Letters: It's time to change the health care system
Aug 28, 2009
It's time to change the health care system
Dear Editor,
Do we need health care reform? On the evening of March 1, 2008, Gary Diego was relaxing with his wife, Ellen, when she abruptly lost her hearing, began repeating herself, and seemed to be losing her grip. Alarmed, Diego rushed her to his insurance company's in-network hospital, near his home in Truckee. Unable to handle what was determined to be bleeding in the brain, the hospital quickly transferred her to Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev., where she spent 17 days in intensive care. During recovery, she caught pneumonia and died.
A few weeks later, a still-grieving Diego learned from his insurer, Health Net, that he owed the Reno hospital $75,462.77. The reason? The hospital was not in his approved network. It is clear that reform is needed. But without government intervention you, I and family members will remain vulnerable to the devastating costs of health care.
It is time for change.
Mark Grzan, Morgan Hill
Screaming, heckling and threats of violence are devices of cowards
Dear Editor:
I wonder what really motivated the two letters published on Aug. 14 questioning why Congressman Jerry McNerney has not held town hall meetings to discuss health care reform. I chatted with Congressman McNerney recently about the unscrupulous harassment he and other representatives have experienced this summer whenever they tried to hold public gatherings to debate the pros and cons of health care reform.
I sensed his frustration in facing the belligerent extremists who misuse their constitutionally guaranteed right to free speech by screaming, "Nazi" name-calling and other verbal abuses intended to sabotage honest and reasonable dialogue. Like other citizens, I suspect that these assaults on genuine debate are a blatant and well-organized strategy designed to kill any and all national conversation on an important issue that impacts all Americans.
Our district's congressional representative would love to have a civil and dynamic dialogue on health care reform.
Unfortunately, when certain radical factions literally "mob" him and other elected officials at town hall meetings with verbal abuse and physical intimidations, severe damage is done to democracy. In creating our nation, our Founding Fathers desired for the American people to uphold the rule of reason when gathering for discourse over issues of importance. They also desired this discourse be done in a civilized assembly. Certainly they would frown at the bullying tactics now being employed by a fanatical few who wish to extinguish genuinely productive discussion.
The misguided individuals who employ the tactic of verbal terrorism have no doubt allowed themselves to be emotionally manipulated by media propagandists with underhanded political motives. Truly patriotic American citizens support open and honest debate in a civil setting.
Screaming, heckling and threats of physical hostility toward Congressman McNerney and other representatives are the devices of cowards.
Martin Cheek, Morgan Hill
Derailing the bullet train already done - track property rights taken
Dear Editor,
Derailments do happen, but fortunately not as frequently as truck accidents or auto accidents.
Accidents aside, the problem comes in paying for the transport, of any mode, even assuming that accidents will, inevitably, be part of the transport experience ... Titanic, Challenger, the accidents are not the real story, but rather, the imposition of untenable transport on future generations. That's the real train wreck in the bullet train story.
How can we worry about tunneling Bullet Train tracks on the San Francisco Peninsula if Union Pacific won't allow the High Speed Rail Authority over, under or across its tracks?
Take a look at the geographical position of the UP's tracks, which go through Morgan Hill and Gilroy. Now try to imagine getting up the SF Peninsula without violating UP's property rights. No way, no how.
Joe Thompson, Gilroy
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