Pilot was fortunate

Charles N. Baker

Los Altos

Forum on health care

Our health-care delivery system in the United States is in dire need of change. We have slipped well behind almost every other industrialized nation in life expectancy and child mortality, and we are the only such country that does not provide universal access to health care to all our citizens.

We pay over 15 percent of our GDP on health care, far more than other countries, with unsatisfactory results. Our industries are burdened with the cost of providing health benefits to their current employees and retirees. Their ability to compete globally is restricted.

This is a time to inform ourselves and help our legislators come up with a sensible action plan.

The speakers, Dr. Holman from Stanford, Dr. Eisenstat from El Camino Hospital and Andrew McGuire from Health Care for All, California, will provide one possible solution and answer questions about others. Please come to inform yourselves so we can all be part of the dialogue on this complex and critical problem.

Jim and Emily Thurber

Los Altos

LASD enjoys ‘windfall’ income

This high percentage gives the Los Altos School District a windfall income because it does not have to provide educational service to that 40 percent but reaps the parcel tax and basic revenue from those households.

This leads to my suspicion that the district may have closed Bullis to encourage that trend because this percentage has grown in recent years as public school access has become less available since the closure of Bullis.

This has become the essence of the “milking” of Los Altos Hills and why we need to keep our tax dollars in our community.

The city council did the right thing by passing the resolution reaffirming its support of forming a Los Altos Hills K-8 independent school district.

William C. Downey

Los Altos Hills

Homeopathy article rang false

• “High fat and sugary holiday foods can further weaken our immune system.” (Fats and sugars do not affect immune function.)

“Keep the immune system operating optimally … by decreasing assaults on your immune system…” (There is no way to assault the immune system or to prevent same.)

• “… replacing your current water habits with spring water.” (Public water systems have just as pure water or more so.)

• “… eating a diet that is 80 percent alkaline and only 20 percent acidic. Highly acidic food can deplete the body of alkaline minerals, predisposing us to chronic and degenerative disease.” (No such depletion occurs from normal diets, nor does such predisposition occur.)

• “Pathogens that resurface as the cold and flu tend to thrive in an acidic environment.” (Not true.)

• “Keep dairy intake at a minimum because it can contribute to mucus buildup.” (Mucus buildup? Doesn’t happen.)

• “With our daily exposure to cell phones, electrical appliances, air pollution, trans-fatty acids and more, free radicals are indeed running freely in our bodies.” (Cell phones and electric appliances, pollution and trans-fatty acids do not produce free radicals in the body.)

• “… chronic headaches and chronic sinus infections … symptoms disappeared when (patients) started drying their hair before they left the house…” (Headaches can disappear as rapidly with a walk around the block and clipping one’s toenails.)

• “Ensure optimal functioning of your nervous and immune systems with chiropractic adjustments. Misalignment of spinal vertebrae and discs, especially in the cervical and thoracic areas, may cause irritation to the nervous system, which could affect the structures, organs and functions, resulting in symptoms of head cold, sinus trouble, earache, runny nose, sore throat and congestion.” (No adjustment affects immune function or organ function.)

• “Consider weekly acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture treatments are touted for their stress-reducing effects.” (Acupuncture does not possess specific stress-reducing effects.)

These errors are matters of opinion and are simply wrong.

Dr. Wallace Sampson

Los Altos