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Summit Daily letters: Vote no on physician-assisted suicide in Colorado

Vote no on physician-assisted suicide

One of the most important things I learned in medical practice was that the physician treats and God heals. As a family practitioner in the Air Force flight surgeon’s office, and as an ophthalmic surgeon, my life was spent serving all ages and all the human conditions for over 50 years. Sometimes I would see over 50 patients a day. Never once did I think I knew enough to end a single human life. At times the responsibility to save life and prolong life becomes overwhelming. Without the spiritual and moral guidance the effort to alleviate pain and suffering can be so difficult that the temptation to end life is understandable .

Most practicing physicians find it morally and ethically wrong to even consider administrating a lethal dose to take human life under any circumstances. Our professional lives have been founded, worked and lived since our medical degrees to “Do no harm.”



I would find it impossible to take my family, my loved ones or myself to a doctor who would assist others to commit suicide.

The end-of-life is never easy but it can be the most important time of our existence. It can be a time of great love from family, friends and God. Judeo-Christian belief tells us that this is a wonderful beginning, not an end, to our eternal life in God’s presence and love.



America was founded from its very beginning by the recognition that we were each endowed by our Creator with the unalienable right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Proposition 106 physician-assisted suicide has no place in Colorado or America.

As a physician, patient and American I will vote No to proposition 106 -physician-assisted suicide.

Donald E. Chisholm MD

Dillon

ColoradoCare doesn’t add up

I have been trying to read all the information I can put my hands on regarding Amendment 69. Fortunately, the Summit Daily News just printed an article by Sasha Nelson, of the Craig Daily Press, which put all of the ingredients into one fact-filled and easy to understand article.

Amendment 69 will be on the Colorado ballot in November. If passed, it will levy a 10% tax on every taxpayer, raise an estimated $25 billion/year, create another government bureaucracy with no competition and managed by a 15 member board of trustees appointed by the governor and legislative leaders.

This reminds me of President Reagan’s most feared words: I am from the government and I am here to help you.

I have been a small businessman for over 27 years who has paid 60% of my employees dental and health insurance all those years. My employees have paid and continue to pay the other 40%. They were very happy with this dental and health assistance until the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. ObamaCare) drastically raised the cost of this care as well as the deductibles.

I have never been a fan of Nancy Pelosi, but she was very accurate when she stated this about the Affordable Care Act: We will have to read it to find out what is in it. That was true because lobbyists for the drug companies, health care companies and hospitals wrote it.

If Amendment 69 passes, here is what we can all expect to see as a start.

1. Small business owners will have to pay the entire 10% of payroll tax.

2. In addition, we will be taxed 10% on other income sources such as business profits, investments, pensions, Social Security and so much more than the current 6.3% payroll tax mentioned by Amendment 69 proponents.

3. This tax would be exempt from the CO Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR Amendment). Therefore, it could be changed by the aforementioned 15 member board appointed by the governor and legislators.

4. No mention is made of a tax on people who do not work or pay taxes.

5. This is a tax on job creation.

No mention is made of competition as one of the best ways to decrease our health care costs while vastly improving our health care coverage with lower deductibles.

As a small businessman, taxpayer and job provider, I vote for competition — not Amendment 69.

Ken Gansmann

Silverthorne


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