Letters: Council members need to stop boycott; development destroys forests, thoughts on trash fees, concerns about IU Health, breast cancer awareness
Council members, please stop the boycott
At its Sept. 14 committee of the whole meeting, once again, the Bloomington City Council just barely had a quorum to conduct business, because of a petty vendetta among members who don’t feel committee of the whole meetings are productive and have been boycotting them.
Council members Steve Volan, Kate Rosenbarger and Matt Flaherty: Stop. OK, you thought conducting public discussion of issues brought before the council in smaller standing committees was a better idea. We understand that you (and CM Isabel Piedmont-Smith) disagreed with this year’s council decision to end the standing committees. The council took a vote on this. You lost. You’re elected officials.
I’m not aware of a mechanism for recall of a sitting council member in Indiana. The opportunity we have to remove you comes next spring, in the Democratic primary. Actually, that’s ironic. Because your pigheaded, minoritarian, obstructive tactics are far more characteristic of a Mitch McConnell or Kevin McCarthy than of any Democratic institution that comes to mind.
If that’s the way things are done in Bloomington, we’re a pretty poor excuse for a Democratic Party town. CMs Volan, Flaherty and Rosenbarger: Drop the boycott, or resign from the council, effective immediately.
Peter Dorfman, Bloomington
Wasting trees to build apartments
Every time I drive by the massive apartment complex being built where the Kmart was on the east side, I am appalled and incensed at how many tens of thousands of board feet of lumber are being used. What a waste of trees (our forests), all in the service of huge real estate development.
They will tell you it's to provide much needed housing, but really it's all about the money, with a total disregard for the environment. Multiply this by the gross development across the city, and the country. Thanks, Bloomington, for contributing in such a huge way to the destruction of our forests.
James Tracy, Nashville
Why not charge when trash bins are used?
Maybe I won’t make any friends here, but I have less of an issue with the rise in trash fees than most. Leaving aside the argument about why the city is raising this fee right after raising taxes, I want to focus on the structure of the fee and the message it sends. The H-T quoted Andrew Krebbs, a spokesman for the mayor, saying, “Shifting more of the actual costs of waste removal to residents using the service will also encourage a lower production of non-recyclable waste,” and added, “Households who recycle, donate/repurpose, and compost organic waste will pay less.” We have the smallest available garbage receptacle, but we are charged whether we put it out on the curb or not. We put the bin out once a month. We pay the same as someone who puts it out full every week. If the city’s goal was truly to “encourage a lower production of non-recyclable waste,” they would only charge for when you throw something out. So sure, raise the rates to cover the true cost of labor, fuel, maintenance and disposal, but structure the fees to incent the behavior you want, not just what’s easiest for you to implement.
Bob Flynn, Bloomington
Critical problem needs to be addressed
Along with others of the community, I am highly concerned about the number of doctors who are leaving IU Health, Bloomington. I received a very nice letter from Director Shockneny in response to my inquiry. His reply to my inquiry was, in effect, that they had not been asked to leave. In the first place, many of these excellent doctors come to us from foreign countries, which is indicative of our nation’s dire need. Secondly, although we have built a first-class hospital facility in our beloved Bloomington, we must have (and retain) the necessary medical staff. I myself, have been assigned to three different pulmonologists within a short period of time — all excellent doctors. My neighbor, experiencing arm/chest pain spent four hours in ER before seeing a doctor. Obviously, we have a critical life-and-death problem that needs to be addressed and resolved. How much longer can we ignore the elephant in the room?
Ann Chafin, Bloomington
Take precautions to minimize breast cancer
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. According to the CDC, breast cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the United States. It is estimated there will be 43,600 breast cancer deaths. Women in the U.S. have a 1 in 8 (or about 13%) lifetime risk of getting breast cancer. Women who smoke for many years appear to have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer. Women who are current smokers and have been smoking for more than 10 years have approximately a 10% higher risk of breast cancer than women who have never smoked. There are things you can do today to help limit your risk factors for developing breast cancer including:
• Being physically active
• Maintain a healthy weight
• Avoid alcohol
• Quit smoking (or never start smoking)
If you are at an increased risk of breast cancer, early detection is key. It is suggested women age 40-45 begin annual screening. If you notice a change in your breasts, please contact your physician. The benefits of smoking cessation are greater when women stop smoking at younger ages, but smoking cessation is beneficial at all ages. Call 1-800-Quit-Now to get started on your tobacco-free journey.
Kristen Terry, Bloomington
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Letters: Enough with Bloomington council boycott; destroying forests
