Humboldt County # 1 in medical debt

KMUD news reported Monday that more citizens carrry medical debt in Humboldt County than any other county in California.

The report was based on a UCLA study that examined data available in 2007. The results showed 40% of Humboldt County adults are in debt for medical bills.

All told, the study found:

• 2.2 million CA adults carry medical debt
• 1.4 were insured at the time the debt was incurred
• that’s 1 in 7 of the adult population.

The study didn’t seek reasons for the outcome, but a study leader told KMUD it could be the lack of “strong managed care” that is available in urban areas, and a lack of set costs.

A public option would be a “health insurance safety net,” she said.

[Image source.]

SYSTEM FAIL: The Jaycee Dugard case

The recent discovery of 1991 kidnap victim Jaycee Dugard after 18 years of imprisonment in the backyard of a convicted rapist is commanding attention in Northern California. This shocking story sounds the alarm over law enforcement failures to effectively handle dangerous sex offenders.

The Contra Costa County Sheriff apologized for numerous missed opportunities to discover Dugard, including a 911 call in 2008 by a neighbor complaining that registered offender Phillip Garrido had children living in tents and sheds in his back yard.

No code enforcement unit in Antioch, apparently.

The responding officer didn’t bother to look in the back yard — or even at Garrido’s record which included a 50-to-life sentence for the kidnap and rape of a woman in 1976.  He served just 11 years.  Under the circumstances no search warrant would be required to enter the back yard.

Dugard lived in squalor with her two daughters born during her captivity.

Recently this blog hosted a discussion on the inadequacy of sex offender lists, how they fail to distinguish between cases of consensual sex between teenagers, for example, and dangerous scum bags like Garrido.

And here we have a horrific example of a convicted kidnapper and rapist who concealed a “backyard within a backyard” in a residential area, where he imprisoned, raped and impregnated a high profile kidnap victim for nearly 20 years –while neighbors complained.

On a local note, FBI agent Joseph Schadler — who was yukking it up in Humboldt County last summer while Dugard remained “missing” — is getting a chance to play spokesman for a real crime, with real victims, unlike that profound waste of law enforcement resources knows as “Operation Southern Sweep.”

INVESTIGATION WIN

Good police work finally won in the end.  The CoCo County Sheriff praised UC Berkeley officers Alison Jacobs and Lisa Campbell as “world class” for their instincts and questioning of Garrido last week, which led to his arrest and the recovery of Jaycee and her daughters.

But what a goddamn tragedy that a sex offender on federal parole — who was widely described as “creepy,” a “fruitcake,” and a “crazy person” — even by his own brother and father – got away with these ongoing despicable crimes for so many terrible years right under the nose of the system that convicted, released and monitored him.

North Coast Stand Down set for October

(Press Release from Carl Young).

Welcome to your North Coast Stand Down.  Our mission is to support all veterans.

We are here for three brief days to serve you, and to empower you. Volunteers from all over the north coast will again gather, veterans and civilians alike, to provide you with services that could change your life.

This is our fourth year in supporting the mission of supporting all veterans. To this end we provide free food, lodging, haircuts, transportation, entertainment, medical enrollment and supplies. Perhaps even more important, you will be among a group of people who appreciate what you have done for your country. The camaraderie that results is just another positive reason to take part in this years stand-down, October 2nd though the 4th at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds.

It is our hope that we can provide you with whatever it takes to make your life easier, and the lives of your spouses and children. Widows of veterans will find counselors available to help them sort through the benefits they are entitled to. You have served your country and now it’s time for it to come through for you.

There’s a lot of reasons why we have these stand downs, and they all amount to the same overall goal; to reach out to all veterans and to welcome them home. This stand down is for you.

Have a question, want to volunteer or want make a donation contact our Director Jennifer Fusaro, at the Veterans Enrollment and Transition Service, at HSU, (707) 826-6191 or director@northcoaststanddown.org or visit our website www.northcoaststanddown.org or by mail to North Coast Stand Down, PO Box 1012 Arcata, CA 95518.

Carl Young
North Coast Stand-down
Public Affairs Coordinator
Fortuna, CA 95540

Cops bust johns, for once

The Times-Standard reports three local men were arrested Wednesday for alleged solicitation of prostitution in Old Town.

Usually cops target the prostitutes while the johns scurry back to their wives.

At least one of the men shares his first and last name with a pillar of the Eureka community.

Awkward!

Herald in Heaven

Humboldt County’s print media market seems to be suffering from swine flu these days.  Especially when compared to the spirited “Newspaper War” of yesteryear.

But don’t let it get you down.  Check out the cartoons in this week’s North Coast Journal which borrow some inspiration from the real media powerhouses — the blogs.

First up, ten points to the first reader who can identify the finger-wagging freedom fighter in this week’s strip by Joel Mielke.

After that, flip to page 49 for a slice of seven-o-heaven, the cartoon strip made of photos and dialog bubbles.  Or just fix your eye on the reproduction at right.

Clearly, these guys have their fingers on the pulse.

As sorry as the media situation may be, readers would be hard pressed to find another publication that carries two local cartoons focusing on local stuff.

Inspection ordinance off the table

The proposed ordinance for complaint-driven inspections of rental properties in the City of Eureka has been dropped, according to the North Coast Journal.

Reporter Ryan Burns writes that Councilman Larry Glass made the announcement at last night’s forum.

Where rubber meets the blog

One of the best things about having an un-anonymous blog hosted by blogspot.com must be the chance to run revenue-generating ads. What blogger wouldn’t want a little jingle in the old pocket for their efforts?

Research shows that bloggers who are seduced by monthly checks from Google can give a yea or nay on the various ads that will appear on their blog.

So we applaud “BigR” Ryan Hurley for going all the way with the 8 inch condom ad sprung prominently on his new blog, Eureka Now! Because unintended pregnancies and STDs can be prevented with a little protection.

And unlike the giant promo pictured above, a Trojan “feels like nothing’s there.”

Greenwashing Hauser

A local group looking to develop Humboldt Bay into a super highway for container ships, cruise ships, and military cargo is rolling its chosen candidate in foresty earth tones and presenting him as a flower.

Former Assemblyman Dan Hauser is challenging incumbent Mike Wilson for the 3rd District seat on the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District.

But good luck making sense of the My Word in today’s Times-Standard by RAPIT founder Pete Oringer. Apparently development of massive infrastructure for big box cargo, war toys and notoriously toxic cruise ships is supposed to make us “get aboard the Green Ports movement.”

RAPIT is also pushing union organizer Richard Marks against fellow candidates John Ash, and architect, and energy specialist Susan Penn.  The public has heard next to nothing from Ash and Penn, so the endorsement seems premature.

Perhaps it’s the interests behind Marks that won him the nod.

Landlord licensing meeting tonight

A second public meeting on a proposed inspection ordinance for rentals in the City of Eureka will start at 6:30 tonight at City Hall.

Councilman Larry Glass told the City Council last week that a public workshop at the Wharfinger produced “a lot of good input.”  He said the task force behind the ordinance has met several times since then and will respond at tonight’s meeting by “roll[ing] out the common ground that we heard that night.”

“I think many of the people who had concerns will be pleased with our response,” he said.

T-S goes mobile

Times-Standard owner Media News Group is keeping ahead of the curve in the ever-changing world of technological news publishing.

Readers who surf the news via cell phone can now enjoy the custom T-S page made specially for the computerized wonder in their pocket.

The font and layout are suited for the small screen in your hand rather than the clunky component on your desk (or lap).

No more squinting or resizing or wondering why only big city papers like the New York Times and the Chronicle take care of their mobile readers.