The insurance industry creates hardships

In regard to the Nov. 3 letter "Public Option Will Shred Insurance Jobs": Jason Johnson criticizes the Democrats for not worrying about the working families of this country because of the possibility of job losses in the health insurance industry if they pass a public option.

Mr. Johnson, I sympathize with those who lose their jobs no matter what they do for a living. Unfortunately those in the insurance industry are looking at this only from their own job security.

I work for a locally owned company. We are not in the same ballpark as Highmark or UPMC. Last week we were informed our health insurance premiums will be increased by 10 percent in 2010. In the last five years our premiums have increased 100 percent. I have watched working family people losing their jobs here and others dropping the insurance (we co-pay).

If the insurance industry would have regulated itself, it may never have come to this. I applaud the Democrats for having the guts to try to address this problem. Maybe a few less middlemen and some competition are a recipe for saving money.

TONY SGRO
Collier

Speaking of losses

The letter from Jason Johnson worrying about job loss in the insurance industry with effective health-care reform is truly remarkable ("Public Option Will Shred Insurance Jobs," Nov. 3). The loss of widespread health care has paralleled the rise of the health-care insurance industry.

There are those who will rightly claim that loss of insurance industry jobs is precisely what health-care reform is all about. The dollar spent on health care that formerly went to health-care workers and institutions now must be shared with those who offer absolutely nothing in providing care to patients. The real question is not the right to health insurance, but the right to health care in the first place. Spending vast amounts on administration is immoral.

JAMES HOUSTON, M.D.
Lower Burrell

Seeing the Marxism

Rejoice and take heart, Americans! The elections of Republican governors in New Jersey and Virginia are glimmers of light at the end of an ominously dark tunnel, a clear repudiation of the Marxist direction this presidential administration and its sycophantic Democratic congressional leaders are attempting to force this country.

Massive government, high taxes, the destruction of our free-market economy and the forfeiture of our personal liberties are not the way we want to go. The American people are far smarter than their so-called leaders realize and are beginning to wise up -- we finally are awakening to what our starry-eyed idealism and our failure of due diligence in properly vetting the man we elected president have wrought.

The evidence was there in abundance if only we had paid attention. Is "Marxist" pejorative? Is it too harsh? I think not. As the lawyers say, "res ipsa loquitur" -- the thing speaks for itself.

A'DELBERT BOWEN, M.D.
McCandless

For our troops

Veterans Day and the holidays will soon be upon us. Our brave men and women, serving in harm's way, need and want to stay in touch with loved ones during the holiday season.

Instead of buying another black-and-gold T-shirt made in China, why not use that $20 bill wisely to purchase phone cards to enable our brave men and women to call home? Did you know that their phone calls home are not free and not paid for by the government?

Phone cards can be dropped off in the lobby of the County Office Building or mailed to the county Special Events Office, 515B County Office Building, 542 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Let us think of our men and women in uniform this holiday season -- they deserve it!

DONN NEMCHICK
Veterans Program Manager
Riverside Center for Innovation
Munhall

Coffee for clients

I am writing in response to the Oct. 16 letter "Cut the Coffee." In the article " 'No Win' for Nonprofits Relying on State Funds" (Oct. 8), it's true that I was quoted as stating, "We switched from regular coffee to decaf; they're not getting a bump from it, so they won't drink as much. Any penny we can save." The letter writer said, "I would imagine that the Grapevine Center has more urgent needs for its funds than coffee for its employees."

I want to clarify that the "they" I was referring to was our consumers, not the staff of the center. The article was about the problems that were being faced by the consumers/clients who come to the center.

They come from backgrounds such as varied degrees of mental illness and/or co-occurring dependencies. They come from community assisted-living homes, shut-in residences or just plain off the streets. We offer meals, support groups, referral services, self-improvement workshops, transportation, phone services, entertainment and constant fellowship. If someone is going to spend most of the day on multiple days, we feel it's OK to offer them something to drink besides water. We want them to feel safe and comfortable, while they strive to return to a more normal life through various means. We serve our consumers/clients controlled amounts coffee and will continue to do so with pleasure. Visit grapevinecenter.org to learn more about our organization.

JACK McKENNA
President, Grapevine Board
Butler

Checks and balances

The Oct. 18 item "Millions for Substandard AIDS Services" cited a Washington Post investigation that revealed the Washington, D.C., health department's HIV/AIDS administration "awarded more than $25 million from 2004 to 2008 to nonprofit agencies marked by questionable spending, a lack of clients, or lapses in record-keeping and care." This regrettable situation bears no resemblance to the administrative oversight of public dollars and the quality of services provided to HIV/AIDS patients in southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Jewish Healthcare Foundation serves as the local steward for city, state and federal funding for HIV/AIDS services in our region. In this role, the foundation regularly and thoroughly scrutinizes service providers' performance. In addition to regular audits by the state Department of Health, the foundation's activities and those of the area's primary HIV/AIDS housing provider are also examined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The foundation and its contracted agencies work hard to create relationships that promote and foster transparency and collaboration. Maintaining a regional approach to fiscal administration in Pennsylvania and a continued emphasis on quality improvement is the best defense against misuse of funds. At a time when local AIDS service providers are struggling to overcome the financial challenges posed by an economic downturn and our state's prolonged budget impasse, the system of checks and balances within which local AIDS service organizations and the local fiscal agent operate should be recognized and encouraged.

JASON KUNZMAN
Chief Financial Officer
Jewish Healthcare Foundation
Downtown

Action diminished

President Barack Obama greeting the return of the dead soldiers at Dover Air Force Base would have been more presidential and had much more class without the cameras on hand. One could think that this was strictly another one of his photo-ops. What a shame!

R.H. KRAMER
Bethel Park

Take care of the basics, then go 'green'

Pittsburgh city Councilman Bill Peduto's plan to empower building inspectors and police to help environmental workers enforce the city's recycling code ignores the realities of everyday life in Pittsburgh ("Peduto Pushes Green Legislation," Oct. 28).

As is apparent to many apartment dwellers, city building and code inspection is woefully lacking as it is. The last thing city residents need is to have the precious few building inspectors the city has spending time being recycling police. Not to mention that city police have better things to do than track down recycling scofflaws.

Instead of thinking of every new way to implement a "green" agenda, perhaps City Council should focus on making sure that people are safe in their neighborhoods, that potholes are fixed and that streets are plowed in the winter. After the city actually takes care of those more important matters, it can spend all the time it wants on being "green."

BRENDAN O'DONNELL
Shadyside

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