From left to right
Why has “liberal” suddenly become a dirty word? Aren’t “liberal arts,” “a liberal attitude” and “a liberal outlook on life” all good things? And aren’t “liberal countries” like the Scandinavian countries Switzerland and Holland all enjoying a much higher standard of living than we are?
The sickening TV ads for Meg Whitman, Steve Poizner and Carly Fiorina beat the word “liberal” to death and try to outdo themselves by pandering to the far right.
What will become of them when the general election comes around and they need a few of us “liberals” to win?
In the meantime, may I offer a few adjectives to go with the word “conservative?” How about “uptight conservatives,” “fanatic, right-wing conservatives” and “bigoted, intolerant conservatives?”
Robert Allan
Long Beach
Keeping House
Dear Neena,
Although I was nearly 12 when you were born, your “Opinion” piece in the May 28 issue brought back some fond memories. Perhaps this next one is only familiar to earlier generations: When I made a phone call I would pick up the telephone receiver to hear if someone was talking and then hang up quickly if I found it busy. Now I pick up the receiver to listen for the beep— I have a message!
In some ways I feel a bit like your older sister as I see you here at Bixby Knolls Towers (BKT) to visit your mom quite often. I have been a resident here since 2003. It’s been a delightful place to live. But, recently the residents here know there is trouble brewing, and I wanted you and your readers to know about it: Our Governor wants to balance the State budget by doing away with our continuing care plus our right to die with dignity. (For future updates on this, see aging.org.)
BKT, being a nonprofit, multi-level retirement community (MLRC), has independent and assisted-living apartments as well as a small, 90-bed skilled nursing facility. Exempted from paying the nursing facility tax for years now, this Quality Assurance Fee (QAF), could have assessed our nursing home beds $11.16 each day, or $4018 per year.
Last year a bill was introduced (AB 411, De La Torre) to repeal this exemption in order to help balance the State budget, but the bill died in committee. Now our Governor wants to balance the budget literally on the backs of seniors and is trying to do it as quietly as possible. With this exemption lifted, the cost to BKT would be $407,340 to allow BKT to keep using those nursing beds. This annual cost would have to be absorbed by all of us at every level. This would mean an increase of $1629 in each resident’s annual rent. Soon I would be forced to move out as I no longer could afford to live here!
Jackie Grover
President
Residents’ Association
Bixby Knolls Towers
