European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 02, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Page 16 letters to the editor Friday september 2.1994 european edition col Steven s. Hoffman Usan commander publisher Bernard a. Zov1stoski editor. News and editorial Deborah aether news editor Bill Welkjr european editor Bob Wicker sports editor Toro Man City editor to write us unit 29480 Apo a 09211 orppstfach111437 64278 Darmstadt Germany news Tel fax 06155-601416 to Call us dial 06155-601 plus Extension or Dan 348-8 plus Extension As follows news ext. 237,255,282, 226,326. Sports ext. 225,269, 263,332,321,221. Features ext. 230, 245,341. Utters to editor ext. 208,400. Education Jimi Jones ext. 226. Business news ext. 326. New bureaus Heidelberg Germany room 117, Rome str 104, 69126 Heidelberg car 419, Box 1318. Apo a 09102 Telephone Dan 370-7010 or civilian 06221-23421 or Contact the cry desk at the european stars and stripes. 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The appearance of advertising in tails publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorse ment by the department of defense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Give up the beef r in response Toa recent letter regarding the abuse of animals at the Rodeo i have been involved in Rodeo for.20 years and yes i have seen animals Hurt. But Rodeo Stock is checked on a tight schedule by veterinarians and they work approximately 20-30 minutes per year. They receive the Best Quality of feed and care. The leather bucking strap is a flank strap these Are covered with sheepskin and have baby powder applied to them to prevent chafing. The flank strap does not rub the genitals of the animal. It works on the flank which tickles the animal causing Imo Buck. If the writer had Ever really watched a Rodeo he would have seen that the Ani Mals continue to Buck after the rider is off. The spurs that the contestants Wear Are taped to protect the animal. As for calf Foping More and More Rodeo associations Are going to breakaway roping. The end of the rope is tied to the Saddle with string. When the calf runs out of rope the string Breaks stopping the clock. If people Are worried about cruelty they should see what happens on a work ing cattle ranch. De Horning castration branding most of the time performed without aesthetic. I bet these people won t give up beef to avoid cruelty that these animals suffer. Rodeo companies Are very caring of their Stock the animals come first. If an animal is sore or injured he is treated and left to heal and is checked out before he is Ridden again. It really pains me to have people run Down a sport that i love because they Are ill informed. If you think Rodeo is cruel i invite you to go behind the chutes and see the care that these animals  ". , Germany in Equality under Law where is the Justice in the military sys tem a recent article refers to a technical sergeant with a 17-year military career who pleaded innocent to two charges against him one being sexual abuse of a girl under 16 the other being obstruction of Justice he was found innocent of the sexual abuse charge. He was sentenced to a bad conduct discharge and was demoted to a senior air Man for obstruction of Justice stemming from a conversation with Nis sex wife. The second article refers to a lieutenant colonel with almost six years military career who pleaded guilty to15 sexual encounters adultery and homosexuality with a psychiatric female patient and her husband. Four of the 15 encounters involved All three  ple. He was charged with conduct unbecoming an officer and indecent acts. He was sentenced to a reprimand and to forfeit $2,000 a month for six months. He also has lost his credentials to practice psychiatry. Why was the sentence so severe for obstruction of Justice bad conduct Dis charge and demotion Why was the charge so lenient for the officer. Reprimand and forfeiture of Money i think the military really needs to evil uate its judicial system if this is an example of How its members Are treated. Sherry Sorbera Ramstein a Germany editor s note we encourage our readers especially those who have never submitted a letter to write to us. V letters expressing readers View Points or opinions Are published Dally on this Page. All letters must be signed and include address and Telephone number. Preference is Given to Shorter letters so that More can be published in a timely manner. We Reserve the right to edit letters for clarity length and taste. Send to letters to the editor the stars and stripes unit 29480, Apo a 09211. Or fax country code 49 06155-601 463, Dan 348-8463. Military update Dod As the Pentagon nears a final decision on a Cost sharing formula for Tri care prime the military s new health maintenance organization officials liken the process to squeezing a balloon. To air inside represents a finite amount of health care dollars. When More dollars Are squeezed toward the top of the balloon marked for Active duty dependents the Bottom half marked for retirees Deflatesthe reverse of course is also True. Let s look at real numbers from two Cost share alternatives being studied by a Pentagon executive working group. Under hmm option a no Active duty family would have to pay to enrol in to care prime. Retirees however would pay $230 to enrol As individuals $460 As fam Ilies. 1 squeeze the balloon s top and we get hmm option Nib. This one would require Active duty members above pay Grade 4 to pay $40 a year to enrol their spouses and $80 to enrol their families. Dipping into Active duty pockets however allows a drop in Retiree enrolment fees to $205 for an individual and $410 for a family. Options a and b Are otherwise identical no enrolment fee for families in pay Grade 4 arid below co payments to visit participating civilian physicians would be set at $6 for Junior enlisted families $12 for families of 5s and above and for retirees a Cost share of $10.80 a Day would be set for civilian in patient care for Al enrollees. Congress made the balloon analogy appropriate for Tricase by setting Tough condition on the hmm s design that Overall health care costs not braised either for the military or beneficiaries. Deciding whom to squeeze and by How much is not easy. The joint chiefs of staff favors keeping costs allow As possible for Active duty families. Retiree associations Are sympathetic but want to protect their own members who were promised free or at least Low Cost medical care for life. Somewhere in the Middle Are health care officials who want to satisfy the Active Force but need to keep Tricase attractive for retirees. They Are terribly important to our readiness to be Able to train our neurosurgeons and cardiovascular surgeons to keep them in top notch form am Stephen c. Joseph assistant Secretary of de sense for health affairs. We have got to have a broader older More pre Dis posed to illness  a Cost share formula floated by the army Illus trates the serv ices favouritism to Ward the Active Force. Under the army option no Active duty family would pay an enrolment fee retirees would pay $100 to enrol an individual $200 for a family in addition while Active duty families would pay $10.80 per Day for in patient civilian care retirees would pay $145 per Day plus 20 percent of professional fees. Even under this option retirees would save an average of $240 a year in out of pocket costs Over the civilian health and medical program of the uniformed serv ices. But Sydney Hickey with the nation Tom Philpott Al military family association said that s not much savings from an hmm which limits an individual s Choice of physician. I Challenge you to find any hmm that charges that to anybody for in patient care she said. While her organization represents All military families Hickey said she can t help being concerned about limited options and rising costs that await retirees. Retirees a Jess and older Are particularly vulnerable since the collapse in August of president Clinton s health Reform pack age. That plan included a provision to Rev quire medicare to reimburse the defense department As much As $1 billion annually for care provided in military facilities to medicare eligible retirees. Now it appears that won t happen. Even younger retirees who enrol in Tricase could see Access to military hospitals decline if there s no shift in medicare funding said a defense official. That s because by Law All retirees must be treated equally for Access to care. If people eligible for medicare face limited Access so must retirees enrolled in Tri care. Active duty family members would get first crack at in service care retirees would be referred More often to participating civilian providers. Tricase s executive working group is scheduled to Send its hmm Cost sharing recommendation to defense Secretary William Perry by sept. 12. Once adopted enrolment fees and Cost sharing formulas would be fixed for five years. Tricase will be phased in throughout the United states by Region starting next Yean readers comments and suggestions Are  to military update co editor stars and stripes Mike this comprehensive. H�al7h�ar�&tkxj Hammer Vout Aston a czive0 /n5tant bipartisan support in Bot houses of  Ting Attal of for. 0rjh&n6f&our nationshi6hz&t Honor making m&1hewungp5trz cup tent a history. M i a Notor con6rat f i thy.5/r