Bernie Sanders’ health care plan would be too costly? Hardly
Trump’s works outweigh words
A Thursday letter (11A) lamenting President Donald Trump’s preaching “hate” and supposed destruction of the Constitution illustrates a problem in our politics: Most people’s political opinions are protected by a wall of emotion. It makes it nearly impossible to discuss important issues.
I, too, wish the president were more restrained in his comments. But I always note what a politician does rather than what he or she says. Trump has done many good things but has alienated many with his words. That is a far better situation than poor actions and glorious words, which is the output from most politicians.
Use reason, not emotion, to judge a politician.
- Curt Lampkin, Azle
Women get short shrift
Women, you are the glue that holds the family together. You seldom get equal pay for the same jobs men do. Many of you are educated and have the same political experience as the men. However, being president seems to be reserved for men.
I believe most men won’t vote for a woman for president, regardless of her qualifications. Please try again in 2024. Maybe things will improve by then.
- Jim Sanderson, Fort Worth
Joe Biden is already toast
The good old days of the Obama administration were not that good. The Affordable Care Act, President Barack Obama’s only significant legislative accomplishment, has been dismantled by the Supreme Court. “Medicare for all” is the only viable solution to permanently address the issue. And under both Obama and President Donald Trump, there has been job growth, but the rich have gotten richer while the poor are poorer.
Joe Biden will be an easy target, and his nomination will assure a second Trump term. Expect the Trump campaign to focus its fire on Hunter Biden, Biden’s vote for the Iraq war and Biden’s nonsensical and incoherent speeches.
News flash: We already have socialist programs: Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Unfounded fear of socialism will now ensure Trump’s re-election.
- Reagan Smith, Fort Worth
What primaries are for
A Sunday letter writer decried Texas requiring voters to declare their party affiliations. (4B) But primary elections do not elect representatives. They merely elect an individual party’s candidates. Primary elections allow competing parties to poll their own members’ preferences for candidates. Therefore, each voter must choose which party to participate in.
Ideally, only registered party members get to vote for that party’s final candidates. But the opposing party can skew the vote by mass crossover voting. Cheap tricks like that cheat declared party members out of their right to determine their own candidates.
- Robert Moore, Fort Worth
Run the health numbers
I want to respond to the Sunday letter,” Health costs would soar,” with some comparisons. The cost of administering health care in the U.S. is four times as much as it is in Canada, which has had a single-payer system for 58 years. The average U.S. citizen pays $2,497 per year in health care in administrative costs, compared with Canadian citizens’ $551 per year per person, according to a study published in Annals of Internal Medicine in January.
This data contradicts claims by opponents of single-payer health care systems that private programs are more efficient. These facts make Sen. Bernie Sanders’ plans totally feasible.
- K. D. Boyd, Granbury
System fails the blind
You’d think Lucio Delgado, who was born blind, was in some other country. (March 8, 3A, “With no Braille option, blind man fails citizenship exam”) This is a smart man who has jumped through hoops, including saving enough to pay for the legal step of becoming a U.S. citizen and learning what some native-born Americans take 12 years of public school to learn, just for starters.
He’s trying to follow our rules. Shouldn’t we honor that? Or is it just too much trouble to get the Braille?
We say we don’t want people sneaking in. What do we say to this rule-following, patient and kind gentleman who’s trying to join us, by our own rules?
I say give him the tools he needs and watch him become a patriot.
- Joy Perry, Fort Worth
Paper times changing
It’s taking some effort to get accustomed to not going out to pick up the Saturday newspaper. Gone are the days of hoping that it hasn’t rained and that it isn’t too cold or windy.
Back in the old days, there was a morning edition and an evening edition. It didn’t come in a plastic bag. The delivery person folded it so it stayed together and was easy to throw.
Now, we just turn on our machines, and there it is. Then we hope our grandchildren have time to figure out what key we hit wrong.
Here’s to Saturday.
- David Hill, Burleson
Parts of a bigger puzzle
In Mac Engel’s column on Luka Doncic versus Zion Williamson, he concluded Doncic is better — but the real answer is either. (March 6, 1B, “If I had to pick between building my NBA team around Luka or Zion ...”)
Both are young, dynamic game-changing players. Their teams’ success depends on who their teammates are. Every great player needs all-star teammates with the right chemistry to get a title.
Who are the missing pieces? That’s the question.
- Randy Weeks, Roanoke