Letters To The Editor, June 17, 2009
GOP Coverage Was Out of Dems Playbook
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Regarding the newspaper's coverage of the Virginia Republican convention, "Cuccinelli, Bolling Join GOP Ticket": In recounting Bob McDonnell's acceptance speech, the first item mentioned in the news story is McDonnell receiving applause when he commented on "innocent human life" and the right to bear arms -- as if that was the main thrust.
McDonnell's speech covered many pressing issues. He talked about taxes, energy, bailouts, tourism, small business, jobs, retirees, card check, and the skyrocketing cost of college tuition. Every speaker at the convention talked about the Republican belief in individual liberty and self-reliance as contrasted with the Democratic belief in social welfare and government dependence. There is not one word about any of this in the news article.
The article tried to convey the message that the convention attendance fell short of expectations. The 8,000 attendees were the most to attend a Republican state convention in Virginia in the past 15 years -- far beyond expectations.
There is space in the story to mouth the Democratic line that "Republicans turned down stimulus money for expanded unemployment benefits," but no space to explain the Republicans' stated reasons for doing this.
There was no mention of the remarkable speech by Adnan Barqawi, former Regimental Commander of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, about his life and what it means to be an American. He received two standing ovations and the loudest applause. The paper didn't showcase this accomplished ethnic minority who is a proud Republican.
This type of biased, skewed coverage of Republicans to fit a template is a page straight out of the Democrats' playbook. So, congratulations to this newspaper for fulfilling its role as the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party.
Jessee Ring.
Pulaski.
Many Question Global Warming
Editor, Times-Dispatch: In a reply to my letter, "Climate Change Needs DeBunking," Rod Elser wrote, "Climate Debunking Was Bunk Itself." Let me assist him in understanding global warming.
I'll begin with the following from Science (http://www.theregister.co.uk/science): "Two authorities provide us with analysis of long-term surface temperature trends. Both agree on the global temperature trend until 1998, at which time a sharp divergence occurred. The UK Meteorological Office's Hadley Center for Climate Studies HadCRUT data . . . shows worldwide temperatures declining since 1998. According to Hadley's data, the Earth is not much warmer now than it was in 1878 or 1941."
On Jan. 14, 2008, John L. Casey, director of the Space and Science Research Center (http://www.spaceandscience .net) wrote the following: "The Earth has been in a long-term cooling trend technically for 11 years. The significant drop in global temperatures that also occurred between January 2007 and much of 2008 should have been enough for most observers to finally accept that global warming is over, except that this information was intentionally not passed on to the American people."
In a March 2, 2009 letter Casey sent to President Barack Obama, he expressed his concern about the uncertainties of attempting to regulate the environment, especially "now that global warming has ended, the attempt to legislate and then impose cap-and-trade schemes on the American taxpayer and their businesses can only be described as highly speculative."
Some additional facts: CO2 is not a pollutant -- it is necessary for all life on Earth. Human activity produces only .038 percent of the CO2 in the atmosphere, with 96.5 percent of greenhouse gases derived from the oceans -- of which water vapor is the largest amount. Last, during the past millennium, levels of CO2 were often at higher levels than the current levels.
William Ryan.
Midlothian.
Can the Government Beat this Health Care?
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Two months ago, I wrote letters to Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb, and to President Barack Obama.
The letter outlined my health-related issues over the past two years which have included two surgeries, an extended stay in intensive care, numerous tests, X-rays, doctor visits, and hospital visits for pre-admission and other testing. During this time my care was tremendous. All of my doctors, health care professionals, administrators, even the insurance companies, have been great.
My question to my legislators and president was: How would the new health care plan suggested by the Democratic Party improve my health care? To my great disappointment, none of these men gave me the courtesy of a return communication. Either they don't know the answer -- or they don't want me to know. So much for transparency.
Ed Nugent.
Chesterfield.
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Reader Reactions
Support the troops? I support the troops. Only when I support someone, it means I don’t want them to get shot in a sandy hellhole for no reason. That’s what I do when I support people.
Since we’re all so money conscious with our tax dollars these days, I wonder if anyone even noticed the $106B stroke of the pen that came down in Washington yesterday to keep our boys in harms way, fighting an illegal, corporate war. Anyone?
TheTruth - It isn’t a right if somebody else has to pay for it, regardless of whether it’s health care or housing. You seem to think the government is the most efficient way of handling this issue - I don’t.
What does Rush Limbaugh have to do with anything? That’s pretty random (although it isn’t really - it’s a default position when you’re losing an argument). While you might agree with Vladimir Putin on healthcare, I didn’t feel compelled to bring him into the argument.
Try this on for size, Rush Limbaugh and I both support the troops and think we live in a great country - do you agree with us or do you not support the troops and think we live in a lousy country? Rush and I believe you should be able to make as much money as you can earn in life - I trust you disagree with that and have some sort of idea when a person is making too much money, right?
You and some of your friend who keep bringing up Limbaugh are amusing - as if you disagree with everything he says.
Randy, since we are too divided in opinion of health care for a society, being you appear to believe it is a privilege (as does Limbaugh), compared to normal goods & services, while I feel it is a basic human right, as is water to a person of thirst, I’ll just let the divide stay as is. You & view with minority of our populace. I & view with the majority, as with 76% who value basic human choice of non-profit insurance option.
Perhaps I’m one of those silly people with some degree of empathy for all Americans in need of sharing the most basic need of all in a civilized society; that of caring for the sick. Seems to be mentioned a lot in the Bible, along with teachings of Jesus Christ. Perhaps I’ve been influenced as to value of one’s life and a question that I ponder might be asked upon my death: What did you do for others that made your life worthwhile? If I ignored the suffering and unfairness toward them, I’d fear I might be asked to explain “why?“
Farewell, as to this topic.
Please make the case why it is moral to enjoy goods and services and send the bill to someone else via the government.
Making light of Walmart employees? How so?
A 62-yr old woman homemaker who is not disabled, but had illness years ago, can not get catastrophic insurance in VA due to illness years ago. Only option is getting financially hosed by BCBS or go w/o and take chance until age 65.
“Seems to me that when those 76% of Americans find out the details of a government option, you’ll be dealing with 5% of Americans wanting the plan.”….So, if only 5%, why is there to fear of the option? Who knows, might be less costly than BCBS.
I know you’re not willing to let go of an inaccurate point, but, if you want negotiation, you can (a) pay cash at the doctor’s office and get a better rate and (b) contact the drug company to get help paying for the drugs.
I have a personal private, tax free healthcare account that I pay into twice monthly and have catastrophic insurance to cover the big stuff - saves me lots of money. So, you can’t do likewise? Why not?
You’re on Medicaid or Medicare? Please, you shouldn’t be making light of Walmart employees - because most of them are tax payers who are helping you foot your bill. I know, you like the idea of enjoying goods and services and then sending the bill to someone else. I don’t. Before PC took over, we called people like that leeches.
76% of Americans want a government option? 76% of what Americans? Seems to me that when those 76% of Americans find out the details of a government option, you’ll be dealing with 5% of Americans wanting the plan.
There’s a conflict of interest with the government being able to write the rules AND provide the services in competition with the private sector which doesn’t get to write it’s own rules.
I use Walmart and Chinese T-shirts as an example of a free enterprise world economy, and some Walmart associate gets her pants all in a knot…”Walmart saves it’s customer’s money - why is that a problem?”. Trust others with open minds comprehend the example of Walmart (and other retailers, both large and small) competing in a free enterprise capitalistic environment; hopefully, with better oversight than that of past 8 yrs of the financial industry. Issue is….we do not have enough competition with our health care system. We don’t even allow our government (we citizens) to negotiate fair pricing (costs, which means our $) for billions of $’s of product we (being all of us) buy from foreign and domestic manufacturers of medical supplies, primary being medications, while they become far more expensive than same product charged in all other world countries, who do have price negotiation authority for their citizens. Hello! This is not right.
Tell you what associate. You like your Walmart health insurance, good for you. Keep it. I do not like paying $864/mo to Anthem BCBS for the only policy I can get in our state for my wife with no major illness in over 8 yrs. $5,000 deductible, won’t cover primary med, so far has paid 48% of drug costs, while we pay 52% in med copays, has paid out less than 8% amount we paid to them in premiums. Know why they just increased premium 14.4%, and can do so every few months? Cause we have but that one and only option, which is no option, except go without and risk total retirement ruin. Screwed, like thousands of others. I want another option and will pay 100%, even 110% of value of cost based on insurance pool of tens of millions of other Americans who will gladly choose to stop getting hosed. I also want; no, demand, Congress insert drug price negotiation authority for Medicare, just as we have had for years with V.A.
Update: Todays NBC/Wall St Journal poll found 76% of us want a government option with current private insurer options. We shall see if GOP will favor citizens or their financial self-interests from private insurers. I suggest they listen to 76% of their employers.
Walmart saves it’s customer’s money - why is that a problem? With commodities, where all things are pretty much equal - price wins out. Our company used to do business with a company named Pillowtex in Kannapolis - between the union and the management, they became non-competitive and then got screwed as people parachuted out while the going was good. Between taxes and unions - no wonder China can beat the snot out of us.
If you think the GOP screwed you, wait until you get a taste of Obamacare - you’ll be saying George W. Who? This is a disaster I can see coming a mile away.
Should drug companies operate at break even? No. They should charge whatever the free market demand will allow them, based on today’s world economy. Why do we find majority of dry goods in Walmart “Made in China”? Cause it is cheaper to make a T-shirt there, ship here, and market it; than, made in Carolinas. A world economy at work. Why are American-made drugs sold less than half price in Germany than here? Why are German-made drugs sold almost twice as much in America than in Germany? Cause they can. Congress has allowed such. Flip-it? Are we to absorb years of deutsche marks
spent on research by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals of Ingelheim, Germany so they can sell Macardis at $2.13 each in U.S. under our Med Plan D program vs. $1.17 retail in Germany where it is made….same price I can order via Canada and shipped to Virginia from Germany? Should I call Boehringer for better U.S. price or keep buying from via Canadian middle-man from their country? What would you do? Also, does anyone think all major drug corps are based in U.S? ALL of them worldwide are in on the scamming of U.S. taxpayers and customers. It’s The Sting.
“I know Bush has you all upset”….No. He & his GOP upset me by letting the insurers and pharmaceuticals write our Plan D program w/o price nogiation abilities, as does our Vet Admin. Why? Duh. Profits for the insurers and pharmaceuticals.
Greta - Big kudos to you!! I thought my earlier characterization of Luntz as a Moderate Republican made it understood that he was a rank amateur compared to the democrat machine - but, you’re correct, the point should be appropriately amplified. Thanks for picking me up on that one.
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