Ah yes, the Branch Office, where friend meets friend, where the Nitwit Club convenes, and where our resident troll protects our restrooms while lovingly guiding his son Junior.
The LTEs's . . .
A day of terror
JAN DETTER
Winston-Salem
Nothing to show
But the real purpose is to transfer blame. I would like to see more of a plan
instead of "throw it up and see if it sticks." So far, what has stuck is not
pretty.
J. FRANK JOINER
Winston-Salem
Lack of integrity
JAMES F. JONES
Boone
State crime lab fair?
The June 17 report was produced as evidence for two years by the lab — until
it was discovered on the eve of trial that the statement was a misrepresentation
of the truth. On Aug. 25, 2011, a new report was finally issued (during trial)
stating that my client was excluded since her DNA was not on the evidence.
Despite my client being scientifically excluded (May 7, 2009), the SBI still persisted in misrepresenting the truth. How many other times has a DNA misrepresentation been submitted in an SBI report? Why did the SBI not permit the original report excluding my client when it was the truth? Why did the SBI not correct the misrepresentation after the SBI policies/practices allegedly changed? Why did we have to fight for a truthful report?
DAVID B. BOTCHIN
Winston-Salem
Sept. 11, 2001, was a day of terror for me on two
fronts. My 50-year-old husband had major
surgery for melanoma
at 8:45 a.m. that day at Baptist
Hospital. Leaving him in anesthesia, I walked into the waiting room as
pandemonium broke loose. Stunned strangers explained events, and we gasped in
unison as the second tower fell. I felt overwhelmed that our personal dramas
were unfolding within such a profound national tragedy.
The Sept. 11, 2011, Journal brought another
shock. "America Remembers" was above the fold; below was the article "N.C.
Baptist suing ex-employee turned whistle-blower," about a man whose life is
plagued by legal expenses from alerting state officials about overpayments to Baptist
Hospital by the State Health Plan. Having made many co-payments there during
my husband's illness,
I had a searing memory from six years ago. At his insistence, I took him to the
billing department to confirm that our account was current. Baptist
was fighting Blue Cross Blue Shield at the time, and de-ciphering the bills was
confusing. I sat in misery as he patiently waited with his oxygen tank for
assistance. We returned to Hospice to continue his palliative care, and I felt
crushed that his waning energy
was sapped over bill-paying as he fought to live.
I think Joseph
Vincoli is a hero for speaking up about overpayments. Although I am an
artist and teacher who budgets carefully, I plan to contribute to Vincoli's
legal defense fund. I believe my late husband would approve.
JAN DETTER
Winston-Salem
Nothing to show
Our president
has spent a trillion
dollars or so trying to stimulate the economy and improve jobs availability.
So far, he has nothing to show for it, except maybe a stronger UAW pension fund.
Now he proposes to spend an additional $447
billion to, guess what, stimulate the economy and improve jobs availability.
As in the past, he has basically said, "I don't know how this will work nor how
we will pay for it, but trust me."
The real purpose of this lame proposal is to take
pressure off his back and put it on the Congress
(meaning the Republicans). And the Democrats appear to be fine with that,
because they and the media, also, don't have a clue how this is going to work.
If you compare substance with form, this is all form. This is more hope and
change: They "hope" this "change" will work.
J. FRANK JOINER
Winston-Salem
Lack of integrity
Your stories about the reimbursement problems
between Baptist
Hospital and the State Health Plan indicate that the individuals in charge
at Baptist
appear to have a glaring lack of integrity and respect for thousand of state
workers and retirees and millions of taxpayers. They are the ones who should be
fired, not the fellow who contacted the State Health Plan about the problem.
Do the officials in charge at Baptist
have no shame? Being "legal on paper" is not always the right course to follow,
and I hope state workers/retirees and other taxpayers will take their business
to other hospitals when possible.
It might also be interesting if the IRS
audited Baptist
Hospital to determine if there are any financial activities that might
create problems with its tax-exempt status.
JAMES F. JONES
Boone
State crime lab fair?
As the
attorney referenced in Joseph John's Aug. 29 letter ("Crime lab is fair"), I
would like to respond.
Judge John,
acting
director of the lab, is ignoring the true problem. On May 7, 2009, the SBI
agent prepared her initial report that excluded my client, Tamera
Bean, from the DNA tested; however, her supervisor
had the agent change the report to state, "No conclusion could be rendered
... ," (new report dated June 17, 2011) since the initial report was based only
upon part of a DNA sample. To render a conclusion (even with a scientific
exclusion that was known at the time) was contrary to the lab's existing
policies/practices.
Despite my client being scientifically excluded (May 7, 2009), the SBI still persisted in misrepresenting the truth. How many other times has a DNA misrepresentation been submitted in an SBI report? Why did the SBI not permit the original report excluding my client when it was the truth? Why did the SBI not correct the misrepresentation after the SBI policies/practices allegedly changed? Why did we have to fight for a truthful report?
DAVID B. BOTCHIN
Winston-Salem
"........since her DNA was not on the evidence."
ReplyDeleteMr. Botchin...you probably did what a lot lawyers do. You wanted the SBI Lab report to say or reflect that your client was scientifically excluded from the crime. Just because your client's DNA was not found on any evidence, that does not, repeat, does not, exclude or preclude (I love the 'cludes') the fact that your client could have committed the crime.
If you need some witnesses to testify to your client's innocence, there are several members of a Nitwit Club in this forum who, I'm sure, would be glad to do something so stupid, idiotic, boneheaded, throughly irresponsible, or any other reprehensible word you might like to use to describe your wanted testimony.
You can direct your needs to the Head Nitwit at LTE Forum Branch Office, attention Stab. If you have difficulties reaching the Head Nitwit, you can contact his assistant nitwit. He goes by O.T. Rush, Kitty Kat, Anonymous, and a number of other stupidly made-up online aliases. If he doesn't respond on first request. Just hollar out, hey idiot! He usually responds to that.
Thank you for writing in. However, it was a real displeasure to have to listen to your nonsense.
____________
I'm telling you. It just never stops.
Indeed!!
ReplyDeleteIt's no wonder that Buckwheat likes to show his butt at the Y. He certainly enjoys doing it here.
ReplyDeleteEwww...dude, I'm trying to eat breakfast here.
ReplyDeleteWell, Arthur, I see that you failed to read Buckwheat's post the other day which informed us in no uncertain terms that those who rise early are healthier, wealthier and wiser. Scientific fact, it is.
ReplyDeleteBreakfast at 10 AM is called brunch among us early risers. Probably bought yours with food stamps, didn't you?
Food stamps? What's your problem?
ReplyDeleteHey Rush/Kitty Kat...why don't you sing your little Club Nitwit fight song? It was SO cleverly written. I'm sure everyone would enjoy it. Especially me.
ReplyDeleteHee Hee....you gotta love it.
I'm being facetious, Arthur. Since those who rise early are known to be wealthy by Buckwheat's statement, the corollary is that those of us who rise later are poor, thus are probably on public assistance.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised that the Buck man has not brought up another old saw: The early bird gets the worm, which ignores the fact that if we have an afternoon downpour, the late bird gets his choice of worms, a veritable feast.
Gotcha. My bad.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what other dictionaries say, but here is an entry from mine:
ReplyDeleteInsufferable: an early riser; a former smoker; a born-again christian.
House Speaker Boehner gets Ohio primary challenger
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/house-speaker-boehner-gets-ohio-primary-challenger-140243155.html
Most of the people that will be taking a trip in 2012 will be Democrats. I think that's pretty clear after the Weiner election.
ReplyDeleteRe Bob's news:
ReplyDeleteJust when you think you've seen the worst, something comes along to top it.
I guess it would be unconstitutional to require that people who run for office actually be sane.
Good for a(n) (uneasy) laugh.
Buckwheat is irrelevant. If breathing required thinking he would die of asphyxiation.
ReplyDeleteAs to the LTEs:
ReplyDeleteLTE #2: Like some who comment here, apparently Mister Joiner has difficulty reading. The President's proposal runs many pages and is quite specific.
LTE #4: Judge John was appointed to his job to clean up the mess at the SBI crime lab. Maybe he should find something else to do and let us find someone who can actually do the job.
Other LTEs: Jan Detter is one of the best artists and best people in this part of the country. I am thankful that she lives in my community.
That being said, this hospital business is nothing new. Hospitals have been gouging patients, insurance companies and the government since time immemorial.
When we had our second child the whole thing came off like the Keystone Kops. In the labor room, a nurse attached my wife to a fetal monitor, even though we told her that we did not need it. It didn't work, so they brought a second one in, which also did not work.
Then the anesthesiologist showed up. We explained that we were doing Lamaze and would not need him. Half an hour later he popped in again. This time we laughed and told him no, still politely. Another half an hour and there he is. This time I moved him out into the hall and said "You're worse than an effing pusher. Do not come back." Last we saw of him. Almost.
An hour or so later the delivery went off smoothly. I went down to the nursery to check on our baby, then went looking for my wife. Found her on a gurney in the hallway outside recovery, shivering from the cold. Found her some blankets, then found the nurse, who explained that recovery was full. Explained that my wife did need recovery and tagged along until my wife was deposited safely in her room. Jeez.
We checked out less than 24 hours later. Then came the bill, about 25 pages of dot matrix garble. We did not have insurance, so I went over it very carefully. Guess what was on there.
Six or seven doses of Tylenol at $10 per, never offered or taken. Four meals never served. And yes, charge for a fetal monitor. Fortunately, a young intern had spent time with us in the labor room, so after she signed an affidavit, that charge was withdrawn.
But sure enough, there was the anesthesiologist again, with a hefty fee attached. Didn't need the intern this time. Mentioned it to our doctor, who was also a good friend. Some bit of butt chewing later, we got a brand new bill. Eight pages.
I'm sure an insurance company would never have questioned any of those items. And probably most patients without insurance would have had a hard time figuring out that Byzantine bill.
None of this excuses the current fiasco at Baptist. The chief administrator there is well known in the community and serves on an important local board. He should be ashamed to show his face in public.
Hey..Kitty Kat...could you click the trash can on the above post. It's just taking up space. You like to delete your own nonsense, don't you? You do it enough.
ReplyDeleteHey....Buffy....like your new moniker. It's just like old times.
ReplyDeleteNow you can tell us about all of your wild nights out in Chapel Hill back in the day. You can leave out the ones where you wound up in a hot tub with no water wearing a dog collar if you want. Hee Hee......although I'm sure that happened, and worse.
TOUCHDOWN, TARHEELS!!!!! not enough time or bandwidth, Bucky.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/violent-crime-plunges-12-percent-us-2010-194554353.html
ReplyDeleteBuffy....interesting stats. They are completely contrary to predicted crime patterns due to the economic downturn.
ReplyDeleteDon't hold your breath. I'm predicting riots and other civil disorder if the economy does not improve, as well as a change in governmental leadership.
Despite the raving of the hysterians, the crime rate has been declining in the USA for about 40 years.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Buckwheat predicts riots? Oh, he must have conducted a survey. I'm sure it's all quite scientific.
What? He heard Rush say so? Or he read it on The Blaze? Or he just dreamed it up in his demented little mind?
I see. Sigh! I was hoping for some excitement.
Hey nitwit, isn't there a Club Nitwit meeting tonight that you should be attending? I think people have pretty much got your number, I know I have.
ReplyDeleteGood evening, folks!
ReplyDeleteNo, Bucky, no Nitwits Club meeting tonight, as the members, like you, have lives past their keyboards. Mrs. Stab and I went to the Parents' Night WFU football game, had a good time, then went to a Japanese restaurant. I hope all, including you, have had a good day and evening.
Perhaps we'll convene a meeting tomorrow. I must see when the Steelers are playing, though.