Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 45, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 30, 2004 Page: 4 of 38
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EDITORIAL
PAGE 4A
THE POLK COUNTY ENTERPRISE
SUNDAY, MAY 30, 2004
■ MM M M 1 1 ■ 0
State Capital Highlights
Failing the grade
Pleased with hospital
Split decisions
To the editor:
I read the lady s complaint in the
letters to the editor column for
Thursday. May 27 First I would
like to say I can sympathize with
her. however, when one of your
children is hurt a person feels their
child should be placed at the top of
the tnage list Nothing wrong with
! that: just shows good parenting and
j love for their children The tnage
! nurse, on the other hand, has to
! position them on the list according
I not only t^Ulf seventy of their
j injury or illness, but to the severity
•pf others injuries or illnesses
'• While there may have been two
vacant beds in sight, there may also
have been two patients in treatment
\ rooms or in transit to the hospital
with more severe injuries or ill-
nesses 1 know it is frustrating
when your child is hurt or sick and
hothing is being done; sometimes
| y\ hat is construed as rudeness is in
reality the inability to be in more
than one place at one time
’ I hav e been to Memorial Medical
(Tenter - Livingston ER on three
occasids* Oh hi first occasion 1
| was in' * zre pa . due to loss of
i grculafk’n to my lower extremities
The ambulance arrived and the
attendants were very courteous, and
sedated, me to transport as
painlesBy as possible. Upon arrival
I; was token to tnage where they
iOunedii|ely treated me to relieve
the pain and prescribed medication
ijptil I cfuld see a surgeon (this was
cm a Sunday, and then released me
t6 make a bed available for some-
qpeelsft' ***
;On the second occasion. 1 had
gotten ant poison in my eye. and it
was swollen shut. To me it was
vfcry serious; however. I was put
towards the bottom of the triage
Ijst. 1 wound up waiting in the ER
seven hours'" That is horrible.
right7 Wrong, actually while I was
there waiting they had 11 ambu-
lances come in with cardiac prob-
lems. and there was a bad w reck
that day I saw seven patients with
problems so severe that they were
transported to Lufkin and Houston,
one by helicopter, and I probably
didn't see them all Sounding a
little better now, eh7 They finally
got around to me. lmgated my eye.
gave me antibiotic ointment to put
in and released me My eye was
fine in a couple of days
The third time 1 went in with atrial
fibrillation. I was immediately
called into tnage (in fact before I
could sit down) When she was
finished I went to the window to
get them to make me a chart, then
sat for about two minutes in the
waiting room before they called me
in for treatment (I was in a bed
within five minutes of arrival)
They stabilized my vitals and ad-
mitted me to 1CU.
I have been very happy with the
treatment I received there Some-
times you just don’t realize what is
really going on behind the scene
They have always been courteous,
helpful and friendly, except when 1
went in on the second time, but it
wasn't rudeness More like abrupt-
ness and being in a hurry because
they were so busy with other pa-
tients that had much more serious
problems than I.
1 would recommend this hospital
to anyone, the nurses, staff, and
doctors have been great as far as
I'm concerned I want to use just a
bit more type space to say.
‘THANKS." to all the doctors,
nurses, and staff that 1 have had the
privilege of receiv ing care from
Jimmy Simmons
Livingston
Setting record straight
fo the editor:
v
In response to the letter written
about Indian Springs first respond-
ers:
A letter was written about a call
that our first responders made on
May 18. As head of our first re-
I spondcr group. I felt that it was my
diity to reply to this letter and liave
some statements that were made
straightened out.
Our group was started nine years
ago and we have come a long way.
All our trucks are fully stocked and
We do have oxygen on all
vehicles along with splints. When
oar first responders arrived on the
scene, Tammy's daughter already
liad her arm in a homemade splint
that her mother had put on. When
tdld that the splint needed to be
changed and put on correctly, the
mother refused for us to touch her.
A sling was put on by us One oxy-
gen bottle was empty, but another
bottle was on scene and j ven to
the child.
None of us are perfect and I
know that mistakes can be made,
but I think that people should get
all their facts straight before they
make a complaint to the public
Tammy stated that she used to be
an E.M.T. I wonder if she remem-
bers what "position of function" is.
Our first responders know what this
is and took the appropriate action
I have worked with Gold Star for
along time and I find it very hard to
believe that any of their personnel
were rude to any patient
I am sorry that Tammy felt we
did not do our job like we should,
but I am happy that no complaints
were made on the other calls we
have made on Tammy and her
daughter.
Thank you.
Marty Hendrick, E.C.A.,
Captain of the Indian Springs
First Responders
Livingston
In the wee small hours...
• To the editor
He j. "I ain the Light"
; I'm one of many people who re-
quire little sleep and therefore lay
awake in the pre-dawn darkness
with a myriad of thoughts wafting
dirough my mind. As I get older,
trivial thoughts have turned more
profound and I think about my faith
i)i God and what heaven must be
like Mostly , howev er. I think about
the beauty and strength of God's
Works and realize that everything
that exists is the result of God's
creative power Being a poet.
“Day break" evolved.
Daybreak
Do you lie awake each morning
just as day light starts to show?
starts to lighten
to glow
clouds and trees
against the sky?
from night's
who-hooting
just marvel
of night;
Remembering that in John 8; 12
Do you thank Him for creating
all the things that live and breathe?
All the mountains, plains and
riv ers; all the flowers and the trees.
Do you ask God to forgive you
for the sinful things you do?
Do y ou know that God is perfect
and that He s almighty too?
Do you thank the Lord when you
feel bad and wish the best for oth-
ers?
Do you love each person in your
life as if they were your brothers7
Do you feel that you're so privi-
leged just to be what you have
been?
To Accept the life God gave you
and still love the skin you're in.
Well, my friends, if you are faith-
ful and God's placed at number
one.
Then you'll arrive in Heaven and
find your life has just begun.
Edward C. Huey
Goodrich
To the editor:
I am appalled at all the backbit-
ing and name-calling that our small
town community newspaper allows
to take place in the letters to the
editor (Oh. I know it is a free
country - but for how long’) A lot
of the bashing is bordering on slan-
der the way I see it1 And should
no( be allowed1
I have to say that I did not see a
lot of tins kind of material in our
paper when all the hanky-panky
was going on in The White House
oval office in the late 1990s; i c the
little blue dress stained with semen1
Hus goes to some on the national
level as well' Some senators and
the liberal media will be the down-
fall of our USA. not something the
president docs or docs not do' I can
remember the day when if someone
(anyone) said the things about a
president of these United States,
they would have been tried for trea-
son' But not anymore! Yes. thev
can accuse him of being aware of
9-11 and letting it happen Hog-
wash' And what about the state-
ment that lie lias betrayed our coun-
try ’ This is just for starters The
terrorists must be having a field
day! And no wonder'
I hope the information I have will
not tear someone down, but will be
of some help to some poor senior
• citizen with their medication prob-
lems. i c expenses
According to a recent study by an
internist and epidemiologist at
Stanford Prevention Center in Cali-
fornia. "splitting pills." in some
cases, can save as much as 20-30
percent on their medical bills. They
should be reminded, though, that
only certain pills can be safely
split Only scored pills should be
split Also, the patient should be
alert enough and aware of how to
split pills safely - before even at-
tempting to do it
No person/persons should do bo
without first consulting their physi-
cian or pharmacist
A good example is If a patient is
on a dosage of 20mg. they may ask
their physician to dispense a 40mg
dose (which will cost about the
same amount of money) Then,
splitting the pill would, in this case,
save 50 percent on their bill
A pill splitter can be purchased at
any pharmacy for $2 or $3. but the
patient should remember that some
pills will be crushed and should not
be taken (the dosage would be in-
accurate)
Medications such as blood thin-
ners should never be split. Only
pills that split equally should be
taken'
No one sliould attempt to split
their pills without first consulting
their physicians or pharmacists.
Pill splitting may be the differ-
ence of having medications and not
being able to afford them It is
worth looking into!
An article on Rx: Split Deci-
sions" is currently carried in US
Sews and World Report. ‘Hope this
helps someone! ...And so it goes.
Flossie Keels
Livingston
Treat kids equally
To the editor:
Hello my name is Tieifa Due-
berry. but everyone calls me Tie I
am 14 years old 1 play for a select
team called. The Texas Ball Brats
The Ball Brats have been around
for a awful long time, five years to
be exact, and we do all of our prac-
ticing on the softball fields at
Pedigo Park
Recently we have been told that
we can no longer practice on those
fields unless we pay Now ask
yourself, what kind of community
do we live in that docs not allow
kids to play on those fields? The
Brats practice on them every Sun-
day from 1-4 and they always look
pretty dam good when we leave
them. My mother told me that she
doesn't think anyone cares about
our letters, but like Martin Luther
King once said. "I Have A Dream”
and so do I: One day. if it is God's
w ill. [I hope] to play college ball.
So I say please to the community
of Polk County, treat all kids equal
and let all of us use those fields.
Thank you
Tic Dueberry # 12
Livingston
Register and vote
To the editor:
To the editor and to the church:
It is said that in the United Stales
there arc 42 to 43 million people
who call themselves Christians, yet
only one million arc registered to
v ote If half arc liars and w ill not be
found in Heaven, that leaves
around 21 million, not doers but
hearers only and may not be found
in Heaven either
Many arc grandparents, mothers
and fathers, even aunts and uncles,
and they say they fear for their
children and grandchildren, but
they don't even vote Judgment
begins at the church and the church
has been under judgment for years.
When arc you going to wake up?
There are good teachers, but you
do not back them. There are people
working to uphold the Constitution,
but you do nothing except com-
plain and erv about persecution.
Are you the people that He will say
I nev er knew y ou?
And woe unto the false shep-
herds who fleece the sheep and
mislead them. In many cases, those
who call themselves female homo-
sexual it is because of your misuses
of God's Word when you teach
about submission of the wife to the
husband. Go out and register to
vote.
lone Plank
Livingston
Do you have an opinion?
The Polk County Enterprise encourages readers to submit letters
expressing their views and opinions. The letters will be published in
the Enterprise's "Letters to the editor" column on Thursday or Sunday.
The letters may be written on any subject or issue of general interest.
Letters must be accompanied by a name and mailing address and will
be subject to editing for grammar, punctuation, spelling and length.
Letters must include a telephone number for verification. We will not
publish the telephone number.
Readers should keep their letters brief and to the point. Each letter
should contain no more than 650 words. Letters exceeding that length
will be subject to editing or withheld from publication.
Letters will also be subject to editing for libelous statements and
commercialism.
This column is not meant as a forum for political candidates,
although we welcome comments from the public concerning campaign
issues. During election campaigns, we will not allow reference to
specific local candidates.
Letters may be submitted in person; mailed to “Letters to the
editor." Polk County Enterprise. P.O. Box 1276, Livingston, TX
77351; sent to the Enterprise by fax to (936) 327-7156 or sent via e-
inail to polknewstftlivingston.net.
Deadline for letters is 5 p.m. Tuesday for Thursday's newspaper and
noon Friday for Sunday's newspaper.
By MIKE COX
Texas Press Association
AUSTIN — The special legisla-
tive session on school finance
ended early last week with no ac-
tion taken and two schools of
thought on when lawmakers will
get back to their desks Soon or
later this summer
Lt Gov David Dewhurst and
Speaker Tom Craddick set up two
working groups to hash out the
issue of how to pay more money ,
more fairly, to schools and at the
same time cut taxes. One of the
groups will ponder the former
while the other group tries to come
up w ith a plan for the latter
If the Legislature approv es some-
thing by August, there's still time
to get any constitutional amend-
ments dealing with school finance
or taxes onto the ballot (including
slot machines, wliich still seem to
ture. which got a 23 percent ap-
proval rating
Each party spun the numbers to
its benefit The Democrats said
Pern and his colleagues had failed
Texas schoolchildren, schools and
taxpayers
The governor's office countered
that Perry doesn’t make his deci-
sions based on polls, and that the
choices he has faced have not been
easy ones
The numbers that count of
course, will be the 2006 election
returns
Regular session math prob-
lem...
When lawmakers come to Austin
next January for the 79th regular
session, one of several math prob-
lems they will be facing is how to
add 20 percent to 80 percent and
come up with 100 percent liability
insurance coverage for Texas driv-
be on the table )
State worker turnover high...
Cuts in state employee benefits
made during the last regular session
of the Legislature have come home
to roost with a high turnover rate
that has cost taxpayers as much as
$267 million, the State Auditor's
Office has reported
Turnover among state workers
reached 17.4 percent in 2003. the
audit report said.
"Pushed to the financial breaking
point, stale employees are taking
their skills to other employers."
Texas Public Employees Associa-
tion executive director Gan Ander-
son said.
Anderson urged the state to find
a way to giv e state employees a 3.5
percent raise in September And
w hen the Legislature meets in regu-
lar session in January , he said the
association will be asking for a 4.5
percent pay hike for each year of
the biennium
Numbers not kind to Perry, ei-
ther...
Gov . Rick Pern got some bad
news last week with the release of
the spring Texas Poll. The poll
showed his approval rating had
dropped to only 37 percent, the
lowest any governor has liad in
more than a decade.
Speaker Craddick's report card
was even worse: Only 25 percent of
those polled by Scripps-Howard
thought he was doing a good job
for the people of Texas.
The poll also indicated Texans
arc not pleased with the Legisla-
ers.
While school finance debate con-
tinued. the Senate's Infrastructure,
Development and Security Com-
mittee heard testimony on the on-
going problem of uninsured motor-
ists in Texas.
Eighty percent of Texas drivers
comply with the law. but 20 per-
cent still don't have the required
minimum coverage. That doesn’t
mean much to the average Texan
until an uninsured driver hits his
car and he finds out that his insur-
ance company has to pay for the
repairs.
The state currently has authority
to begin some form of insurance
verification program, but the De-
partment of Public Safety said at
the hearing that more legislation is
needed to give the law teeth.
I he lllinxl < filler 14001.i Cum lu
I Illusion, Texas 7/0S4 (71 <)/'>(> l.’m
WEBSITE: www.EastTexasNews.Com
E-MAIL: polknews@livingston.net
Texas 77351 under the Act of Congress of March 3,1987. Entered as Periodical
Matter at the Post Office at Livingston, TX.
viiiiYim ai. department
Barbara While...............................
Emily Banks................................
Editor........................................................
News Editor..............................................
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Sports Editor........................M.,..............
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Area News Editor.....................................
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ki |"T I i (I iitt i.1'I 1111n•*ifi^’ ji 11)• t "i i i • |■ 11 i l*t i.ki it »■ • m!m. iii i, him ill . \ |ii-
Calhoun in Dvi
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 122, No. 45, Ed. 1 Sunday, May 30, 2004, newspaper, May 30, 2004; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth789082/m1/4/?q=music: accessed June 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.