Footing the bill
To the editor:
Why should the residents of Baton Rouge have to pay the total cost of a parish prison and public safety complex that Baker, Zachary and Central will also use? [“Random Thoughts,” July 28]. Am I missing something?
Patrick C. Brady, Baton Rouge
To the editor:
It is gerrymandering the parish vote to accomplish an end that maybe all the people don’t want. I also wonder how the mayor intends to price the use of these facilities to those that don’t get to vote on the bond issue? Will they have to pay more to use these facilities since they are not paying for the facilities with taxes [assuming it passes this time]?
I don’t feel like I should pay taxes for someone who does not pay the taxes to enjoy the results. We are paying for someone else’s service and enjoyment while they get off free.
Mickey Christensen, Baton Rouge
One-stop shop
To the publisher:
Why not just institute a “government depot” for everything, including a “public option” to purchase a car [GM], life insurance [AIG] and financial services [take your pick] [“Publisher’s View,” July 28]?
Michael Fels, Baton Rouge
Upon further review
To the editor:
The issue of employer-provided health insurance coverage has been and will continue to be a cause for concern for the entire business community, especially for small businesses [“Coverage Conundrum,” July 28]. While the rising cost of health care has certainly played a major role in the increase in insurance premiums, the astronomical number of state health insurance mandates passed into law that require coverage for various conditions or types of services has contributed to this cost increase as well. In May, the Baton Rouge Area Chamber released research that showed how state health insurance mandates increase insurance costs for employers and employees in an issue brief entitled The True Effects of Comprehensive Coverage: Examining State Health Insurance Mandates, which can be found at brac.org/research.
Our research showed that each enactment of a mandate has the potential to ultimately price more than 17,000 Louisianans out of health coverage, that a mandated-induced cost increase of 1% lowers the probability of a small firm’s offering health insurance by 2%, and that the addition of any single state health insurance mandate results in a 0.4% increase in Louisiana’s uninsured population. Given these statistics and the fact that Louisiana has enacted approximately 40 mandates since 1979, one can easily see why this is an issue that should have everyone concerned.
To counter this extremely serious problem, we have called for a more rigorous state mandate review law than what currently exists by altering the number of criteria evaluated for review, implementing a retrospective strategy of mandate reviews in addition to the current prospective strategy and developing a reliable mechanism by which the public is notified of health insurance mandate bills that will be introduced during the legislative session in a timely fashion that allows for public debate by the businesses and citizens potentially impacted. Should these steps be taken, we could improve the quality of life for employees and employers alike.
Meg Mahoney, Senior vice president of product? development, Baton Rouge Area Chamber
Outside of the Box
To the editor:
The response to the poll question “What should LSU do with the old Alex Box Stadium?” [Daily Report, July 21] was a perhaps predictable, but nevertheless stunning, confirmation of how the public views LSU. According to the poll, more than 60% feel the space should be used for tailgating or a hotel/restaurant. Only one-fourth of the respondents felt that the space should be used to support the academic mission of LSU [student housing or an academic building]. This tally appears to accurately reflect a broader view of LSU’s contribution to the state. To those of us who feel strongly that excellence in higher education is essential to the economic and cultural development of our state and region, the poll serves as a stark reminder of the public-opinion challenges that must be addressed if we hope to avoid a debilitating loss of the progress that has been made over the past decade.
Kevin R. Carman, Dean, LSU College of Basic Sciences
