Industry Greed Means Citizens Will Pay More
Editor, Times-Dispatch: The health care industry has said to Congress, “We don’t care who you insure as long as you don’t cut our pay.“ Congress has kowtowed with concessions to big pharma, big insurance, big medicine, and everyone else involved, except those most affected—namely, taxpayers. We’ll eventually wind up paying even more taxes.

Liberals Want Level Playing Fields
Editor, Times-Dispatch: I object to Lee Rice’s false and insulting description of liberals in his letter, “Liberals Love Utopia, Conservatives Reality.“ Rice claimed that liberals support Utopian and statist ideas. He said they are radical and “hold negative views of private enterprise, profit, and competition.“

Editor, Times-Dispatch: I do not understand many of the arguments against health care reform. Forty-seven million Americans have limited or no access to health care and reform is needed. Indeed, all current health care plans will be forced to change over the next decade—the system is unsustainable. Recent arguments against health care reform, including forced euthanasia of the elderly and disabled, rationed care, and forced abortion are simply absurd notions that are not in any of the currently proposed reforms.

President’s Warnings Apply to Him, Too
Editor, Times-Dispatch: It seems the health care reform cease-fire has been lifted. President Barack Obama’s opening salvo in the current round of hostilities consisted of cheap shots at insurance companies that he says “hold Americans hostage.“ He alerts us that only through him can we be confident that our “health insurance will be there for you when it counts, not just when you’re paying premiums.“

Wars’ Costs Burden Future Generations
Editor, Times-Dispatch: In the uproar over the burden of debt resulting from the recent federal financial rescue spending, some have overlooked the enormous debt incurred by the Iraq war, which has now spawned the Afghanistan-Pakistan war. The Iraq war was foisted upon credulous American citizens and legislators by what has been proven to be appalling, reprehensible lies and deceptions by the Bush administration.

Take Activist Off List of War Heroes
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Regarding the news story, “Virginia’s War Dead”: To place a peace activist in juxtaposition with the heroes in our armed forces who gave their lives to establish a free and independent Iraq devalues the legacy of the war dead. Tom Fox wasn’t in Iraq to wage war on terror or provide security for the Iraqi people. He was there to protest our involvement in the Middle East. Truth be told, he compromised all of our fighting men and women who were in harm’s way. Fox was a danger and a liability to our best and brightest who willingly sacrificed themselves for a noble cause.