Letters to the Editor, Feb. 12, 2010

Published: February 12, 2010

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You can't make this stuff up

EDITOR: It's interesting to me that the president and the ultra-left liberals (or Progressives as they now want to be referred to as) in Washington are going around touting their successes "creating or saving" millions of jobs last year. According to them, this was accomplished by borrowing $787 billion dollars from future generations of tax payers under the legislation called "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" or the "Stimulus Bill." The title of the "Stimulus Bill" is important to keep in mind "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

I don't know how many watched the ABC Nightly News on Feb. 9, 2010. Anyone who did may have watched a story concerning how a great deal of our borrowed money is being spent under the "Stimulus Bill" creating "Green Jobs." The problem is that the story on ABC pointed out that a great deal of those new "Green Jobs" were being created mostly in foreign countries, predominately in China. It pointed out that most of the wind turbine components used to build many of these new wind farms are being produced in foreign countries, again mainly in China. Now from a pure numbers or accounting standpoint, jobs may have been created with the borrowed money from "The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act," and I guess saving or creating jobs for workers in foreign countries counts as saved or created jobs according to those in power in Washington today. My question is how does creating or saving jobs for workers in foreign counties help furloughed workers here repay the trillions of borrowed dollars your government is spending now ?

Part of that same ABC news story also pointed out that while we are buying wind turbine blades from Chinese companies there is a company right here in Pennsylvania that makes - you guessed it - wind turbine blades that had to lay off workers last November. Guess what, those workers who used to work in that plant here in Pennsylvania building wind turbine blades will be handed the same bill as the rest of us to pay back the trillions being spent right now saving or creating foreign jobs.

Instead of giving staged press conferences in carefully choreographed settings like the recent one in the CraftMaster plant by Rep. Carney (who voted for the Stimulous Bill) where they bring in the big cardboard checks, and still don't create any new jobs. Why don't they go to plants like the one here in our state that builds wind turbine blades and had to lay off workers and hold a press conference? I'll bet I know why I'll never see that happen! American Reinvestment and Recovery Act? Really! Has anyone other than me had enough of this "New Progressive Agenda?" I can't afford it!

Daryl Miller

Wyalusing

Untenable

EDITOR: We can not put off dealing with health care reform any longer. The idea that one election, of one senator, should bring this to a halt, is ludicrous. The Democrats have a 59 to 41 majority.

Please, encourage your representatives to pass this legislation now.

The burden of providing health care by maintaining the status quo is untenable. The cost of insurance premiums is expect to double in ten years, and in 2009 it was $2.5 trillion.

We have been trying for 70 years, it should not be put off, just for expediency sake. Literally, American citizens are suffering and dying, needlessly, for lack of affordable health care.

We must not heed those who are saying wait just a little longer. Wait until after the next elections. Americans on main street understand the burden to our economy, to lost jobs, the bankruptcies, the fear, from not having accessible, affordable health care.

No more delays. We need action. Do the right thing. Pass health care now.

Susan Alvino

Sayre

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12 posted comments

America will rise through this, but we need all people to work together to do it. I think the bickering in Congress has put off millions. The idea of coming together, and finding common ground, and compromise should be the hallmark of Congress. Perhaps they will remember that soon. Then go to work, and get something done.
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SueA,  02/14/10 11:57
OMG, Joe. Some people should air their paranoid conspiracy theories to their shrinks, not the general public.
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Embarrassed For You,  02/14/10 10:13
Under the Bush administration, corporations were able to take advantage of many tax incentives, while moving their companies offshore. President Obama has supported repealing these tax breaks, and giving American companies, that remain on American soil, more tax incentives. This is wise, and worthwhile, and should be supported by both sides of the aisle. It is part of the jobs bill recently introduced. Let's hope it passes, with bipartisan support.
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SueA,  02/14/10 9:53
Hawaii has mandatory health care, and its citizens love it.
Massachusetts has mandatory health care, passed under Gov. Romney, and they are very happy with it.
Vaccines have prevented many, millions of needless deaths. We soon forget polio and smallpox, etc. when they are no longer occurring under our noses. As a child I had one school friend left deaf from measles, another contracted polio and died. I was about 9 at the time. My children and grandchildren never think about that. I have never forgotten it.
Our nation is the only modern Democracy that does not provide health care for its citizens. I have good friends in Canada who are shocked at how their medical care is portrayed. They say they wait only days for a specialist, and there are walk in clinics in most communities. Together with their physicians they determine their care and treatment. No insurance company can deny a medication because it is not on that companies formulary. No insurance company can deny them care for cancer or a transplant.
They say they refuse to visit the U.S.A. for fear of illness or accident that might force them into a hospital, where the bills would be insurmountable.
I do support health care for all. I consider it a basic civil right. These very same arguments were used during LBJ's administration to block medicare. Now that is considered a basic right of every adult, age 65 and up.
We already have many forms of government paid, or supported health care. If you work for any government agency, and receive heath insurance, your care is paid for by the government. If you use the V.A. system, your health care is paid for by the government. If you receive Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP, again, your health care is paid for by the government. If you are in the military, your health care is paid for by the military. It is a small, and sensible, leap to health care for all.
In fact, I believe, if we free our citizens from being fearful of bankruptcy due to high medical bills, we might see a willingness to get healthier.
By the way, our President has always supported health care for all. I do not know why you continue to misinterpret his words.
Personally, I have pushed this for about 40 years, and my parents did before me.
It is the right time to do this, in fact, it is well past time for our nation to pass health care reform.
We fear change, but change is one of the sure things in life.
As sure as death and taxes, comes change.
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SueA,  02/14/10 9:45
Typical political back and forth bashing while health care goes up and the job market falls. Why not unite into one belief that the United States of America will hold through this storm and together we will rise again? United we stand, divided we fall.
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Myles West,  02/14/10 9:03
Dear Sue, This is that same letter you had published up at your local newspaper. I have to give you credit on pushing your agenda to create a law which can never be eliminated. I give you credit for siding with Casey, Carney and Specter who have no problem taking away our rights and giving us vaccinations against our will..
That is injecting us with toxic vaccines as we resist kicking and screaming. You may like that kind of America, but I will protest
such laws as long as I have breath. You are what was called in the 1700's a Loyalist. Loyal to King Obama. A man who lied and got elected saying that he was against MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE!
I'm glad to see that the states are now trying to assert their God
given rights of freedom. So the States are now becoming Colonies
and the King Of England has been replaced with King Obama.
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Joe DuPont,  02/13/10 11:01
Bravo, Bravo, Bravo.
The whole point is to destroy the US with goods bought outside.
Walter Cronkite, Hillary Clinton are all for the loss of American Made Goods. We use to buy just crap from China, now we are buying
wind turbines.. next vaccines.. and most likely tainted with virus time bombs to take out our entire population. I would love to have absolute proof that Obama's kids actually got the Swine Flu Vaccine and not just water.
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joe dupont,  02/13/10 10:52
Another correction for Ain't that a shame: ARRA does specify to buy American. Otherwise, your post is great!
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Got ARRA and had to buy American,  02/13/10 7:57
I do believe that eliminating the tax breaks from companies that removed their business from American soil, will bring some back, but will, more importantly, give some long overdue respect to those who stayed American. This is part of the jobs bill, and should be supported across the board. Let us wait and see what the G.O.P. will choose to do.
Have you ever wondered, why Independents, always caucus with the Democrats? Is it because the G.O.P. no longer allows independent thinking?
Are you looking forward to the bi-partisan health care summit?
I am. Sometimes, you just have to sit down and talk. Maybe,
we can actually have bi-partisan agreement. Do you get tired of the G.O.P. complaining, even when they get their way. They wanted to be included, they are being included. They complained that it was not televised, now it will be televised. They wanted the President to be more directly involved with them, and now he is.
The ball, is now in their court, show us your bill.
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SueA,  02/13/10 7:33
To be correct, I must point out that Congress and the Senate has historically been Republican only from 1994 through 2007.
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Ain't That A Shame,  02/12/10 9:41
It's a shame that congress didn't specify "buy American" when drafting the Recovery Act.

It's a shame that congress historically does not specify "buy American" and that congress has historically been Republican.

It's a shame that the Republican dominated government has stonewalled investment in wind energy development and other green energy development for over 40 years.

It's a shame that China is way ahead of the US and PA in manufacturing and installing wind generators.

It's a shame that the US isn't already heavily utilizing wind energy and needs to catch up.

It's a shame that when the president tries to cut back on pollution that there are those who see the glass as half empty instead of half full.

It's a shame that there are those who still don't understand that the behavior of the Bush administration from 2001 through 2008 caused the record deficit, economic collapse, and continuing need for our taxes to stimulate the economy.

It's a shame that we're still suffering heavily from the Bush years.

It's a shame that some folks' heads are so far to the right that they actually believe dead center politics are ultra-left.

It's a shame that many or most of the Republican senators and congressfolks who unanimously voted against the recovery bill are holding up cardboard checks for their constituents to see and bragging about how good this is for their local economy.

It's a shame. But what are you going to do?

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Ain't That A Shame,  02/12/10 2:32
Sue, If you will read the front page of today's Daily Review, you will note that nearly eighty percent of Americans believe their current health care meets their needs. Since less than a year ago the same percentage, about eighty, wanted health care reform, how can this be? Just because our last Republican president was an idiot, many of us came to believe that the entire Republican party was filled with idiots. It is not. They have done an absolutely masterful job of scaring the public about what health care reform will cost and what it will provide. If they have done nothing else in twenty years, they have perfected the use of fear as a political weapon. Your figures about potential health care increases over ten years are based on old data. Given the increases over the last year, it is more likely that health insurance costs will double again in less than five years. This is because the discussion about health care reform over the last year has scared the insurance companies witless. They know that the government now realizes that at some point they will need to put the insurance companies out of business. The runaway cost increases in health care are attributable solely to the profits made by health insurance companies. The actual costs of services in health care have remained fairly steady over ten years and in dollars adjusted for inflation have actually declined slightly. You are correct that our citizens are dying and going broke because of health care. But unless the Democrats get some guts, and pass their best health care plan they can craft from the combined house and senate bills, and shove it down the Republican's throats through the process of reconciliation, we will see no change except continued out of control costs. Democrats need to stop trying to reach out to Republicans. Republicans will not vote in favor of anything this president proposes, health care, jobs, economy, energy, or otherwise. They want to bring the country to a standstill legislatively, and they are doing so. And they aren't doing it slyly or under the table. It is their publicly stated goal and plan. Fewer than twenty percent of Americans at this point will admit to being Republican. And they are bringing our country to its knees. So tell me their not smart.
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Schmitty,  02/12/10 8:10