Medicare increase; marvelous play; too many ads; junk mail

Medicare increase

I was surprised to read about the Medicare increase to be arbitrarily imposed on 30 percent of recipients, although I suppose I shouldn’t have been.

I hadn’t been told that if I postponed signing up for Social Security I would be penalized with an additional $600 confiscated from my savings every year to subsidize benefits for those already using Social Security.

When my car insurance provider imposes arbitrary rate increases because I’ve been a customer too long, I change carriers. No such option here.

If the program is in trouble, rate increases should be distributed across the board, not focused on just one third of those forced to sign up from a captive audience.

Marvelous play

While I greatly respect Mark Lowry, I heartily disagree with his Oct. 9 review of Bad Jews, at Stage West through this weekend.

He is most fortunate not to have encountered people such as Daphna — manipulative, and vindictive if their machinations fail — but they do exist, and the character, although not endearing, is marvelously portrayed by Kelsey Milbourn.

The play, which emotionally ranged from humor to pathos, was so charged that I was literally unable to speak for half an hour afterward.

If the viewers are willing to risk such a gamut of emotional swings, they will be rewarded with one of the best theater performances I have experienced in more than half a century.

Too many ads

I agree with Norma Dixson’s Oct. 21 letter about TV ads.

I’ve stopped watching Dr. Phil because most of the time we can’t see the last of the show, only ads. Also, I’m considering not watching Dancing with the Stars on ABC. It’s a two-hour time slot and one hour is ads!

I’m glad I’m not the only one tired of the advertisements. We don’t have to watch.

Junk mail

Our home recently received an official-looking letter with the city of Arlington logo.

To our surprise, the contents, printed on city of Arlington stationery and signed by Walter Pishkur, our city’s director of water utilities, was nothing more than a junk mail advertisement from some company in Pennsylvania selling a sewer line warranty.

I’ve lived in the Metroplex for more than 60 years, and I can’t remember ever having to replace a sewer line. Keep in mind the policy offered by this company doesn’t cover common sewer line blockage.

I’ve since learned our city accepted a large amount of money for use of our city’s name and logo for marketing.

While I don’t fault Service Line Warranties of America, I do take exception to our city selling our private information to harass our old folks and the uninformed.

This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Medicare increase; marvelous play; too many ads; junk mail."