Front-line healthcare workers deserve a living wage. Instead, CEOs get their bonuses | Opinion

Front-line employees on the picket line

Shame on Kadlec. Shame on Providence. Shame on the CEOs.

Do you sleep well at night knowing that your front-line employees are not making living wages? I drove by the hospital and saw all those walking the picket line.

From experience, I know that these are the people who start the process when a client seeks care. Do you like a clean room? Thank the person whose job that is.

Of course, the CEOs have to have their bonuses every year. Maybe you should get out there and work on the client level to see what real work is. The organization cannot run smoothly when one cog in the wheel is weak or missing.

Clients should not have to pay for substandard care. You can be sure there will be other employees placed in positions that are not their area of expertise, and many mistakes will be made.

Perhaps some services will not be offered because there are no experienced employees to perform those duties.

Sleep tight CEOs. You may have to get up early to work on the front lines. Sure hope you know what you are doing.

April Nishioka, Richland

Don’t delay if you feel clot symptoms

As a former resident of Richland and Kennewick, I was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Erin Steinert from a pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs. My prayers go out to Erin’s friends and family.

Pulmonary embolisms claim an estimated 100,000 American lives every year. Many of these deaths can be prevented simply by being better informed. A pulmonary embolism should be treated as a medical emergency, as it leads to death in nearly a third of untreated cases.

Know the signs, know the symptoms. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, rapid breathing and a higher heart rate.

Less common symptoms included persistent coughing, feelings of anxiety or dread, lightheadedness or fainting, and sweating. If you suspect a clot, please do not delay getting medical care.

Tom Myers, Certified National Blood Clot Alliance Community Ambassador

Clifton Park, NY

Harris needs to adopt moderation

Bill Clinton began his first term with a liberal agenda. He pivoted right after it proved to be unpopular. He handily won re-election. Kamala Harris should take notice and adopt a moderate agenda.

Undecided voters have tired of the radical politics of the past decade. They want a president who will end the chaos and restore normalcy. Under Project 2025, Donald Trump would do the opposite. Joe Biden vowed to “finish the job.”

Moderation would cool our overheated politics. It would facilitate the return of compromise and functional governance. Adopting Biden’s agenda without moderation would perpetuate the dysfunction.

Conservative elements of Harris’ agenda must be credible. Harris should seek and follow the advice of business experts such as Jamie Dimon. She needs assistance in balancing the economy, taxation and spending.

Harris will be pressured to favor liberal initiatives. She should resist; her job is to represent all Americans. She should accordingly inform the public and her party.

Harris needs a significant lead in the polls to survive unexpected challenges. Hilliary Clinton likely lost in 2016 due to her “deplorables” blunder and James Comey’s intervention. A failure to sufficiently moderate her politics could be Harris’ blunder.

Russ Treat, Richland