Minister Denine,
During our 2010 Special Olympics 18-19 June 2010, many parents and athletes were wondering why the beautiful sports field where the events were taking place did not have washroom facilities or a building to utilize should inclimate weather become an issue.
The Gambo Recreation Commission, through ACOA, applied for but was denied funding for a Field House that would be used for that purpose and also for Cross Country Skiing. Gambo sports a first class Cross Country Ski Trail System adjacent to the Lion Jim Eastman Track and a Field House is required to store equipment and keep participants warm during winter games.
Gambo has hosted both the Summer Special Olympics and Winter Special Olympics at this location and it is being considered for future events, just as Mount Pearl will be.
Therefore, I am requesting that Gambo be given priority consideration for funding for a new Field House and funding to fix our track (lines and rubber top) in order to make our next Special Olympics a provincial success. Media coverage of the event would bring renewed appreciation for the work that was done.
Should any further information on the site, structure, and field repairs be required, please contact myself or the Chairman of the Gambo Recreation Commission, Jim Pritchett *(carbon copied) and we will get the information for you.
Thanks in advance.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
BAILOUTS AND BOONDOGGLES
PUBLISHED IN THE CHARTER NEWSPAPER ON 28 JUNE 2010.
PUBLISHED IN THE GANDER BEACON NEWSPAPER ON 8 JULY 2010.
...
If a person from a large corporation (let's use Kruger) and a Person from the Heart and Stroke Foundation came to your door at the same time, whom would you give a donation to?
That is the question that I keep asking people and they keep getting the answer right, but then they vote for the wrong answer!
The Danny Williams Government (and Stephen Harper's Conservative Government for that matter) keeps taking taxpayers money and giving it (or being sued for it) to large corporations (bailout of Kruger, expropriation of AbitibiBowater, etc).
If a company can't make it in the business world, it's usually because of poor management or a downturn in the market. When we bail them out, they are taking our money, money needed for Doctors, Nurses, Roads, Infrastructure, Parks, Senior Citizens, etc.
Kruger doesn’t bail us out when we need a new road or have to pay more property taxes because of government cuts to our Infrastructure Grants, so why should we bail them out?
The Danny Williams Government thinks it can give bailout money away to corporations but make us beg for better healthcare, roads, clean drinking water, government services, Senior's Pensions, etc? It’s our MONEY!!! This is an experience being felt all across Canada as well.
Lowering standards for Chevron by the Conservatives is not in our best interest. It will put our Fishery, Environment, and Tourism in danger.
Danny Williams says that if we don’t let them lower their standards to reduce costs, he will have to make cuts to our Healthcare and other public services. That’s a THREAT!
It was Tommy Douglas in Saskatchewan, first leader of the NDP and voted Greatest Canadian, who introduced Healthcare, Unemployment Insurance, Old Age Pension, and Central Banking. These are still our best services in NL and Canada today. Back then it was about people, not profits.
Let’s cut the BS! Let’s cut the Conservative “Bailouts and Boondoggles” with our money and get back to governing for the PEOPLE, not catering to corporations!
PUBLISHED IN THE GANDER BEACON NEWSPAPER ON 8 JULY 2010.
...
If a person from a large corporation (let's use Kruger) and a Person from the Heart and Stroke Foundation came to your door at the same time, whom would you give a donation to?
That is the question that I keep asking people and they keep getting the answer right, but then they vote for the wrong answer!
The Danny Williams Government (and Stephen Harper's Conservative Government for that matter) keeps taking taxpayers money and giving it (or being sued for it) to large corporations (bailout of Kruger, expropriation of AbitibiBowater, etc).
If a company can't make it in the business world, it's usually because of poor management or a downturn in the market. When we bail them out, they are taking our money, money needed for Doctors, Nurses, Roads, Infrastructure, Parks, Senior Citizens, etc.
Kruger doesn’t bail us out when we need a new road or have to pay more property taxes because of government cuts to our Infrastructure Grants, so why should we bail them out?
The Danny Williams Government thinks it can give bailout money away to corporations but make us beg for better healthcare, roads, clean drinking water, government services, Senior's Pensions, etc? It’s our MONEY!!! This is an experience being felt all across Canada as well.
Lowering standards for Chevron by the Conservatives is not in our best interest. It will put our Fishery, Environment, and Tourism in danger.
Danny Williams says that if we don’t let them lower their standards to reduce costs, he will have to make cuts to our Healthcare and other public services. That’s a THREAT!
It was Tommy Douglas in Saskatchewan, first leader of the NDP and voted Greatest Canadian, who introduced Healthcare, Unemployment Insurance, Old Age Pension, and Central Banking. These are still our best services in NL and Canada today. Back then it was about people, not profits.
Let’s cut the BS! Let’s cut the Conservative “Bailouts and Boondoggles” with our money and get back to governing for the PEOPLE, not catering to corporations!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
GAMBLING ADDICTIONS
PUBLISHED IN THE AURORA NEWSPAPER 31 MAY 2010 AS: TEENS ARE YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TOO
Dear Editor:
I would like to ask Mr. Marshall this:
You gave the answer to a question posed by Lorraine Michael during Question Period on 26 May 2010 that stated and I quote:
"I must say I have some real difficulties with those numbers because for that many junior high-school students and high-school students to be actually gambling on VLTs; they have to get into these bars. That is prohibited and if that is the case then the police are going to be asked to crack down on that in a major way."
Mr. Marshall, your answer tells me that because a student is in a bar underage and due to that being against the law, you feel your government is not responsible for helping them with Gambling Addiction.
What about Drug Addictions? Isn't using drugs illegal? In all honesty Mr. Marshall, I consider you the only one on your side of the House who has a clue.
We have a problem with teens and VLT's; help fix it!
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Dear Editor:
I would like to ask Mr. Marshall this:
You gave the answer to a question posed by Lorraine Michael during Question Period on 26 May 2010 that stated and I quote:
"I must say I have some real difficulties with those numbers because for that many junior high-school students and high-school students to be actually gambling on VLTs; they have to get into these bars. That is prohibited and if that is the case then the police are going to be asked to crack down on that in a major way."
Mr. Marshall, your answer tells me that because a student is in a bar underage and due to that being against the law, you feel your government is not responsible for helping them with Gambling Addiction.
What about Drug Addictions? Isn't using drugs illegal? In all honesty Mr. Marshall, I consider you the only one on your side of the House who has a clue.
We have a problem with teens and VLT's; help fix it!
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
HEALTHCARE IN DANGER?
PUBLISHED IN THE CHARTER NEWSPAPER 9 MARCH 2010 AS: HEALTHCARE TO END HERE?
PUBLISHED IN THE WESTERN STAR NEWSPAPER 34 APRIL 2010 AS: THE WAY I SEE IT
Stephen Harper and Danny Williams have a long history of not liking each other. Now they like each other. All of this just before Danny was scheduled to depart Canada and our wonderful healthcare system for warmer climates and expensive, difficult to get for the poor, healthcare provided by the Americans. Stephen didn't flinch. The Conservative Government on both sides didn't flinch. No one flinched except the New Democratic Party.
Remember, it was the first NDP Leader, Tommy Douglas, who created Healthcare in Saskatchewan. Since then, it has been an election issue and threatened by the Conservatives and Liberals with being too expensive. It has stayed because Canadian's refuse to do without it!
Now let's look at the world scene as it stands today: The Americans have dragged us into a conflict which has cost us billions of dollars. Our veterans are being dealt a painful lesson when trying to get enough to live on due to the Conservative and Liberal governments refusal to provide proper care for them. There are constant rants in the news about the high cost of healthcare by conservatives.
Barack Obama is trying to get Canadian style healthcare for Americans. The Republican Party (Conservative) are trying to block it as best they can. They even use Danny Williams as a poster boy for how good their current healthcare is compared to ours. The Republicans would rather buy guns and bombs than provide healthcare for their citizens. They want Canada to do the same.
What are Stephen Harper and Danny Williams up to? The way I see it, there is a move afoot to drive healthcare into the ground so that Canadians will beg for American style healthcare. Danny Williams already greased the pan with his rant against the NL Medical Association and our doctors, who are very hard to get in the first place. Even the Minister of Health called them names, inciting a fight and a demand for arbitration. I believe the plan is (and you can judge for yourself) that Harper and Williams are starting in Newfoundland and Labrador with crushing healthcare. Danny is so high in the polls that even if he lost a third of his support he would still have a majority. Then he would institute (with his money and making a profit for himself) health maintenance organization's (HMO) just like the Americans have.
Don't believe it? One word: AIRBUS. Brian Mulroney and Frank Moores made off with a lot of money just by buying aircraft for Air Canada. How much do you think the American HMO's, weapons producers, drug company's, and Republican party would pay Stephen Harper and Danny Williams to buy American style healthcare for Canadians? How much did Diefenbaker get for scrapping the Avro Arrow, after which we had to buy American built fighter aircraft?
Healthcare started in one province, Saskatchewan, under the governing NDP. The Conservatives are trying to end it by starting in one province, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Bombs away boys, vote for the party that brought healthcare to Canada, for your health's sake! But that's just the way I see it.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
PUBLISHED IN THE WESTERN STAR NEWSPAPER 34 APRIL 2010 AS: THE WAY I SEE IT
Stephen Harper and Danny Williams have a long history of not liking each other. Now they like each other. All of this just before Danny was scheduled to depart Canada and our wonderful healthcare system for warmer climates and expensive, difficult to get for the poor, healthcare provided by the Americans. Stephen didn't flinch. The Conservative Government on both sides didn't flinch. No one flinched except the New Democratic Party.
Remember, it was the first NDP Leader, Tommy Douglas, who created Healthcare in Saskatchewan. Since then, it has been an election issue and threatened by the Conservatives and Liberals with being too expensive. It has stayed because Canadian's refuse to do without it!
Now let's look at the world scene as it stands today: The Americans have dragged us into a conflict which has cost us billions of dollars. Our veterans are being dealt a painful lesson when trying to get enough to live on due to the Conservative and Liberal governments refusal to provide proper care for them. There are constant rants in the news about the high cost of healthcare by conservatives.
Barack Obama is trying to get Canadian style healthcare for Americans. The Republican Party (Conservative) are trying to block it as best they can. They even use Danny Williams as a poster boy for how good their current healthcare is compared to ours. The Republicans would rather buy guns and bombs than provide healthcare for their citizens. They want Canada to do the same.
What are Stephen Harper and Danny Williams up to? The way I see it, there is a move afoot to drive healthcare into the ground so that Canadians will beg for American style healthcare. Danny Williams already greased the pan with his rant against the NL Medical Association and our doctors, who are very hard to get in the first place. Even the Minister of Health called them names, inciting a fight and a demand for arbitration. I believe the plan is (and you can judge for yourself) that Harper and Williams are starting in Newfoundland and Labrador with crushing healthcare. Danny is so high in the polls that even if he lost a third of his support he would still have a majority. Then he would institute (with his money and making a profit for himself) health maintenance organization's (HMO) just like the Americans have.
Don't believe it? One word: AIRBUS. Brian Mulroney and Frank Moores made off with a lot of money just by buying aircraft for Air Canada. How much do you think the American HMO's, weapons producers, drug company's, and Republican party would pay Stephen Harper and Danny Williams to buy American style healthcare for Canadians? How much did Diefenbaker get for scrapping the Avro Arrow, after which we had to buy American built fighter aircraft?
Healthcare started in one province, Saskatchewan, under the governing NDP. The Conservatives are trying to end it by starting in one province, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Bombs away boys, vote for the party that brought healthcare to Canada, for your health's sake! But that's just the way I see it.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
AN EXCELLENT JOB
PUBLISHED IN THE CHARTER NEWSPAPER 9 MARCH 2010 AS: AN EXCELLENT JOB
Although some may think Danny Williams has done an excellent job, the truth is he has failed in nearly everything he has tried.
Danny Williams' only real accomplishment has been to sell oil-drilling rights to an oil company when oil was $140 a barrel, something any 5th grader could have been done.
What concessions are enclosed in the deal if oil prices drop, well that remains to be fully disclosed.
Danny has failed to renegotiate the Churchill Falls agreement.
Danny, in his big mouth way, is failing in his Lower Churchill project having now upset Quebec to the point where they tried to purchase NB Power in order to block the Lower Churchill power line route.
Danny has failed Grand Falls, Stephenville, and soon to fail Corner Brook as the pulp and paper mills are closed/closing. We are also being sued for $500 million by AbitibiBowater.
Danny's province has the highest gasoline, electricity, and home heating oil prices south of the 60th, even though we have as much or more resources than anywhere else in the country.
Danny Williams has cut infrastructure grants to communities; small towns cannot provide clean drinking water or repair buildings and roads, forcing towns to raise taxes to compensate for Danny's cuts. Cuts were in the range of $200,000 per year, essential funds to run any small town.
The province's fish harvesters are threatening to stop fishing if the plant owners are given the okay by Danny Williams to set prices.
The seal hunt has failed and Danny has done nothing but buy a sealskin coat so that the rich might think it's fashionable, the same rich who had condemned the hunt in the first place.
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can't afford a sealskin coat.
Now Danny has failed his province, country, and neighbour to the south (USA) when he thought only of himself and jumped the queue, going to the states for surgery that he could have gotten here.
That has put Canada's healthcare system in jeopardy, bringing about such articles as was reported in the Calgary Sun that questions the cost of health care by Conservative bean counters and further putting the less fortunate in danger of losing their health care benefits.
Even Obama has had to seek concessions from the Republican party, which will most likely kill healthcare for Americans, especially those who are being left behind by the system they have right now.
If that's what doing an excellent job means, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are in trouble. The media must open the eyes of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and show them the true Danny Williams and his shortcomings. ABC (Anything But Conservative) for Newfoundland and Labrador.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Although some may think Danny Williams has done an excellent job, the truth is he has failed in nearly everything he has tried.
Danny Williams' only real accomplishment has been to sell oil-drilling rights to an oil company when oil was $140 a barrel, something any 5th grader could have been done.
What concessions are enclosed in the deal if oil prices drop, well that remains to be fully disclosed.
Danny has failed to renegotiate the Churchill Falls agreement.
Danny, in his big mouth way, is failing in his Lower Churchill project having now upset Quebec to the point where they tried to purchase NB Power in order to block the Lower Churchill power line route.
Danny has failed Grand Falls, Stephenville, and soon to fail Corner Brook as the pulp and paper mills are closed/closing. We are also being sued for $500 million by AbitibiBowater.
Danny's province has the highest gasoline, electricity, and home heating oil prices south of the 60th, even though we have as much or more resources than anywhere else in the country.
Danny Williams has cut infrastructure grants to communities; small towns cannot provide clean drinking water or repair buildings and roads, forcing towns to raise taxes to compensate for Danny's cuts. Cuts were in the range of $200,000 per year, essential funds to run any small town.
The province's fish harvesters are threatening to stop fishing if the plant owners are given the okay by Danny Williams to set prices.
The seal hunt has failed and Danny has done nothing but buy a sealskin coat so that the rich might think it's fashionable, the same rich who had condemned the hunt in the first place.
Newfoundlanders and Labradorians can't afford a sealskin coat.
Now Danny has failed his province, country, and neighbour to the south (USA) when he thought only of himself and jumped the queue, going to the states for surgery that he could have gotten here.
That has put Canada's healthcare system in jeopardy, bringing about such articles as was reported in the Calgary Sun that questions the cost of health care by Conservative bean counters and further putting the less fortunate in danger of losing their health care benefits.
Even Obama has had to seek concessions from the Republican party, which will most likely kill healthcare for Americans, especially those who are being left behind by the system they have right now.
If that's what doing an excellent job means, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians are in trouble. The media must open the eyes of the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and show them the true Danny Williams and his shortcomings. ABC (Anything But Conservative) for Newfoundland and Labrador.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Saturday, June 12, 2010
FITZ IN THE HOUSE
...
For weeks leading up to and including election day, hopeful politicians walk the streets, knock on doors, attend functions, and anything else they can do to persuade the general public that they are the "Person For The Job". They would never act like children in a playground.
Successful persons are sworn in and become a Member of the House of Assembly (MHA). The Party Leader becomes Premier, with others appointed as Ministers.
One is named Speaker of the House. At this time, the Speaker is Roger Fitzgerald, a distinguished man with a deep, judge style voice. His job is to maintain House Rules and ensure that all elected officials are behaving themselves (which they should be anyway) and abiding by those rules.
Lately, MHA Fitzgerald has been allowing kindergarten style antics to be displayed and bullying to continue in this sacred place of politics, even though it is against the rules that he is charged with upholding.
I had asked the Speaker of the House to have the Premier apologize to Lorraine Michael for his disrespectful comments last month, but no apology was asked for, leaving me to believe that he allowed the Premier to break the rules of the House of Assembly.
If a Kindergarten Teacher allowed the same to continue in the classroom, what kind of children would we have?
Maybe a Quebec Judge should be made Speaker of the House? They seem to act unbiased and they surely aren't afraid of our Premier.
//signed//
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
For weeks leading up to and including election day, hopeful politicians walk the streets, knock on doors, attend functions, and anything else they can do to persuade the general public that they are the "Person For The Job". They would never act like children in a playground.
Successful persons are sworn in and become a Member of the House of Assembly (MHA). The Party Leader becomes Premier, with others appointed as Ministers.
One is named Speaker of the House. At this time, the Speaker is Roger Fitzgerald, a distinguished man with a deep, judge style voice. His job is to maintain House Rules and ensure that all elected officials are behaving themselves (which they should be anyway) and abiding by those rules.
Lately, MHA Fitzgerald has been allowing kindergarten style antics to be displayed and bullying to continue in this sacred place of politics, even though it is against the rules that he is charged with upholding.
I had asked the Speaker of the House to have the Premier apologize to Lorraine Michael for his disrespectful comments last month, but no apology was asked for, leaving me to believe that he allowed the Premier to break the rules of the House of Assembly.
If a Kindergarten Teacher allowed the same to continue in the classroom, what kind of children would we have?
Maybe a Quebec Judge should be made Speaker of the House? They seem to act unbiased and they surely aren't afraid of our Premier.
//signed//
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Monday, June 7, 2010
DANNY WILLIAMS THREATENS CUTS
...
PUBLISHED IN THE CHARTER NEWSPAPER 16 JUNE 2010 AS: DEEP WATER, SHALLOW MIND
PUBLISHED IN THE GANDER BEACON NEWSPAPER 17 JUNE 2010 AS: DANNY WILLIAMS THREATENS CUTS
What kind of Premier stands in the House of Assembly and threatens the People of NL with cuts to social programs and benefits if he doesn’t get his own way?
Danny Williams stated that if we do not continue to allow Chevron to drill in deep water, the loss of profits would be felt. “I think the trade-off for that - if we take the billions of dollars that could be lost - would be the loss of social benefits and social programs for the province,” Williams said.
What Danny Williams is doing to the people of NL is comparable to extortion. Trying to convince the people of NL that without that oil, we will sink into starvation and that is nothing less than an idle threat.
NL has survived 60 years without the deepwater wells. To hang our future on deepwater oil now shows what a shallow mind Danny Williams really has.
By going ahead with the drilling, we put our fisheries, tourism, and environment in danger. The billions of dollars those industries would lose and costs for cleanup that would be left to the province if we have an accident would be astronomical.
We should be putting our money into the future: Green Energy, Wind Turbines, Aquaculture, and Renewable Resources.
Without the deepwater oil, we can still survive without cutting social programs. Cuts to our social programs and healthcare would bring this province to her knees.
I think for NL’s sake, it’s time to remove Danny Williams and the members of his think-tank.
PUBLISHED IN THE CHARTER NEWSPAPER 16 JUNE 2010 AS: DEEP WATER, SHALLOW MIND
PUBLISHED IN THE GANDER BEACON NEWSPAPER 17 JUNE 2010 AS: DANNY WILLIAMS THREATENS CUTS
What kind of Premier stands in the House of Assembly and threatens the People of NL with cuts to social programs and benefits if he doesn’t get his own way?
Danny Williams stated that if we do not continue to allow Chevron to drill in deep water, the loss of profits would be felt. “I think the trade-off for that - if we take the billions of dollars that could be lost - would be the loss of social benefits and social programs for the province,” Williams said.
What Danny Williams is doing to the people of NL is comparable to extortion. Trying to convince the people of NL that without that oil, we will sink into starvation and that is nothing less than an idle threat.
NL has survived 60 years without the deepwater wells. To hang our future on deepwater oil now shows what a shallow mind Danny Williams really has.
By going ahead with the drilling, we put our fisheries, tourism, and environment in danger. The billions of dollars those industries would lose and costs for cleanup that would be left to the province if we have an accident would be astronomical.
We should be putting our money into the future: Green Energy, Wind Turbines, Aquaculture, and Renewable Resources.
Without the deepwater oil, we can still survive without cutting social programs. Cuts to our social programs and healthcare would bring this province to her knees.
I think for NL’s sake, it’s time to remove Danny Williams and the members of his think-tank.
IF WE ARE A “HAVE” PROVINCE…
PUBLISHED IN THE NEWFOUNDLAND HERALD FOR WEEK 27 JUNE - 3 JULY 2010
...
I had visitors from British Columbia this week and we took pride in showing them around the beautiful rural Town of Gambo.
They were very impressed with the people and the friendly attitudes displayed by those who had very little but were willing to share the little they had.
They were impressed with the wonderful parks, trails, and recreation areas within walking distance or short driving distance of my home.
They wanted to be part of the “HAVE” province! That is until…
I told them we can’t drink the water from our taps, we have to go to the communal watering hole to collect spring water to drink, just as they do in Third World Countries. They were shocked to see elderly citizens trying to lift water jugs into their vehicle, obvious strain and struggle being observed in their efforts.
I told them our town has had it’s Infrastructure Grants cut by $200,000 per year by Danny Williams, a significant sum that is needed to provide the clean drinking water, a necessity of life that we used to get from the taps in our kitchen.
I told them the previous government, not the Danny Williams government, provided the recreation areas and trails that they enjoyed visiting. We have not received much since, except higher Property Taxes and will soon be paying a higher price to have our garbage driven halfway across the province instead of utilizing a local dump.
They admitted that if this is what being a “HAVE” province means, they will go back to BC and their “HAVE NOT” conveniences.
//signed//
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
...
I had visitors from British Columbia this week and we took pride in showing them around the beautiful rural Town of Gambo.
They were very impressed with the people and the friendly attitudes displayed by those who had very little but were willing to share the little they had.
They were impressed with the wonderful parks, trails, and recreation areas within walking distance or short driving distance of my home.
They wanted to be part of the “HAVE” province! That is until…
I told them we can’t drink the water from our taps, we have to go to the communal watering hole to collect spring water to drink, just as they do in Third World Countries. They were shocked to see elderly citizens trying to lift water jugs into their vehicle, obvious strain and struggle being observed in their efforts.
I told them our town has had it’s Infrastructure Grants cut by $200,000 per year by Danny Williams, a significant sum that is needed to provide the clean drinking water, a necessity of life that we used to get from the taps in our kitchen.
I told them the previous government, not the Danny Williams government, provided the recreation areas and trails that they enjoyed visiting. We have not received much since, except higher Property Taxes and will soon be paying a higher price to have our garbage driven halfway across the province instead of utilizing a local dump.
They admitted that if this is what being a “HAVE” province means, they will go back to BC and their “HAVE NOT” conveniences.
//signed//
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Thursday, June 3, 2010
What About Rural Healthcare?
...
To: Minister of Health and Community Services
Minister Kennedy,
To date, the NLMA have not accepted the government's offer and continue to bargain for better wages and working conditions.
Have you given any further consideration to my proposal? http://www.scribd.com/doc/30984488/Newfoundland-and-Labrador-Rural-Medical-Clinic-Proposal
Air Ambulance moves are very expensive, expropriations of Mills are very expensive, and having to send patients to other provinces for treatments is very expensive.
If this government needs to spend millions of dollars extra just for the sake of spending taxpayers money, they can adopt my solution and pay me $25 Million for a consultation fee. Or you could the right thing and save money and adopt my proposal as is.
The article below was refused by the Managing Editor of The Telegram, calling it "Yesterday's News". It is obvious that Healthcare in this province is always today's news when people are dying due to the governments refusal to accept "Simple, Cost Effective" provision of Healthcare.
Get with the program Minister or move from the portfolio.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Health care delivery must be simplified http://www.gulfnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=341664&sc=346
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ROBIN BRENTNALL
The Gulf News
Dear Editor,
In 1983, I went away to work, like everyone else during the tough years. Newfoundland and Labrador had high unemployment, tough times in the fisheries, logging was not profitable, fuel prices for cars and heating oil were high, government was in deficit, the poor were getting poorer and big business was still paying little or no taxes due to "employing" people and keeping work in the province.
However, even with all of that, health care was still available on a walk-in basis in my hometown and you could drink the water out of the tap.
In 2008, I retired from the Canadian military and could not wait to return to the 'Rock' and resume my life in the "HAVE" province, under the leadership of Danny Williams, hero of the common Newfoundlander and Labradorian.
Things had changed in NL over the 25 years that I was away. We had high unemployment, tough times in the fisheries, logging was not profitable, fuel prices for cars and heating oil were high, government was in deficit, the poor were getting poorer and big business was still paying little or no taxes due to "employing" people and keeping work in the province, and we had oil.
However, I was very dismayed to find that healthcare was in ruins due to fighting between the government and nurses, and I could not access my doctor unless I had an appointment, which was normally three weeks down the road. To add to this, I could not confidently drink the tap water due to boil orders being frequently advised.
I began to wonder. Why are the people of this province believing that things are better then they were? In my view, from what I had witnessed in my travels, things in NL were worse than ever, except for the Avalon, things were booming there.
I had requested to give a presentation to the Department of Health and Community Services on how we could administer healthcare in rural communities that would not cost anymore than we were spending now.
The Minister of Health rejected the presentation, even before it was given, stating that it was too simple. I fought and won another chance to give the presentation; however, it was cancelled the day before it was scheduled and at that same time, our doctors were being ostracized for wanting a contract that was "over the top", according to our Premier, who coincidentally does not use our healthcare.
If our healthcare is going to succeed, we need to simplify its delivery. A two-hour window should be open in every rural medical clinic to provide walk-in service. This will allow patients to see their doctor when they are sick, not two to three weeks afterwards. It would reduce wait times at emergency rooms due to fewer people being required to travel the highways when they could see their own doctor.
I believe people who are looking to make healthcare profitable, just as it is in the United States, are intentionally demolishing our healthcare system in order to privatize healthcare.
A very high percentage of residents of NL would never qualify for healthcare insurance due to their health history. The only winners in this situation will be insurance companies and government.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo
To: Minister of Health and Community Services
Minister Kennedy,
To date, the NLMA have not accepted the government's offer and continue to bargain for better wages and working conditions.
Have you given any further consideration to my proposal? http://www.scribd.com/doc/30984488/Newfoundland-and-Labrador-Rural-Medical-Clinic-Proposal
Air Ambulance moves are very expensive, expropriations of Mills are very expensive, and having to send patients to other provinces for treatments is very expensive.
If this government needs to spend millions of dollars extra just for the sake of spending taxpayers money, they can adopt my solution and pay me $25 Million for a consultation fee. Or you could the right thing and save money and adopt my proposal as is.
The article below was refused by the Managing Editor of The Telegram, calling it "Yesterday's News". It is obvious that Healthcare in this province is always today's news when people are dying due to the governments refusal to accept "Simple, Cost Effective" provision of Healthcare.
Get with the program Minister or move from the portfolio.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo, NL
Health care delivery must be simplified http://www.gulfnews.ca/index.cfm?sid=341664&sc=346
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
ROBIN BRENTNALL
The Gulf News
Dear Editor,
In 1983, I went away to work, like everyone else during the tough years. Newfoundland and Labrador had high unemployment, tough times in the fisheries, logging was not profitable, fuel prices for cars and heating oil were high, government was in deficit, the poor were getting poorer and big business was still paying little or no taxes due to "employing" people and keeping work in the province.
However, even with all of that, health care was still available on a walk-in basis in my hometown and you could drink the water out of the tap.
In 2008, I retired from the Canadian military and could not wait to return to the 'Rock' and resume my life in the "HAVE" province, under the leadership of Danny Williams, hero of the common Newfoundlander and Labradorian.
Things had changed in NL over the 25 years that I was away. We had high unemployment, tough times in the fisheries, logging was not profitable, fuel prices for cars and heating oil were high, government was in deficit, the poor were getting poorer and big business was still paying little or no taxes due to "employing" people and keeping work in the province, and we had oil.
However, I was very dismayed to find that healthcare was in ruins due to fighting between the government and nurses, and I could not access my doctor unless I had an appointment, which was normally three weeks down the road. To add to this, I could not confidently drink the tap water due to boil orders being frequently advised.
I began to wonder. Why are the people of this province believing that things are better then they were? In my view, from what I had witnessed in my travels, things in NL were worse than ever, except for the Avalon, things were booming there.
I had requested to give a presentation to the Department of Health and Community Services on how we could administer healthcare in rural communities that would not cost anymore than we were spending now.
The Minister of Health rejected the presentation, even before it was given, stating that it was too simple. I fought and won another chance to give the presentation; however, it was cancelled the day before it was scheduled and at that same time, our doctors were being ostracized for wanting a contract that was "over the top", according to our Premier, who coincidentally does not use our healthcare.
If our healthcare is going to succeed, we need to simplify its delivery. A two-hour window should be open in every rural medical clinic to provide walk-in service. This will allow patients to see their doctor when they are sick, not two to three weeks afterwards. It would reduce wait times at emergency rooms due to fewer people being required to travel the highways when they could see their own doctor.
I believe people who are looking to make healthcare profitable, just as it is in the United States, are intentionally demolishing our healthcare system in order to privatize healthcare.
A very high percentage of residents of NL would never qualify for healthcare insurance due to their health history. The only winners in this situation will be insurance companies and government.
Robin Brentnall
Gambo
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