The price of prescription drugs

Dear Editors:

Congress’ attempt to pay for prescription drugs will result in massive new government spending. It will mean large tax increases eventually for all of us who pay taxes. When brave new world ideology believes the government is responsible for our welfare, new entitlements are dispensed without any concern for finding the money to support the huge increase in demand the new give away will generate. Congress estimates the initial cost at $400 billion over the next 10 years. However, history teaches us that Congress’ estimates are always significantly wrong; they always vastly underestimate their ability to spend our money. The National Taxpayer’s Union, much better at communicating the truth than our elected officials, summed it up saying: “Our children and grandchildren will be saddled with a massive growing tax burden from this proposal.”

And of course any new massive program like this one will include extensive new government regulation that will result in rationing, corruption, inefficiency, poor service and detrimental effects on the industry itself. It is pure socialism and will not only be very bad news for taxpayers but for prescription drug users too.

The correct action would have been to encourage increased competition in the drug market. Competition always provides downward pressure on prices and increases consumer value. Instead this legislation destroys competition by forcing the cost onto the taxpayer, not exactly the proven correct solution.

– Kim Rogalin

Durango

The power of horses

Dear Editors:

As a board member for our local Cadence Therapeutic Riding program, I am continuously moved by the therapeutic and almost spiritual relationship between horses and humans. My beloved Uncle Bob (rest his soul) developed polio as a young child and walked with crutches his entire life. He never ceased to laugh and love life, however, and has always been a source of inspiration to me. He was shamed and teased mercilessly as a young boy because of his brace and crutches that he relied on for mobility. He always wanted to ride a horse but never had the experience of fulfilling that dream. He went to his grave believing he was not capable of riding a horse due to his handicap.

Thanks to recent advances in handicap rehabilitation, horses have been used as an integral part of the bio/psycho/ social treatment for children and adults with unique challenges in life. I became involved with therapeutic riding programs in honor of my Uncle Bob. With the holidays approaching, please consider donating time and/or money to our local Cadence Therapeutic Riding program. Being near horses and the kids and adults enrolled in our programs are ways of feeling the pulse of what matters in life.

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face 85 You must do the thing you cannot do.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

For more information on how you can become involved please write or call, Cadence Therapeutic Riding, P.O. Box 9009, Durango, CO, 81301; (970) 749-RIDE; or visit our website at: http://www. cadenceriding.com/index.html

– Happy Thanksgiving!

Pamela Hurley, MSW, LCSW

Board Member forCadence Therapeutic Riding