Thinking can be hard
I was reading about the prison inmate who escaped while working outside the prison. He had been arrested Jan. 17 after police stopped his swerving vehicle, and he escaped while his license was being checked and led authorities on a high-speed chase, ending with troopers having to ram his truck, shoot out a tire, and employ a police dog. It was stated he was wanted in five states for assault with a weapon and escape.
Yet an inmate with a history of escaping is assigned a work detail outside of the prison?
I guess the warden had a hard time connecting the dots!
DOUGLAS MacARTHUR
Cherokee Village
Better mental health
As Congress considers health-care reform legislation, it is critical that Medicaid coverage remains available to low-income adults and children so they can get help dealing with any mental illness and behavioral health issues they face.
New medications, psychotherapies, and other technologies have dramatically expanded the ability to treat a range of conditions. Access to them through Medicaid has given individuals suffering from mental illness greater cause for hope today than at any time in history.
The Mental Health Council of Arkansas is determined to bring this hope to all our state's residents, including those in remote and rural areas, delivering care to those who need it wherever they are, and whatever their means.
Not only does mental health treatment benefit patients, but it benefits communities too. Children are affected by a parent's mental illness, and untreated mental illness can lead to use of addictive substances, compounding our opioid crisis. Many times, those with mental illness wind up in our jails and overwhelm our court system even though mental illness is not a crime.
Some proposals in Congress would create significant barriers to effective mental health treatment by eliminating protections on pre-existing conditions and limiting access in rural counties and low-populated areas. For behavioral health care, these types of restrictions would further cap coverage, place more adults on the street or in local jails, and put children and adolescents at greater risk for institutional placement.
Conversely, by making treatment widely available, especially through Medicaid, we can help those with mental illness fully contribute their talents to families, workplaces, and neighborhoods, and live more productive and fulfilling lives.
DIANNE SKAGGS
Little Rock
Playing puerile games
Nearly six weeks after hinting that he had recorded his private conversation with former FBI Director James Comey, President Trump has now announced that he has made no such tapes. Without Congress' having set a deadline for him to answer the question of the tape's existence, we might still be in suspense.
As a citizen and a taxpayer, it infuriates me that our president insists on--and seems to enjoy--playing these puerile games. His immaturity and childishness have soiled and diminished the presidency and bring shame upon this country.
If this is how he insists on behaving, it is time for him to resign his position and turn the leadership of our republic over to abler men and women.
JOHN KAMINAR
Bryant
Energy-rating houses
I appreciated Eric Besson's recent story on the Arkansas Realtors Association (ARA) blocking a proposed ordinance calling for energy rating of new homes in Little Rock. Divulging the projected energy cost of a home a Realtor is trying to sell is the underlying motivation for ARA's opposition. Posting annual energy costs could make it harder to sell the house, particularly if the energy rating on the house next door says its annual energy costs are less. Contrast that with "I can't pay my light bill" being the one of the biggest reasons for mortgage defaults. Wouldn't it be better if buyers knew what utility costs to expect?
It was also not made clear that a house built to Arkansas' current energy code no longer qualifies for the FHA mortgage insurance our lower-income and first-time home buyers rely on. Fixing this by amending Little Rock's energy code to meet the 2009 IECC is part of the blocked ordinance.
The ordinance also addresses moisture (mold?) issues and builder liability that can result from homes being made increasingly airtight with foam insulation and no provision for mechanical ventilation. The ordinance calls for testing these homes as part of the energy rating which ensures the health and safety of occupants. ARA opposed this added cost. That makes me ponder if $200 for testing house tightness is too much to pay for health and safety, how little is health and safety worth anymore?
Passing this ordinance is important. Don't give up, Mayor!
RON HUGHES
Little Rock
Abuse of food stamps
The taxpayers' tab for the food stamp program is estimated at $71 billion annually. It is a good cause, as there are many worthy participants.
The number of people on the program increased dramatically during the Obama administration. If there were ever a need for red flags, this is the time. According to Alabama Media Group, 13 counties in that state just reinstated work requirements for their food program. Guess what? The staggering result is that food stamp participation dropped by 85 percent, falling from 5,538 to only 831. The work requirement only applies to adults between 18 and 50 without dependents and who are physically able to seek employment. In no way were qualified participants affected. Hooray for 13 counties in Alabama that decided to stop rewarding folks for simply being lazy!
Side note: The news is out. John Brummett declared in his June 15 column that he is not pregnant. He sure had some of us fooled as the symptoms are usually a telltale sign.
Deus existo nobis.
HOWARD D. HUGHES
Maumelle
Editorial on 06/24/2017