March 28, 2024

Letters 02-29-2016

Feb. 26, 2016
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Corporate America I talk to David and I get this insurance BS. I talk to Mike and I get this Microsoft BS. Talk to John and everything is BS. My sister too with the insurance BS. Corporations have taken over, and control so much. Is everything a conspiracy? I believe so, more than ever before. The next Supreme Court judge is all important. Imagine Trump stealing this election as if it were a Florida repeat. The US Gov’t does some great things, but look at Flint. Can the vote be rigged? It was before. Remember George W. Bush and how the Supreme Court went with that one. I believe that this country is for ALL of us, and not just a select few. That is why I support Bernie.

Gary R. Baumdraher, Maple City

What Can Be Done I may or may not be a Sanders fan, but does Stephen Tuttle somehow imply that Sanders’ numbers don’t work out but that the other candidates’ numbers do? We have been financing the government on the backs of our children for decades, both Republican and Democrat administrations. Let’s talk about the reason he and someone like Trump are popular: the problems and the possible solutions.

Let’s not fall into the trap of why it can’t be done.

Jonathan Scheel, Petoskey

The Homeless Situation The writer of "The Homeless Situation" letter recently portrayed the liberal community as an ill-suited group to address the needs of the homeless, though he expressed gratitude to the church community for their efforts. Is it not possible to be a liberal and a member of the faith community? These groups are not mutually exclusive. To address homelessness, the "liberal community" would probably concede to take the advice of experts who have studied poverty and homelessness (scientists?), and develop government programs (socialism?) that would require taxes monies to implement (heaven forbid!). If you do not like this proposal, and you truly wish to address homelessness and poverty, tell us what better ideas you have. The writer also suggested government regulations were the culprit in providing (temporary) shelter for the homeless. Perhaps he should suggest such an idea (like EPA regulations) to the people of Flint.

Klaus Lehrer, Williamsburg

Obamacare Is Working Premiums for plans sold in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace increased 6% this year nationwide. In fact, according to a recent Record-Eagle article, 5 out of 21 companies selling individual insurance plans in Michigan did not raise prices at all this year. Contrast this with the 15 years prior to the Marketplace being established, when annual increases for my individual insurance policies ranged from 13 percent to well over 20 percent. We can expect this improvement to continue as a result of the ACA’s emphasis on prevention and expansion of coverage. More importantly, many thousands of lives are being saved and countless bankruptcies avoided.

When we also take into account the fact that the ACA increased Medicare benefits while simultaneously strengthening the program’s finances, it’s very possible that the ACA, affectionately referred to as Obamacare, is the best and most important law passed in over 40 years. Now it’s up to Congress to tweak the law to make it even better and provide adequate funds to ensure proper training of the Marketplace staff and improve its computer systems.

Fred Cepela, Traverse City


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