CHOC health center debate still lingers

With the Children’s Hospital of Orange County willing to open a

clinic in Costa Mesa and Rea Elementary School having the space

available, this would be an excellent opportunity to help families

who are unable to obtain adequate care for their children and,

therefore, often end up in emergency rooms (A Closer Look, “Rea plan

becomes center of debate,” Monday).

Whatever one’s personal opinions may be, the long-term benefits

are enormous: prevention of problems, prompt care before something

becomes a major problem, healthier children, less stressed parents

and money saved on emergency care.

Anyone who has ever had a sick child and has had good medical

coverage knows how upsetting that can be. Try and imagine what it

must be like to have nowhere to turn, no way to obtain preventive

care and little opportunity for any long-term care.

Let’s support CHOC and the wonderful opportunity to help someone

else’s children in a very special way.

AUDREY MCLAUGHLIN

Costa Mesa

There is a risk of seeming coldhearted when one speaks out against

helping children. Yet I can’t help but express concerns regarding the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s proposal to build a free

health-care center at Rea Elementary School. While I respect some of

the residents’ complaints against the project, I have one that was

not expressed.

Whether one agrees or not with our immigration laws, they are

indeed “laws” and therefore need to be followed by citizens and our

government. That is not being done. We know [some amount] of people

in our city are here illegally. Yet we do not even attempt to

discover the lawbreakers. We not only go out of our way to ignore

them, but we actually encourage them. After all, what do they have to

lose? Nothing. What do they have to gain? A great deal. We allow them

to attend our schools, obtain welfare, and now we are inviting them

to receive free medical care at school.

I believe the current system is terribly unfair to those of us who

abide by laws and enter this country legally. I say either change the

immigration laws or enforce them as they stand. The federal

government mandates we school and give medical aid to “illegals,” but

does not follow up that law with the funds to do it. So, the citizens

of Orange County and the state of California are hit hard with taxes

to pay for the mess Washington has created for us. Even when voters

try to change the law, elected officials trample on our opinions and

create a law that overturns our propositions.

I don’t blame people like Costa Mesa Councilman Chris Steel for

being frustrated over what this intolerable system has done to our

city. I don’t blame Westside residents for objecting to the free

medical clinic.

MARIA GARCIA

Costa Mesa