To The Editor:
I received my December 19 Valley Reporter and congratulate Dr. Steve Zonies for his insightful article regarding the closing of The Valley’s medical facility and what I opine is the scourge of taxation in Vermont, seemingly a land of tax and spend with knee-jerk reaction and little to no in-depth thinking of the bigger picture. Long ago I realized I could not afford to retire in Vermont because of the high costs of living there. (May I add a personal hello to Dr. Steve, who was my dentist for many years. Steve, that wily chipped front tooth is still going fine after your good work.)
The morass of where taxpayer funds are spent would take a book, but I hone in on the issue of health care in the U.S. We keep raising taxes and insurance premiums to compensate for the costs generated by the medical complex. I recognize that there is a relative expense for the provision of such sophistication and complexities of equipment and pharmaceuticals and, of course, the skill and care of those in the broad spectrum of medical services. Still, there must be careful and in-depth studies done to see where these costs are systematically driven so high that Americans go without and curtail their spending on other very important items in the life.
Who or what is making out like a bandit? Follow the money, as they say! I take nothing away from the dedication and abilities of those in the medical field. My experiences have been positive as I’ve been tended to more with age. I am fortunate to be able to afford a supplemental health insurance policy along with Medicare. Still, I ask for an audit that drills down to the level where we can see the real culprits. It has been and continues to be a significant issue in his country. Special interest groups and politicians are certainly in the equation. It is a sad day when a medical facility in the tiny hamlet we call The Valley is simply deleted from the menu of public health facilities and care.
Kevin Eurich
North Myrtle Beach and a native of Waitsfield and Warren.
