The Public Pulse, March 15

Fund bills, not earmarks

In regard to a March 11 news story, I believe the pledge by politicians not to give earmarks to private businesses unbalances the scales even further.

Private businesses usually make some contribution of jobs and income to our economy. Public service unions make contributions and deliver votes to the politicians. By cutting private business earmarks and not restricting earmarks to government projects, we are just funding larger government.

Projects should be included and funded in bills for that purpose. There should be no earmarks stuck in unrelated bills.

Bob Reel, Omaha

Conservatives vote with 1 mind

I’ve heard people say it’s the Democrats who can’t vote a majority on the health care bill and that this has nothing to do with Republican votes.

That may be true, but I find it strange that the Democrats have a big tent of conservatives, liberals and progressives, while the Republicans have just one mind and no ideas on health care.

Does anyone find it strange that there are 41 conservative senators on the right and not one of them thinks any of the Democrats’ ideas or proposals are worthy of their vote?

I always say if 10 people are in a room, there will be 10 opinions on a subject. Yet, we have 41 Republican senators from all over the country, with different backgrounds and values, who vote as a unit with a single mind.

That’s scary. Someone or something is controlling them. It’s against all odds that one conservative wouldn’t have a different opinion than the other 40.

John Welker, Omaha

Problem is the cost, not the care

I believe one reason both sides are so divided on health care reform is that they don’t understand what to reform. They should be calling the current debate health insurance reform, not health care reform.

Neither side has talked much about the ever-increasing cost of health care. They can scream and shout at each other all they want, but it is the runaway cost of health care that needs to be debated thoroughly.

Mark Pounds, Ravenna, Neb.

Must protect private insurance

I fear the public still doesn’t understand just how bad both the House and Senate health care reform bills really are.

The current Senate bill mandates enrollment in a qualified plan yet allows the Health and Human Services secretary to define plan qualifications one year after the bill is passed. Who could possibly want to give government such an authoritative blank check or support legislation that hasn’t even been written yet?

Worse, the original bill would have established a dangerous precedent with a “medical home,” or health maintenance organization plan, that would have disqualified good employer-provided indemnity coverage.

I believe passage of either of these current bills would allow revival of the Ted Kennedy precedent and thus threaten all indemnity health insurance in America.

When people realize the imminent danger to their private insurance, I believe there will be even greater public outcry against these bills.

We must entirely scrap these bills in favor of new legislation that will not harm private insurance coverage.

Bryan Eckert, Omaha

Try health plans that work

Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Trudy Rubin’s March 7 essay should be required reading for every member of Congress, for or against the current health care overhaul.

Assuming Ms. Rubin’s examples are accurate, what in the world are we doing with the kind of health care we have in the United States? The answer, of course, is we have a for-profit type of health care system, and judging by what I can see, the health care system we have is doing a fine job in the for-profit department, which is accomplished by raising premiums and reducing coverages.

As illustrated by Ms. Rubin’s statement that the United States has the highest administrative costs of the countries she was comparing us with, the idea that countries with universal health care have wasteful, bloated bureaucracies is truly a myth.

Some of our elected representatives have become so arrogant and partisan that they cannot look at how other nations have reduced health care costs. Or have our for-profit friends in the health care industry used some of their administrative costs to fund lobbyists to keep the status quo?

Max Handbury, Persia, Iowa

Better than the government

How about we let Walmart run our national health care? I’m serious.

Courtney Campbell III, Omaha

‘America is not a free ride’

In the mid-1920s, my grandmother got on a ship and traveled 19 days at sea from Ireland to come to a country where “the streets were paved with gold.”

She arrived in New York harbor and said she cried, for the thought of a better life was overwhelming.

She registered and became a U.S. citizen. Five years later, she married my grandfather from Canada, who followed the same process to become a U.S. citizen. They worked hard-labor jobs, raised five children and never took a penny from the government.

Illegal immigrants should remember that the “Home of the Free” does not include a handout. They need to get in line. America is not a free ride.

D.M. Guiffredo, Omaha

Job shortage is the same here

Alex Ochoa’s March 11 letter said one reason that illegal aliens come to the United States is that there are not enough jobs that pay enough to live on in Mexico.

Millions of legal U.S. citizens are suffering from that same problem here. Their needs and wants for a better life are what should concern Americans. There is no parity between U.S. citizens and illegal aliens.

I do agree with Mr. Ochoa that illegal immigration is a problem. It’s a problem because our government extends taxpayer money in many forms, plus certain rights and privileges, to illegal aliens who have absolutely no right to them.

Steven G. Engel, Columbus, Neb.

Immigrants are eager to learn

As an experienced educator, I can honestly say the Mexican, Sudanese, Kenyan and Vietnamese students in my classes want to learn.

In the classroom, they are polite and respectful. They sit in their assigned desks and pay attention. They complete their assignments and strive to be successful. They are a pleasure to teach because they are so eager to learn.

I cannot say the same thing for some other students. Their goal is to wreak havoc in the classroom and disrupt the learning process. They complain about too much work to do or say they don’t have to do it. As a result, the learning atmosphere is destroyed.

I want my tax dollars to educate the new generation of immigrants and their children — both legal and illegal.

Kathleen R. Moran, Omaha

Detect diabetes before it occurs

I work closely at the Nebraska Medical Center with patients and families struggling to manage diabetes.

People should take the risk test and address these risks before they develop into diabetes. There are changes we can make to lower our risk for Type 2 diabetes.

Sandra Himmo, Omaha

Our decisions do affect others

Steve Wiseman (March 9 Pulse) believes the government should not intervene in his decision to ride a motorcycle without a helmet. He writes that he is “willing to accept the consequences” of his behavior.

All well and good until he becomes a quadriplegic and tens of thousands of dollars will be spent keeping him alive for years and years.

His insurance premiums, hospital charges and personal attendants will be paid for by others, unless he is extremely wealthy.

So, it seems, Mr. Wiseman is not so wise.

The Rev. David R. Holmes, Council Bluffs

Families need moms and dads

In reference to Mike Yowell’s March 5 Midlands Voices essay (“Respect increasing for gays”), I don’t believe it is “respect” for gay couples as much as it is “tolerance.”

I believe some people have not thought it out and have consciously decided that gay marriage is OK. They apparently have become victims of a mob mentality and want to be politically correct.

I think for myself and believe that gay marriage is wrong. God intended that marriage be between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:15-24).

Chip Maxwell’s March 5 Midlands Voices piece, referring to violence in north Omaha, quotes a reformed gang member whose comments were mentioned in a recent Michael Kelly column: “You have to understand that the average black males in our community don’t have a father around to mold them into what a man is.”

I would add that children need mothers as well as fathers. I believe gay marriage will be one of the greatest downfalls of our nation. I am glad Nebraska recognizes this and has refused to legalize gay marriage.

Virginia Nelson, Genoa, Neb.

Stance seems inconsistent

The Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Boulder, Colo., dismissed two of its students because their parents are lesbians and homosexuality is contrary to Catholic beliefs.

What about divorced parents? Are their children to be booted next?

Tom Black, West Point, Neb.

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