Letters

Amendment

I would like to make an insert to show what I believe the definition of the Affordable Care Act should really be. They need to add Catastrophic before Affordable Care Act. This way the acronym would be CACA. I’m quite sure anyone familiar with Spanish would agree it more accurately describes what it entails.

It would also clear up any misunderstanding “we the people” and Congress might have, even though Congress gets an exemption. I hope we all remember this come voting time.

Mel Mundell,

Elberton

Samaritan

Monday the 23rd, my wife and I were on our way home to Moyie Springs, Idaho, from Walla Walla. We stopped for lunch at the deli next to your newspaper office. At some point in our journey, unknown to me, the bolts securing the starter to the engine sheared off and fell out. And now the engine wouldn’t start. I used the deli’s phone book and looked up possible repair shops. Four candidates.

Not being very confident of the reception I might get being a stranger in a small town I dialed up the second on the list, Four Star Supply. A man who identified himself as Bob answered the phone. I told him of my plight, thinking this guy will put me off until he has finished lunch and has a big hole in his schedule. He replied “ I’ll be right down.”

I thought it was a battery problem and asked him to bring something to jump my pickup.

Which he did.

Five minutes later he had hooked me up, but the engine didn’t start. Bob laid down in the street, scooted under the pickup, looked at the starter, scooted back out, came up to the window and told me that my starter was in the process of leaving the engine, and at this point was not able to engage the fly wheel.

Bad news, worse news, his shop was “swamped,” and he wouldn’t be able to repair the problem that day.

I asked him if he could tow me somewhere I could work on it myself.

He said he would, but he had to go back to the shop and get a tow strap.

I thought, this guy is not going to come back, too busy! Five minutes later he had me hooked up and was dragging me down main street toward his shop.

Bob provided me with advice, tools, a space to work, transportation to get parts, coveralls and encouragement. I am no mechanic, but I am lucky, so two hours later, with greasy hands the engine fired up and we could resume our trip home. I offered to pay for his time and trouble, Bob Lowe would not accept any payment. He wouldn’t even accept payment for the tow to the shop. Bob is truly a good samaritan.

Tim Tucker,

Moyie Springs, Idaho