In response to Mr. Chaz Holmes’ column “Time for a checkup on health reform” on Dec. 30: This is a perfect example of what is wrong with the healthcare debate and the conjecture coming from leftists. There is no actual substance to his writing, only smug comments that show Mr. Holmes’ intolerance and disrespect to the majority who disagree with him. He starts out by diminishing himself in the first sentence by suggesting a lack of compassion from 40 percent of the Senate. Instead of rational debate, he tugs on emotional strings that have absolutely no bearing on the issue and only reveals the guilt he harbors for himself.
While Mr. Holmes may be amused at the use of socialism as a scare tactic, I am not. European socialism is destroying their countries. It baffles me where Mr. Holmes sees this amazing European society, unless he only sees it through the eyes of a Rick Steves book, which tours the history of a once great continent that is now dying. Europe and Canada continue to descend into an abyss of moral relativism that is destroying their cultures. I am perfectly happy to avoid the mistakes they continue to make, since the facts and the evidence show that they are not “managing quite well.”
The corruption and buy-offs: Mr. Holmes doesn’t mention the deals that have been made to obtain the endorsement of influential organizations that were bought off in the same way so many congressmen were:
1 – The AARP is not a benevolent organization that endorsed the bill because they care about old people. The AARP stands to make loads of money off of the Medi-gap insurance they sell which will be in high demand with the cuts to Medicare Advantage.
2 – The American Medical Association was bought off when Obama promised to kill a 21 percent cut to their services when treating Medicare patients.
3 – The drug industry bought themselves off by offering to lower costs for the next 10 years by a miniscule $80 billion dollars (only 3 percent of their projected cost over the same time period). In addition to promises from Obama to keep out Canadian drugs.
Healthcare reform deserves a true discussion instead of the mindless blather we have had to listen to in 2009. It is disappointing to not once hear the principle of “subsidiarity” brought up. Little discussion has focused on how our employer-based healthcare system was shaped from World War II era policies; and how it is that system that has created a false market which has generated the high cost increases. Instead of going back to inception and understanding how the problems of our system have developed, an entirely new system is being shoved down our throat; and the politicians, bureaucrats, and regulators will be in control. This is not my idea of progress.
Chad Druffel
Bonney Lake
