Submitted by Tom on Fri, 2009-11-13 21:14
Jim Jorgensen, a veteran from Ames, has another LTE on Latham's lame heathcare stance:
Our 4th District representative was quick to send out a criticism of the health care reform bill that passed the House last Saturday night. The statement by Rep. Tom Latham is filled with distortions. Surely the world is coming to an end. Surely we would be better off staying with the status quo.
This historic legislation is a first step of many that need to be completed to solve this country’s health care dilemma. It is a step toward an affordable, accessible health care system for all without restrictions. The notion that market forces will solve this is not common sense; it is fantasy. We have been there for about a century, and it hasn’t happened. It doesn’t work.
Medicare is a government program. It is hardly perfect, but it is equitable, available to all over age 65. The same is not true for the private insurance experience for those under 65. This system, in contrast, denies and drops coverage for many, is unaffordable for many, assists in the deaths of 22,000 per year and bankrupts 700,00 per year, while insurance executives take home millions of dollars.
The private insurance industry can’t be the vehicle for health care reform any more than the fox can take care of the hen house. Likewise, the party and the representative who gave us wars with tax cuts, financial deregulation with banking collapse and no-bid contracts to cronies is a party and leadership with NO credibility when it comes to health care.
We need government and leadership to solve this grinding problem. It won’t happen with the tired tirades of the party of no government, no taxes, no regulation.
It’s never too late to help. Latham could help refine this effort. I hope he does. The goal is accessible and affordable health care for everyone, and we need leadership to accomplish it.