Health Care Reform: Questions for Conrad

U.S. Sen. Kent Conrad is brandishing a big stick in his pivotal position in the U.S. Senate as our country weighs pros and cons of health care reform. He is pushing the co-op model as opposed to the public option.

We ask Sen. Conrad if he is willing to roll Congress and its many reaches of health care coverage into such a co-op? We ask Sen. Conrad how the uninsured will get into such co-ops, how they will fund their coverage, and how treatment will work for that significant population? We ask Sen. Conrad why what is good for the goose is not good for the gander: in other words, why give our senators and congressmen carte blanche top shelf insurance coverage and not others, namely the people?

If we decide to strip the greed factor out of medicine and instead focus on delivery of optimum prevention and care to all sectors of our population, we stand to win in this battle. Otherwise, if money talks—we ask Sen. Conrad how much money he receives in political donations from both sides of the medical community—we will lose this battle and the little people, the poor people, will fall through the cracks.

And then they fill our emergency rooms, flooding them with problems that coulda shoulda been handled earlier and proactively. What are your plans, Sen. Conrad, to assure basic health care to all of your citizens in North Dakota?

Leonard Peltier

Leonard Peltier’s reaction to getting denied parole is subject of a very short interview HPR had from him Tuesday of this week. This is the second exclusive interview HPR’s Pamela Sund has had with Peltier, the other as he was awaiting news of any decision on his parole request.

He apparently did not have to go far to find out the result. He was informed by fellow inmates in federal prison. Not by his attorneys. Not by any officials bearing official news. Not by anyone, actually.

We are disappointed Peltier’s parole was denied. We are not surprised, however, yet disappointed.

Read Peltier’s comments in this week’s HPR.

It’s too bad we as a culture treat our incarcerated the way we do. It’s apparently a poisoned system, hardened and heartless. And we are not just referring to the criminals or purported criminals behind bars.

Free Press

Downtown Fargo businesses got some good ink Aug. 22 in The Winnipeg Free Press in an article titled: “Fargo Renaissance? Oh yah, oh yah.”

Getting good references in the article were The Radisson Hotel, The Fargo Theatre, “fully restored to all its art deco glory…You can’t miss it. The Fargo Theatre was one of the first rays of hope in the downtown,” Gallery 4 Ltd, Ecce art + yoga, Zandbroz, “perhaps the most fun shop on the strip with its collection of toys, books, jewelry and home decor,” the Plains Art Museum, The Great Northern Bike Company and Clock Tower Café, and, of course, the Hotel Donaldson, “hit the rooftop of the Hotel Donaldson, HoDo to friends, on the corner of First and Broadway. There are some high tech looking tables and chairs among a garden of indigenous grasses and sculptures. The sky is just about as wide as you’d expect a prairie sky to be and all of Fargo spreads out before you.”

The Free Press gave Downtown Fargo a good review. We thought you’d like to know what they were saying.

Ted Kennedy

Speaking of the powerful rich understanding the poor, Ted Kennedy got it. He understood. He had a gift of empathy, wherever on Earth it came from in that silver spoon Camelot world of the Kennedys.

His death Wednesday rocked the world. The third brother.

Kennedy advocated passionately for the poor and underprivileged. His final request was for his replacement to be named in the U.S. Senate as fast as possible so as to not delay or derail health care reform.

To his dying breath, he advocated for the down and out.

We will miss his vision, his courage, his heart. Our entire country will miss his voice on human rights issues.

HPR Cover Exhibit

Starting Thursday, Sept. 3, a one-month long exhibit opens at the Plains Art Museum titled “Alternative Realities: The Art of the High Plains Reader” commemorating HPR’s 15th birthday celebration.  We are especially proud of this and particularly of the art reflected in the exhibit.

Some 49 pieces will be displayed, representing HPR Publisher / Art Director / Co-owner Raul Gomez’s favorite covers out of approximately 600.  While most of the covers in the exhibit are the work of Gomez, a selection of those shown reflect collaborations with artists such as Janeen Kobrinsky, Don Renner, Modern Man, William Block, Jeff Nelson, Haney Photography, Wade Myszka, Sara Watson, Matt Mastrud and Ben Hamilton.

You won’t be able to miss the 50-foot by 10-foot exhibit as you walk in the main entrance of the Plains Art Museum. It’s right there smack dab in front of your nose on the entire back wall.

Plan on seeing it. Plan on attending HPR’s birthday celebration Friday, Sept. 18 at the Plains, the Red Raven, The Fargo Theatre, and the Aquarium, and Saturday night at the Empire Tavern.

Congratulations, Raul. You deserve this honor, sincerely.

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