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Mr. Walker, can you not see the problem?

Writer disagrees with editorial opinion of group publisher

Black Press has no lack of insufferable, know it all, individuals, the latest being Mark Walker.

We have facts; Mr. Walker has rhetoric bull.

Yes, we do not wish to be Americans. Yes, we like our medical system. Yes, we know it has many flaws that need to be addressed, but it is better than anything available south of our border. Do we think of ourselves as different? You bet, and with obvious reasons.  Yes, Princeton is a small town without an ER, but Princeton is also 1 1/2 hours from the nearest hospital. No, Highway 3 between Hope and Princeton is not a smooth, open, stretch of road. All types of transport use the road and for the most part it is only two lanes.  We are not talking lower mainland, Mr. Walker; we are talking interior driving with hazardous driving conditions, both in winter and summer, and no medical facilities or doctors available if a serious accident occurs. All these facts have been discussed in this newspaper; obviously, you haven’t been reading them. Perhaps, our ire is misplaced; instead, it should be toward the Liberal Government (conservatives dressed in drag) who have created this monster, the Interior Health Authority.

Mr. Walker can you not see the problem? We had functioning rural hospitals, staffed by very competent doctors who chose to practice in rural communities because we had fully functioning, well-equipped hospitals. It is not that rural communities are unattractive but it is because IHA made them so by taking away all those facilities that attracted doctors, especially young doctors who want an environment where they can practice the skills they learned.

How doctors are paid needs to be re-examined and there are workable alternatives out there, some used by hospitals that have opted out of the system. Good options supported by doctors.

IHA’s mandate is not to improve medical service but to dismantle rural hospitals. To do this they get paid big bucks!  And, they are doing a wonderful job, but, to the detriment of the public. Centralization does not work. Piling more medical cases on central hospitals has increased the bureaucracy and mayhem.

Stop bashing the NDP. They haven’t been in power for many years. Direct your gaze at your own navel, the party in government now. They are causing the problems, no one else is.

Do not be so frigging condescending. Don’t explain facts to us because we have the facts. Politicians are capable of both good or bad. In this case, they have caused the problem because things “ain’t working.”

The last thing we need is Mr. Walker sashaying into the foray with his smug, patronizing rhetoric!

M. Masiel, Princeton