Costco Connection - September 2010

DIALOGUEletters

Debate goes on In response to the August Debate, “Is traffic photo enforcement a good idea?”

YES. Ultimately, by heightening awareness [with traffic photo enforcement], there won’t be as many violations as there are now.

Carol Coleman
Lake Zurich, Illinois
Nursed to good health

I enjoyed your article “Speak up for good care” [Consumer Connection, August 2010] and felt that the suggestions given were on target. In today’s healthcare environment, patients must advocate for their care and partner with their provider to have their needs managed in a timely and cost-effective manner.

BILL CARLSON

I would like to point out that doctors aren’t the only healthcare providers that patients come into contact with. In the primary-care setting and even in specialty practice, there are many mid-level providers, nurse practitioners and physician assistants giving safe, high-quality and affordable care. It would be good to remember this when instructing patients to “discuss this with your doctor” since many patients see a nurse practitioner or physician assistant as their only healthcare provider.

Nicol Hedgpeth, NP, MSN, AOCN
Lakewood, California
Costco Travel

I enjoyed your article on Costco Travel [“A decade of deals,” July 2010]. I wanted to let you know of my latest experience booking through Costco Travel. My wife and I have cruised for many years, but this was the first time we compared prices with Costco Travel. For the same ship, same suite and same sailing date we saved $713 over Holland America’s price, plus received a $50 shipboard credit. The savings included Costco Travel insurance.

Thank you, Costco Travel. I saved enough to pay for my Executive membership for the next seven years!

Jerry Harwell
Chester, Virginia

NO. The system is full of flaws and loopholes. It is also an invasion of one’s privacy.

Liana Yelkson
Miami, Florida

YES. Since these have been installed [in our area], I have seen more people obeying the signals and fewer people running lights.

Stephen East
Cordova, Tennessee
No wishy-washy advice

Thanks for your home tips [“Did you know?”, August 2010]. I really loved the tip about cleaning the detergent cup. Putting the measuring cup for liquid laundry detergent into the wash is a wonderful idea for top-loading machines, but not front loaders. I learned the hard way. In a front loader, the cup can get stuck in those rubber door sealers that keep the water from leaking out of the front door. When it happens, it’s a visit from the Maytag repairman, which means (a) your machine is unusable until it’s repaired, and (b) it’s a costly repair. He actually said that this mistake was the most common reason for his visits to repair the Maytag Neptune front loaders.

Cynthia Weed Johnson
Seattle, Washington
Colon cancer test

Thank you for the article by Shelley Lawson on preventing colon cancer [“You can prevent colon cancer,” July 2010]. The last paragraph mentioned that many state and local health departments have programs to help uninsured people gain access to colon cancer screening, i.e., colonoscopy.

I am one of those uninsured people who has put off this very expensive test for monetary reasons. I followed through on the information, found out that I do qualify and am scheduled for the test. Thanks for this valuable information.

Diane Visser
Manhattan, Montana

NO. I think the technology is flawed. I think it is primarily for revenue generation as opposed to traffic safety.

Fred Carmen
Gates Mills, Ohio

Member comments

Filibuster fact checker

It is unfortunate that a respondent to your July debate question, “Should it be harder to filibuster?,” who answered “No” [Dialogue, “Debate goes on,” August 2010] knows little of our history or our Constitution.

The first filibuster (the word comes from the Spanish word that means “pirate”) in U.S. Senate history began in 1841 over the issue of the firing of Senate printers and lasted six days.

The filibuster was not a part of the Constitution and it was not considered by its framers (or authors).

IF YOU’RE preserving foods (“Perfect for preserving,” August 2010) and you live at a higher altitude, experts recommend increasing the processing times for safety. This is because water boils at lower temperatures as altitude increases, and lower boiling temperatures are less effective at killing bacteria.

In general, add 1 minute to the processing time for every 1,000 feet in altitude, or 2 minutes per 1,000 feet if the original processing time is more than 20 minutes. For altitudes higher than 5,000 feet, consider using a steam-pressure canner, which will allow for accurate processing time without overcooking the food.—Ed.

Frances McClure
Oxford, Ohio
Costco volunteers

I was very impressed by all of the volunteer work Costco employees are doing in their communities. Kudos to you for encouraging that. I have a suggestion for another place employees can get involved—it’s called Comfort Zone Camp ( www.comfortzone camp.org). Comfort Zone Camp is a weekend camp for grieving children (ages 7 to 17) who have lost a parent or sibling, and was the vision of a woman named Lynn Hughes who had lost both of her parents by the time she was 12.

Thank you, Costco, for your commitment to make our communities a better place.

Susan Kelsey
Costa Mesa, California

8 ;e Costco Connection SEPTEMBER 2010

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