Letters to the Editor
I am asking for your vote to reelect Denley Loge as your State Representative in House District 14. As an advocate for Montana military and veteran issues for more than 35 years I have worked with many freshman legislators. Representative Loge is one of the best I have ever worked with on those issues. He is sensitive to the needs of our military and veterans and knows the wants and needs of his constituents in HD 14.
As a former legislator, I know the importance of being prepared from the first day of the session. Not every legislator has prepared for that day but I found Representative Loge to be engaged, knowledgeable and a committed legislator from day one. It was evident to me that he had a thumb on the pulse of his constituent’s perspective and had done his homework.
Because of his dedication to the State of Montana and his constituents in House District 14, he must return to Helena to continue his good work.
It is important that you vote to reelect Representative Denley Loge in this upcoming primary election.
Roger A. Hagan
Great Falls, Montana
rahagan@msn.com
406-459-0773
Healthy Montana Initiative important to future of Mineral Community Hospital
The Secretary of State issued the petition, the Healthy Montana Initiative (I-185) for signature gathering last week.
The initiative calls for increases in taxes on all tobacco products in order to help fund certain health-related programs such as Montana’s Medicaid Expansion program (which sunsets in June, 2019), veterans’ services, smoking prevention and cessation programs, and long-term care services for seniors and people with disabilities.
What this means on a local level is that Mineral Community Hospital will have a much better chance of keeping its doors open. By expanding Medicaid in 2016 to include more low-income people, the number of bad debts to the hospital have been greatly reduced, resulting in more revenue for the hospital. Without these payments, either the costs will be “absorbed”, which actually can cause local taxes to increase, or the hospital may be forced to close.
It is imperative that we keep our hospital open. In addition to providing services as a critical care hospital, MCH also is the second largest employer in Mineral County, employing 65 full-time employees. When people consider moving to our area, one of the things they consider is the fact that we have a local hospital that provides both emergency services and long-term care for the elderly. Additionally, our ER is the only facility between Missoula and Kellogg, ID that has the ability to stabilize patients who are injured or have life-threatening conditions such as heart attacks – resulting in the saving of lives.
Several of us will be circulating this petition for signatures around the county over the next few weeks and we are asking that you consider signing it so that the initiative can be placed on the ballot in November for vote. If you would like to be trained to assist in this effort, please call one of us for more information.
Diane Magone, 822-4429
Deborah Lewis 822-4369