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Support fight against Alzheimer’s

The Alzheimer’s Association’s 2018 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report says that there are 20,000 people living with Alzheimer’s dementia in Montana.

We provide care for many of those people through our work with EagleView West and The Springs at Whitefish, and we worry every day about how to maintain care for them. A recent national poll found that 42 percent of dementia caregivers provided an average of 9 hours of care per day, and a separate study found that well over half of caregivers had provided care for more than four years.

For family caregivers, it’s not only the time commitment that is substantial, but also the financial impact; in 2016 alone, dementia caregivers reported spending nearly twice the average out-of-pocket costs than non-dementia caregivers ($10,697 vs. $5,758, respectively). These caregivers need extra support. This support could come from the federal government continuing to increase funding for Alzheimer’s and dementia research at the National Institutes of Health.

It is only through a sustained investment in research that we will achieve breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s prevention and treatment. The Alzheimer’s Association is calling on Sen. Tester, Sen. Daines and Rep. Gianforte to support increasing National Institutes of Health funding of Alzheimer’s and dementia by $401 million.

It is equally important that Congress support the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act (S. 2076/H.R. 4256), which will create an Alzheimer’s public health infrastructure across the country to implement effective Alzheimer’s interventions, such as increasing early detection and diagnosis, reducing risk and preventing avoidable hospitalizations. —Jennifer Crowley of EagleView West, Sherry Mayeaux of The Springs at Whitefish (Kalispell Walk to End Alzheimer’s co-chairs)

A democracy or a republic?

In the May 2018 Rural Montana magazine (p. 12), Sen. Jon Tester begins his response to a posed question with this statement: “Attacks on our democracy can come in many different forms.” I would like to point out to Sen. Tester that we are a republic and not a democracy.

To say we are a democracy is an attack against our U.S. Constitution and the republic it stands for. The word democracy does not appear in the U.S. Constitution, but reference is made to the word republic in Article 4, Section 4, of the U.S. Constitution where it states, “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government…”

The Soldiers Training Manual issued by the War Department, Nov. 30, 1928, sets forth the exact and truthful definitions of a democracy and of a republic. They are as follows:

Democracy:

“A government of the masses. Authority derived through mass meeting or any other form of direct expression. Results in mobocracy. Attitude toward property is communistic — negating property rights. Attitude toward law is that the will of the majority shall regulate, whether it be based upon deliberation or governed by passion, prejudice, and impulse, without restraint to consequences. Results in demagogism, license, agitation, discontent, anarchy.”

Republic:

“Authority is derived through the election by the people of public officials best fitted to represent them. Attitude toward property is respect for laws and individual right, and a sensible economic procedure. Attitude toward law is the administration of justice in accord with fixed principles and established evidence, with a strict regard to consequences. A greater number of citizens and extent of territory may be brought within its compass. Avoids the dangerous extreme of either tyranny or mobocracy. Results in statesmanship, liberty, reason, justice, contentment, and progress.”

Let’s follow the United States Constitution and get our republic restored. So help us God! —Tony Kimberlin, Libby

Foundations build dreams

I am responding to Mark Agather’s “guest opinion” piece from April. I know Mark and his family, being a Libby Logger myself. I felt the need to respond given the fact we both attended Libby schools and have an interest in education.

Mark, I don’t know what you chose as a career, but I would guess Libby schools and teachers, parents and family, community members, pastors, and friends had some influence in your choice. I chose to be a teacher. It was my dream, my vision.

Thoreau summed up what schools can do for those they serve: “If you have built castles in the air (your vision) … that is where they should be.” The rest of his statement is what public education does to let visions have a chance to succeed: “Now put the foundations under them.” Having that foundation is what every child needs, and school district by school district, our communities should support the building of that foundation to allow every student — no matter the gender, race, creed, rich or poor, gifted or challenged — to pursue a dream by growing in knowledge, social relationships, and character.

You have a right to ask questions about the school election. Your concerns were costs (cost of educating, sports programs, school lunches and treats, “special needs” children, teacher pensions). You state disapproval of “the scientifically disproven theory of evolution,” and you suggest history courses “are spewing … a derogatory view of America … and a racist anti-white theory.” You also find pre-school education to be “inane.” Again, you have the right to address your concerns. I suggest you meet with administrators, teachers, school board. You might re-build your foundation.

Remember this. Our shared community put a foundation under us. I believe School District 5 is doing the same thing. As John F. Kennedy said, “Knowledge is power.” —Marv Sather, Libby

County workers took a big hit

I would like to address the recent hike in health insurance costs to Flathead County employees. On May 1 employees across the board were informed that their premiums doubled, deductibles in some cases went from $200 to $1,500 overnight, and out of pocket costs increased by thousands.

It is sad and concerning that county commissioners tasked with protecting folks that keep our community safe and running smoothly have failed to complete this simple task. This is a monstrous financial burden to all county employees who were never informed of this increase in costs until it was implemented. To believe that the commissioners were not aware for some time that this was possible is ludicrous.

It has forced professional people to apply for Medicaid (and even sadder is that many qualify). Some will look for work elsewhere as hourly pay isn’t high enough to cover this and health insurance used to be one of the only benefits as wages often tend to be lower for county employees compared to those in similar positions in the private sector. This can only be viewed as gross mismanagement by our elected officials and I beg folks to remember this when going to the booth. —Cameron Moe, Kalispell