Letters to the Editor
Parade and health care
Greetings Bigfork Readers; your fourth of July parade was super. We currently live in Big Bear Lake, CA but are finally relocating back to Montana. We own property in the Bitterroot but like to visit Bigfork often. We know how patriotic everyone is in Bigfork and surrounding areas.
The purpose of my letter is to ask the question,"what will Montanans do when Senators Baucus and Tester vote to confirm Judge Sotomayor knowing what she has said about her interpretation of the 2nd Amendment to the Constitution?" Should Montana recall both Baucus and Tester? It would be heresy for Baucus and Tester to vote against Obama but what would be the right thing to do?
Gary Carlson
Big Bear Lake, Calif.
Health care thoughts
If we fail to get a public option health care plan ASAP the country is going to have a health crisis STAT. Seventy-some percent of the American people want this. If Republicans ignore our cries of indignation and continue to do nothing, they’ll become even more obsolete.
Reagan era government corruption and hypocrisy have pillaged the nation far too long. It's time to take our country back from the backwoods hicks who think they know something yet demonstrate ad nauseam that they know nothing. That would be a great new name for the freshly reformed Republicans: The Know-Nothings. It’s the only reform they’ll ever accomplish.
Around 1860 the original Know-Nothing Party melded with the current Republican Party. (http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=911) It would be ironic if the Republicans laid claim to their old heritage and became Know-Nothings again. A more appropriate name, however, would be Do-Nothings.
The party of Reagan bamboozled Americans for almost 3 decades. Reagan’s regime brought us $600 toilets and $400 hammers and then declared that government is corrupt and inefficient. Our government could build transcontinental railroads and highway systems plus launch men to dance on the moon. Then Reagan came along and said government can't do anything and we haven't done a damn thing since. Unless you count redefining the sanctity of marriage as something between one woman, one man and his Argentinean soul-mate.
Wanda LaCroix
Arlee
Health care concerns
It sounds like Congress is going to follow Senator Baucus’ lead and enact a new Health Insurance Plan. As a state legislator, I have no say-so other than trying to figure out the impact on our state budget. The stated objective is to lower the cost of health care by adding 50 million uninsured Americans to the system at a cost of $1 trillion to $1.8 trillion over ten years. Any time you make something appear free, more people use it for more reasons, so the cost is probably underestimated.
It sure would be nice to have everyone covered with insurance and receiving health care. It would be nice to buy every ten year old in the country a pony as well. Kids love ponies and it would make them happy. Unfortunately, as with ponies, making people happy costs a lot of money and leaves messes behind. You have to feed a pony and clean up after it and “free” health insurance would have the same problems. It will cost a lot and leave a mess.
My point is that we need to be very careful and look long and hard before we leap. What will be the true cost and who is going to pay for it? Will we have the same high quality of care?
I hate to see a massive increase in government spending and involvement in the health care system without everyone understanding what we will have when it is done. So far, we have not gotten a good explanation of what we are doing here. Health care for all would be nice to have but so would having a pony in every kid’s yard! Let’s make sure we don’t leave a mess to step in.
Senator Dave Lewis
Senate District 42
Helena