily Norland, Seattle
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee will decide whether to take action on the reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act — a critical law that provides states with funding and requires them to follow a set of guidelines aimed at improving conditions for juvenile prisoners and reducing recidivism.
