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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Dr. Miller’s Wise Rule: First, Do No Flimflam

D.F. Oliveria Opinion Writer

East Shoshone Hospital District patients would be wise to seek a second opinion if their doctor tries to check them into the hospital. They might not be all that sick. The district has evicted Dr. Joseph Miller from the Silver Valley Medical Center because (drumroll, please) he refuses to hospitalize patients unless they need the care. The sawbones would rather save his patients time and money by treating them on an outpatient basis. If his patients are really sick, Miller tends to send them to hospitals that provide better care. Maybe that’s why he’s so popular with his 1,000 patients. That, and the fact that he has a good bedside manner and greets them on the street. Of course, those qualities don’t endear him to officials of the cash-starved hospital district. They want their tills to jingle. And the $204 Miller made for the district this year doesn’t cut it. Let the patient beware.

Someday, pro-bear measure will tree hunters

Ed Lehman of the Idaho Wildlife Council is awfully confident that Idaho will shoot down another bear-hunting initiative. Maybe too confident. Last year, Idahoans, by a 2-to-1 margin, rejected a measure that would have banned the hunting of bears using dogs, spring bear hunting and the despicable practice of bear baiting. (Washington state voters passed a similar initiative.) Now, the Idaho Coalition United for Bears has filed a fine-tuned measure that would ban baiting but would allow hound hunting from Sept. 1 through April 30. Said the implacable Lehman: “All they did was narrow the scope. We’re going to stand on the same things we stood on last time: We support the professional management of wildlife.” Really? Lehman’s organization rallied support last year by claiming the bear-hunting initiative was a first battle in an all-out war by animal activists against all hunting. Never mind that a study at the time showed most hunters opposed using doughnuts, decaying meat and whatnot to lure bears to an easy kill. Sportsmen - and I use that term loosely here - hurt hunting when they defend the indefensible.

Clarification

Spokane County Superior Court Judge Paul Bastine and Washington community corrections officer Lori Johnson played only minor roles in the supervision of Spokane rapist Donald Torkelson. Torkelson, 36, successfully had completed his post-prison probation by the time Johnson asked the court to drop the $292 Torkelson owed in court costs and fines. The state Department of Corrections figured it wasn’t worth the trouble to collect Torkelson’s remaining debt. Bastine granted Johnson’s request. , DataTimes MEMO: D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays in The Idaho Spokesman-Review. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125 or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.

D.F. Oliveria’s “Hot Potatoes” runs Tuesdays and Thursdays in The Idaho Spokesman-Review. You can comment on the items by calling (800) 344-6718 or (208) 765-7125 or by sending e-mail to daveo@spokesman.com.