Letters to the Editor
A Salute to The Hues
Dear Editor,
I still marvel at your enthusiasm, energy, and dedication to excellence in journalism. The Capital City Hues continues to do its job, the job of covering
the world not always seen by most of the local community.
The columnists you have attracted, including Lang Kenneth Haynes, Paul Barrows, Fabu Carter Brisco, your son Andrew, and of course, Heidi
Pascual, enhance the issues. Also, you’ve made a good decision to have Alfonso Zepeda-Capistran write his material in Spanish. Periodically (as I told
Alfonso when I saw him at Pinney Library), I read part of his column using my 65 years-ago high school Spanish. However, I’ve never finished more than
a paragraph or two. I run into too many words I’ve forgotten.
I enclosed the article from the Pacific Citizen (Japanese American Citizens League publication) because it means I don’t have to keep writing about
the injustice to a group of WWII veterans. Over the past years, I wrote two articles in Asian Wisconzine about it. I also raised the topic a couple of times at
Sen. Russ Feingold’s Listening Sessions, the last time being last year. This was a good use of ear-marking. Senator Inouye tried many times to get the
injustice corrected, but his bills died. Incidentally, Russ supported the bills.
Your three-part article, “A look at the Chicago crucible that helped form Barack Obama,” reminded me of my relatively short stay in Chicago in 1943-
1949. Some of my experiences were like what LaMarr Billups remembered, but what Hanah Jon Taylor talked with you about was closer to what went on.
He remembered quite a bit of what was happening. He also mentioned the “pay-for-vote” corruption. I saw the $5 chain voting in action. Ward heeling and
local politicking were accepted realities of living in Chicago.
Anyway, I’m going to write some of my recollections in Asian Wiz beginning with the May issue. I’m not sure how many parts there will be, but if Heidi
won’t mind too much, it’ll be at least a two-parter. I’ve just sent my May piece to her. In it, I mentioned “block-busting” and plan to expand on that topic for
the June issue. I’ve not thrown rocks at the University of Chicago about its alleged role in keeping the Woodlawn area “lily white” because all I had was
hearsay.
Keep up your spirits. People living in more than metropolitan Madison area need your viewpoints and insights.
Paul Kusuda
Health Insurance welfare
Dear Editor,
President Obama is blowing the whistle on some private health insurance companies that receive taxpayer subsidies for promoting and selling
Medicare Advantage plans. Continuing this corporate welfare would have cost the taxpayers $175 billion over the next ten years.
Currently, the government has an arrangement that pays these corporations on average 14 percent more than regular Medicare for providing the same
benefits.This money shift hurts retired Americans since it shorts regular Medicare programs—money to pay doctors, clinics, and prescription drugs for our
older citizens.
Eliminating the overpayment is included in Pres. Obama’s proposed budget for next year and the following years. I trust our senators and members of
Congress will support the President on this important issue. Medicare was created to look after our nation’s seniors, not the big drug and insurance
companies.
Jim DiUlio
Madison
(Data source is posted at whitehouse.gov: FY 2010 Budget Message, dated February 26, 2009, page 28 Jumpstarting the Economy and Investing for
the Future)
Dear Editor,
I still marvel at your enthusiasm, energy, and dedication to excellence in journalism. The Capital City Hues continues to do its job, the job of covering
the world not always seen by most of the local community.
The columnists you have attracted, including Lang Kenneth Haynes, Paul Barrows, Fabu Carter Brisco, your son Andrew, and of course, Heidi
Pascual, enhance the issues. Also, you’ve made a good decision to have Alfonso Zepeda-Capistran write his material in Spanish. Periodically (as I told
Alfonso when I saw him at Pinney Library), I read part of his column using my 65 years-ago high school Spanish. However, I’ve never finished more than
a paragraph or two. I run into too many words I’ve forgotten.
I enclosed the article from the Pacific Citizen (Japanese American Citizens League publication) because it means I don’t have to keep writing about
the injustice to a group of WWII veterans. Over the past years, I wrote two articles in Asian Wisconzine about it. I also raised the topic a couple of times at
Sen. Russ Feingold’s Listening Sessions, the last time being last year. This was a good use of ear-marking. Senator Inouye tried many times to get the
injustice corrected, but his bills died. Incidentally, Russ supported the bills.
Your three-part article, “A look at the Chicago crucible that helped form Barack Obama,” reminded me of my relatively short stay in Chicago in 1943-
1949. Some of my experiences were like what LaMarr Billups remembered, but what Hanah Jon Taylor talked with you about was closer to what went on.
He remembered quite a bit of what was happening. He also mentioned the “pay-for-vote” corruption. I saw the $5 chain voting in action. Ward heeling and
local politicking were accepted realities of living in Chicago.
Anyway, I’m going to write some of my recollections in Asian Wiz beginning with the May issue. I’m not sure how many parts there will be, but if Heidi
won’t mind too much, it’ll be at least a two-parter. I’ve just sent my May piece to her. In it, I mentioned “block-busting” and plan to expand on that topic for
the June issue. I’ve not thrown rocks at the University of Chicago about its alleged role in keeping the Woodlawn area “lily white” because all I had was
hearsay.
Keep up your spirits. People living in more than metropolitan Madison area need your viewpoints and insights.
Paul Kusuda
Health Insurance welfare
Dear Editor,
President Obama is blowing the whistle on some private health insurance companies that receive taxpayer subsidies for promoting and selling
Medicare Advantage plans. Continuing this corporate welfare would have cost the taxpayers $175 billion over the next ten years.
Currently, the government has an arrangement that pays these corporations on average 14 percent more than regular Medicare for providing the same
benefits.This money shift hurts retired Americans since it shorts regular Medicare programs—money to pay doctors, clinics, and prescription drugs for our
older citizens.
Eliminating the overpayment is included in Pres. Obama’s proposed budget for next year and the following years. I trust our senators and members of
Congress will support the President on this important issue. Medicare was created to look after our nation’s seniors, not the big drug and insurance
companies.
Jim DiUlio
Madison
(Data source is posted at whitehouse.gov: FY 2010 Budget Message, dated February 26, 2009, page 28 Jumpstarting the Economy and Investing for
the Future)