West Newsmagazine 6-7-17

4 I OPINION I
June 7, 2017
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Medicare not a
Ponzi scheme?
To the Editor:
Ponzi scheme defined: a fraudulent
investment plan in which investments
of later investors are used to pay earlier
investors, giving the appearance that the
investments of the initial participants
dramatically increase in value in a short
amount of time.
Social Security and Medicare do bear
a resemblance to a Ponzi scheme in that
they generate returns for older investors
[retired Social Security and Medicare
beneficiaries] by acquiring new investors
through forced taxation [taxpayers]. One
difference is that the younger investors
are promised their returns when they get
old. With Social Security, our “investment
managers” have siphoned off funds to pay
for other than Social Security, while at the
same time paying out benefits to people
who should not receive them. Then they
want to move our retirement dates out and
call it “reform” in order to “save” the trust
fund. Add to that, the government is so
far removed from the “beneficiaries” that
scam artists take them for multi-millions
of dollars every year in fraudulent claims.
A recent contributor to the opinions
[“Not a Ponzi scheme,” West Newsmagazine,
May 3] says he is a conservative
yet proclaims the need for a single-payer
system, which Obamacare was a step away
from. He claims that having the government
dictate payouts will stem the increasing
cost of healthcare. It might do that, but
there are consequences. Here are three that
come to mind:
Unintended consequence #1 – do not
people complain about insurance companies,
who currently set the payout, determining
which services are allowed or not, or
who can receive a service? Does one really
believe that government is above this position
of power by virtue of owning the purse
strings? Obamacare wasn’t single-payer,
but even it wielded some of this power.
Unintended consequence #2 – if the
government sets payouts, the government
determines profits for those drug companies
and service providers, if any profits
are allowed. Absent profits, how does a
service provider or drug company fund
development of those wonderful drugs or
equipment upgrades? Has anyone been
reading about the grocery stores in Venezuela
being bare? Connect the dots.
Unintended consequence #3 – related
to #2, doctors and medical students will
flee the profession as they will be unable
to make a living, let alone pay off the debt
associated with medical school. There are
examples of this happening right now in
remote areas that cannot support a medical
building and staff. The building closes
and the residents have to travel significant
distances to receive care.
What impact will all of the above have on
the level of care people receive over time?
Will we get the same level at reduced cost,
or will we get less for the same cost?
So, I’ll stick with our Founding Fathers’
collective wisdom that small government
is good government. I say, keep your single-payer
system. The “free market” this
person referred to is severely constrained
by, you guessed it, our government’s regulations
that prohibit interstate competition,
and that is just one obstacle that conservatives
are trying to get eliminated. If you
like single-payer so much, move to Canada
or the U.K. and try it out, or, better yet, use
the VA health system, then come back and
tell us about your experience.
Jon Schulte
A finite amount of brain cells
To the Editor:
It was recently revealed that Donald
Trump thinks that the human body is like a
battery with a finite amount of energy.
Therefore, with the exception of golf, he
doesn’t exercise for fear of draining his
battery.
It could be that he has a similar theory
regarding the brain. Perhaps he believes
that thinking too much will deplete his
finite number of brain cells.
That would explain a lot.
J. Wade
Getting a good
value for taxes
To the Editor:
Regarding “Tax cuts for the Rich” [West
Newsmagazine, May 17], tax cuts are never
a simple matter of decreasing the marginal
rates.
Rate cuts, along with deduction cuts,
can be tax revenue neutral. And cutting top
rates from 69 percent to 39 percent will
have a much bigger impact for the rich
than moving from 39 percent to 35 percent.
Let’s not forget the small tax rate increase
under President George H. W. Bush – the
“read my lips” that probably cost him reelection
in ‘92. That action also led to
increasing revenues [a growing economy]
and surpluses during the Clinton years.
But for all those who truly believe that
tax cuts always lead to higher government
revenue, my favorite proposal is to completely
eliminate the income tax – the ultimate
tax cut. Won’t that mean government
revenues going through the roof? No!
Let’s not pretend that will work. I’ve
lived in this country for more than 30 years
and have never felt overtaxed. I would
gladly pay a little more tax and have health
insurance that’s not tied to my job – like I
had in Canada. I would gladly pay a higher
gasoline tax and have better roads and
bridges – like in Germany.
What’s more important to me is a feeling
of getting good value for my taxes rather
than paying the least tax. I don’t want to
pay less and assume someone else will
take care of any government shortfall. I
may be in the minority with my thinking
but one thing is clear: low and middle
income Americans are worse off now than
30 years ago. Why?
Klaus Illian
A true apology is needed
To the Editor:
Just when we think we have seen everything
the liberals can throw out, they top
their last action in grand style.
I am referring to the recent, disgusting
video put out by the comedienne/actress
Kathy Griffin. In the video, she slowly and
dramatically raises a mock decapitated,
bloody head of President Donald J. Trump.
If you are familiar with Ms. Griffin, you
know of the level of her shock factor talents.
Her stand-up act is boring and filled with
sophomoric sexual humor. How this woman
ever became famous and reached the levels
she has attained is a mystery to me.
Her most recent action was not funny
at all; beyond that, it was filth and a clear
threat to the president.
Maybe Ms. Griffin should watch the
video of two American citizens who were
beheaded by jihadists. Nicholas Berg was
beheaded in May 2004 on live video with a
bread knife. Two years ago, Steven Sotloff
was beheaded and it was captured on video
as well.
Ms. Griffin attempted to apologize the
next day with a half-hearted act of contrition
and said that her action was “tasteless
and unfunny” – like her stand-up act.
Not only was it over the line, but in my
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opinion it is a federal crime at this point.
United States Code [18 USC 871] makes
it a federal crime or offense for anyone to
willfully make a true threat to injure or kill
the president of the United States.
Besides a few television appearances,
her movie career has recently produced a
movie six years ago called “Hall Pass.” We
all remember that ‘classic’, eh? I would
say that her choices of future employment
are slim, unless the left Hollywood crowd
applauds her recent conduct.
Her apology should be to the president
personally in person and not just a standard
“I’m sorry,” the way most of the liberal
elite post their “boiler plate” requests
for forgiveness, or on a video stating the
wrong she has done.
Who knows? The next knock on her door
might not be a courier with a new script
to review, but a federal agent wanting to
discuss her behavior.
Michael Sargent
Alzheimer’s awareness
To the Editor:
Alzheimer’s disease is the only leading
cause of death in the U.S. without a way to
prevent, cure or even slow its progression.
With over five million Americans living
with this disease today, and a projected 16
million by the year 2050, there is an urgent
need to increase our nation’s awareness
and investment in Alzheimer’s research
funding.
Alzheimer’s is also an extremely costly
disease. It is considered to be the most
expensive disease in America, with nearly
one out of five Medicare dollars spent on a
person with Alzheimer’s. Unless we move
quickly to address this crisis and find better
treatments for those who have it, these
costs will grow swiftly with the escalating
number of those affected.
This disease took my grandfather from
me and my family.
June is Alzheimer’s and Brain awareness
month and the time is now to decisively
address this national epidemic. Thank
you, Congresswoman Ann Wagner, for
meeting with Alzheimer’s Advocates in
Washington, D.C., and voicing strong support
for increased funding for Alzheimer’s
research.
For those living with Alzheimer’s today
and for our future generations, the time is
now to step up our efforts to prevent, delay
and cure this devastating disease.
Courtney Tine
Want to express your opinion? Submit your letter to: editor@newsmagazinenetwork.com • 636.591.0010