The Dialogue: What Readers Had to Say About Measure 101

"So which of you ‘no’ people plan on taking my 85-year-old mom in?"

Measure 101 supporters rallied in Eugene on Dec. 3.
By WW Staff

Last week, WW ran an endorsement of the lone item on the Jan. 23 ballot—Measure 101. We urged Oregonians to vote "yes." Here's what readers had to say about our ballot breakdown:

Ricardo Small, via wweek.com: "Look: We all help each other pay for police and fire protection. We should do the same with health care. Please vote yes."

Virginia, via wweek.com: "Has WW so debased itself with the glorification of this new cesspool called Portland that it no longer concerns itself with the state's working class?"

Roger W. Louton, via Facebook: "Why would I vote 'yes' to increase my health care costs? Compassion should be by choice, not legislation."

Scandgrrl, via Twitter: "I find it strange that three Republicans initiated this process, and can't help but be suspicious that their motive is to derail the original [Affordable Care Act] structure and place Oregon health care systems onto ballots so that in the future, Medicaid can become a fully politicized process, vulnerable to abruption."

Tommy Murray, via Facebook: "I'm voting no because it's not single-payer. I'm tired of these Band-Aid solutions that only cover some and not the many."

Guard Lance Boyles, via Facebook: "By voting no, you're making sure people don't have access to health care when they get sick; they'll get a bill for thousands of dollars from the ER instead and won't be able to pay. It goes back to the taxpayer at 10 times the cost. I'm voting yes on 101."

Ken Smith, via Facebook: "Our state has proven that they are incapable of managing health care funds. Why would we give them more money to mismanage?"

Megan Corvus, in response: "That's nonsense. The state manages $16 billion (with a b) of Medicaid every biennium through [the Oregon Health Plan]. Ninety-five percent of Oregonians have health insurance. Less than 1 percent of that was found to be mis-managed. In what world is that mismanagement?"

Melanie Walker Mildenberger, via Facebook: "So which of you 'no' people plan on taking my 85-year-old mom in? She's got cancer, kidney disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and dementia. Medicaid makes it possible for her to live in assisted living, where she receives excellent care and socialization."

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