• 3 concerns about the stimulus • Hawai‘i on television? • The other side of the hospital bed rail 3 concerns about the stimulus •A passage from the diary of Henry Morgenthau, FDR’s Treasury secretary: “We have tried spending money.
• 3 concerns about the stimulus
• Hawai‘i on television?
• The other side of the hospital bed rail
3 concerns about the stimulus
•A passage from the diary of Henry Morgenthau, FDR’s Treasury secretary: “We have tried spending money. We are spending more than we have ever spent before and it does not work. I want to see this country prosperous. I want to see people get a job. I want to see people get enough to eat. We have never made good on our promises. I say after eight years of this Administration we have just as much unemployment as when we started and an enormous debt to boot!”
• Politicians keep calling today’s economic situation as “the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.” But in the 1981-82 recession, unemployment reached 10.8 percent versus 7.6 percent today. Reagan inherited an annual inflation rate of 13.5 percent, while 2009 began with a 0.1 percent inflation rate. Prime interest rates reached 21.5 percent at the end of 1980, compared with 3.25 percent at the end of 2008.
Reagan did not ask for a “rescue” or “bailout” package. He cut taxes and slowed the rate of domestic spending. Unemployment, inflation and interest rates went down. The Treasury collected more revenue than ever.
• The Congressional Budget Office, official scorekeepers for legislation, said the House and Senate bills will help in the short term but result in so much government debt that within a few years they would crowd out private investment, actually leading to a lower Gross Domestic Product over the next 10 years than if the government had done nothing.
•Craig De Costa, Lihu‘e
Hawai‘i on television?
I’m a part-time resident on Kaua‘i. I’m currently on the Mainland and watching many TV ads suggesting people travel to Jamaica. I feel the downturn in Hawai‘i tourism could be helped by TV spots showing the beauty of all the islands.
Ads suggesting Hawai‘i is part of the United States with the same language, currency, health system, and no passport required to travel would help Mainland tourists consider the culture and beauty of Hawai‘i, keeping their vacation dollars in the USA.
The only ads I see for Hawai‘i here are in travel magazines and newspapers. Jamaica must be getting some activity from their spots.
Why not Hawai‘i? Unlike Jamaica, Hawai‘i has several islands to explore, increasing the chance of tourists coming back again and again.
•Jack Mitchell, Princeville
The other side of the hospital bed rail
I can scarcely describe how happy I was on Feb. 2 when I jumped into my uncle’s SUV for the ride home from Lihu‘e Airport. In many ways, I was returning from one of the best humanitarian projects ever. But still there’s nothing quite like the thought of being home in your own house, bathroom, and bed, wearing your normal clothes and flowing back into your routine.
After 13 hours of plane rides and 10 hours of layovers, I was tired. About 10 minutes from the airport, we stopped at a traffic light and I was lightly dozing. When suddenly, with no warning or screeching brakes, we were bulldozed from behind by a large Dodge Durango SUV and slammed into a van full of tourists in front of us.
Airbags exploded, smoke filled our SUV, and an immediate intense pain gripped my left leg. Uncle and I groped through the smoke to find our eyeglasses and when I looked down I noticed that my leg was bent at an awkward angle and my thigh was grossly swollen and shortened. Not good.
The paramedics and firemen arrived sooner than I had expected and were very kind and big and strong. They started an IV, gave me morphine, transferred me out of the SUV, reduced my femur fracture, and gave me a gentle ride to Wilcox ER.
At the ER, one of my favorite nurses greeted me and I immediately felt very safe. I was afraid of having x-rays, but the technicians and radiologists were extremely careful and kind. The orthopedist on duty is acclaimed for his trauma skills and the anesthesiologist did a great spinal block.
I lost blood when my thigh bone broke and more during the surgery. And I needed a blood transfusion. That cured my dizziness and fatigue and allowed me to better participate with the cheerful and cheering physical and occupational therapists.
I have a titanium rod in my left thigh with four screws holding it in place. The post-operative x-rays show an ideal alignment and I’ll have an excellent outcome with near perfect function in three to six months.
Thankfully, the other eight people involved in the accident are all doing well. I thank God that the accident occurred on this side of the trip and not while we were in far away and developing countries. I’ve been extremely grateful for the kindness and care of the doctors and staff at Wilcox Memorial Hospital, the paramedics, firemen, and police officers, the St. Francis Home Health team, and those of you who so selflessly donate blood.
You wouldn’t believe how spoiled I’ve been — even the food was stellar! Now I’m learning to walk with a walker and crutches, to live with a left knee immobilizer, and to not stand or walk on my left leg for the next four weeks.
I’m not sure when I can return to work but I am eager to see my patients and help my partner. I’ve never wished so hard I could go to work!
I have a much greater appreciation for my life on the other side of the hospital bed rails but am glad to know that when services are needed, great care is available on Kaua‘i.
• Sharon Ayabe, MD, Kalaheo
