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PrintThank you for running Clarke Thomas's excellent column on single-payer health care ("A Health-Care Mystery: Why Aren't Business Leaders Pushing for Universal, Single-Payer Health Insurance Coverage?" Sept. 3 Midweek Perspectives).
Single-payer is not only the most practical choice from a business point of view; it has strong political support. U.S. Rep. John Conyers has introduced a bill, HR 676, that would improve and extend Medicare to all Americans, and there are 91 co-sponsors, more than for any other health-care proposal.
Here in Western Pennsylvania, incumbent 14th District U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle is one of those co-sponsors. In the 18th district, challenger Steve O'Donnell has expressed support for the bill. Many city councils, including Pittsburgh's, have endorsed it, as well as the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The bill also has strong union support, including the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Pittsburgh's SEIU Local 3 and the United Steelworkers, as well as the organized support of many nurses and physicians.
Single-payer is the right path out of the health-care mess we're in. Only prejudice, inertia and the power of the insurance companies stand in the way of a solution that benefits everyone.
PENNY ANDERSON
Wilkinsburg
Much support
Bravo to Clarke Thomas for his excellent column "A Health-Care Mystery," in which he advocates for single-payer health-care reform as good for business and good for us all. Indeed, single-payer is the most socially and fiscally responsible option available, cutting out insurance company profits and waste, while providing excellent coverage to everyone.
Many people are confused by the concept of single-payer. Mr. Thomas correctly points out that traditional Medicare is a single-payer system, which millions of Americans depend on. The government pays the bills, but the providers remain private.
The support for single-payer health-care reform is growing. HR 676, "Expanded and Improved Medicare for All," has more congressional support than any other health-care bill in Congress.
Single-payer is good for business, but also good for labor. More labor unions support HR 676 than any other health-care bill in Congress, with endorsements from 37 state AFL-CIO's, including Pennsylvania, 18 international unions and 455 union organizations in 49 states.
There is a growing grass-roots movement across the country advocating for national single-payer health-care reform, including Physicians for a National Health Program, the National Nurses Organizing Committee and Healthcare-NOW. Regionally, the Western PA Coalition for Single-Payer Healthcare is advocating for the passage of HR 676. For more information, go to www.WPaSinglePayer.org.
SANDY FOX
Co-Chair
Western PA Coalition for Single-Payer Healthcare
Squirrel Hill
Unfair to us all
I am shocked and dismayed at the choice Sen. John McCain has made for his vice president, Sarah Palin.
What makes this choice so appalling is regardless of which presidential candidate succeeds in his bid, most of us would be reassured our nation would have in place with either ticket people whom we could trust to keep our nation safe in the age of terrorism.
With Gov. Palin chosen as Sen. McCain's vice president, this is no longer the case. She has no foreign policy experience. No national security experience. No national experience. In fact, she governs fewer people in the whole state of Alaska than we have in Allegheny County! How can she possibly understand what life is like in, and the special problems associated with, our major urban centers? How could Sen. McCain entrust, let alone why should we the American people entrust, our nation's safety to the hands of someone so inexperienced? It is unfair to put someone into a position before he or she is ready, unfair to the person and unfair to our nation.
Regardless of how Gov. Palin performs in the campaign, she is simply an unacceptable choice for vice president when Sen. McCain is already 72 years old, a cancer survivor and the oldest person ever to achieve the presidency if he is successful. We are in two wars, and terrorism raises its ugly head daily worldwide. Never before has the old adage "a heartbeat away from the presidency" been more apt.
Sen. McCain should be ashamed to have put political expediency and ambition above the needs of our country.
GARY E. KAMINSKI
Elizabeth Township
Running scared?
Why do the threatened Democratic writers and reporters keep comparing Sarah Palin to Barack Obama? Is she the one who is running against him? It floors me that everyone is already assuming that John McCain is not going to live out his term. Do they have a direct line to God? And has anyone seen his mother? She is well into her 90s and very alert, bright and beautiful! If anyone has good lineage and a greater chance of making it to 100, it is John McCain!
Not to mention the snide comments about Sarah Palin's lack of foreign policy experience. Exactly where has Barack Obama been that she hasn't? And how much more experience has he had? Not much, and he is not running against her ... he is running against John McCain!
What the Republicans have is a seasoned, well experienced, very healthy candidate who is a great patriot, with a running mate who is smart, well-rounded, attractive, well spoken and capable of running and managing a diverse crowd in her family, state and country.
I think the Democrats are scared, and well they should be.
ROSEMARY TOKARSKI
Beechview
Not feeling the pain
"The fundamentals of the economy are strong." I have wondered about those who say it is so (President Bush, John McCain).
From Mr. Bush, I could understand. We all know he has been very privileged, having been born into a well-to-do family. But John McCain? Recently, it has become clear. He owns seven homes and thinks you are from the middle class when you are making millions a year.
The fundamentals are not strong for me. A trip to Giant Eagle or a stop at the gas station are all you need to know that. The bank owns my one home, and I don't see myself ever earning an income of a million or more, and you can be sure I'm trying. But I suppose if you're wealthy and have seven homes you might feel differently.
MARK HUGGINS
Franklin Park
Middle neglected
As a lifelong registered Democrat (32 years), I have to say that I have never been more disgusted with the party's leadership.
Let's see, we have Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House, Harry Reid as the Senate majority leader, and last, but not least, Barack Obama as our presidential nominee.
These three are without a doubt (check out their voting records) the most radical far-left bunch ever to lead our party.
Don't get me wrong, I believe balance has always been a good thing for my beloved Democratic Party, but this is madness.
Lenin and Marx are probably rolling over in hell with delight over these three.
I believe that in trying to be the all-inclusive party over the past few decades, what the Democratic Party has done has been to champion all the left-wing causes and, in the process, neglect the majority of us, closer to the middle.
In a year when one would think the Democrats would win back the White House in a landslide (especially after eight years of George Bush), I predict there will be millions of "middle of the road" blue-collar Democrats, like myself, who will vote for John McCain -- and send our Democratic leadership a message, which is "get back to our core principles in the middle, if you want to take back the White House," unlike the past 28 years!
ANTHONY YATES
Turtle Creek
Bicyclists, illuminate yourselves
How about common sense? Take a ride or a walk through Oakland (near Carnegie Mellon and Pitt) any time after 7 p.m. and see how many bicyclists are riding in the dark without reflectors or lights while wearing dark clothing.
As a bus operator, I have avoided numerous potentially serious incidents involving a possible collision with a bicycle because I was watching but the cyclist was not.
Headlights alone do not illuminate a moving object even in the direct visual path unless it is brightly colored.
The university administrations and City Council should insist on the enforcement of existing state law requiring any bicycle moving after dark to have a front light and rear reflectors.
It's just common sense.
MAX SESTIL JR.
Oakland
The letter writer was a bus driver and is currently a mechanic for the Port Authority of Allegheny County.
