It is incredible that not one letter to the editor was published this past week regarding what little we know of the Senate version of health care reform.
The Democrats have displayed their contempt for their constituents and our Constitution in their underhanded and unethical conduct (buying votes, etc.) in producing House and Senate versions of this legislation, both completed secretly behind closed doors with no partisan input. They refused to provide specific details knowing it would only increase opposition from the electorate who now oppose it almost 2-to-1. They crafted the legislation so the Congressional Budget Office could give it a favorable cost review but the CBO has added warnings of unfavorable consequences likely to occur in the future.
This legislation could have been passed with partisan support with a common sense approach incorporating Republican input including tort reform and allowing access to health insurance throughout the country. Tort reform should mandate that plaintiffs who file frivolous or unfounded lawsuits should pay for the legal fees of a defendant unfairly charged but lawyer dominated Congress has always opposed this fair approach.
The Democrats are not fooling anyone. We all know their only interest is getting more and more control of our lives regardless of the consequences.
Concerned citizens should let them know they have aroused a sleeping giant and they will learn of our displeasure in their next reelection campaign.
J. E. MCCAFFREY
Durham
Where's our deal?
I write to comment on the inadequacies of our Democrat representatives, Representative Price and Sen. Hagan, in the fine arts of extortion. This week, some sort of health care bill advanced, and one of the provisions pertains to Medicaid, the program whose expenses are shared by the federal government and the states.
The bill that was just acted upon provides that Nebraska is exempted from the onerous new expenses the added Medicaid enrollments will bring to that state. Accordingly, other states will be picking up the expenses incurred by Nebraska's new Medicaid enrollees. Other states which are scheduled to enjoy similar fiscal favors in return for their purchased vote include Massachusetts and Vermont, plus several more in the House bill. The CBO estimates (The Hill, Dec. 20, 2009) that each of these states will be benefited from between $100 million to $500 million over the next decade, money that will have to be coerced from other less-adequately-represented states. Such as North Carolina.
So, I write to deplore that our North Carolina Democrat representatives have failed to extract a similar sweetheart deal for our state. They know a majority does not want this bill or to have our money going one-way to other states, and the bribery is being flaunted publicly, so if they are going to cram it down our throats anyway, they should at least be skilled at extorting the top dollar.
LAURA GUTMAN
Durham
