Capitalism is great — but it won’t give rural North Texans the health care they need | Opinion

Wants, needs

It’s shocking to see a major health insurance company abandon so many people in a major population center such as North Texas. (April 2, 1A, “Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas: No contract agreement reached”) Free market capitalism is fantastic in delivering things people want but not necessarily the things we need — health care, housing, water and safety. Socialism, even at the paltry level of cities, is always under fire for poor water distribution, sanitation, flood protection, zoning and high taxation. But such necessities are deliverable.

How about health care — especially in rural areas?

- Bill Lanford, Haltom City

Change wanted

If you don’t like unelected DOGE staffers deciding what government programs to cut, then you shouldn’t like nonprofit activists deciding what to fund, either.

Take the Environmental Protection Agency. The agency’s new leaders are fighting to claw back $20 billion that was earmarked for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, the so-called “green bank.” Joe Biden’s administration promised that money to big nonprofit coalitions that decide how it would be spent. Taken together, the green bank and the CHIPS Act (more Biden spending) provide a good picture of what brought the U.S. to this moment of intense upheaval.

Build Back Better was supposed to restore America’s faith in government. If anything, it did the opposite. It’s easy to see why voters wanted the change.

- Lucille Bida, Arlington

Take his?

Elon Musk knows nothing about the history of our country or how our government works. All he knows is how to take from it and destroy our sacred institutions. He seems to have more power than the president.

He is scaring the living daylights out of us old people. We don’t know what is going to happen. I wonder if Musk will take Social Security when he becomes eligible? I bet he will be the first in line.

- Zelda L. Blalock, North Richland Hills

Trump refreshing

A March 30 letter writer stated that Donald Trump does not understand “how government works.” The writer expressed concern over checks and balances and the DOGE initiatives and encouraged Trump to “listen to the people.”

The prior administration canceled student debt without Congressional approval, dismissed suggestions of our military leaders during the Afghanistan exit, ignored existing laws on immigration and borders, couldn’t bring back our astronauts, focused on DEI, did nothing to curb inflation and clearly only listened to a few hard leftists. Finally, we have a refreshing new leader who will show us how government should work.

You may not like Donald Trump’s bombastic style. There will be retractions and mistakes, and it will take a couple of years. But we are finally embarking on a path toward better lives for all of us.

- J. Mark Bronson, Fort Worth

Allies shunned

In 50-plus years of World War II movies, a familiar trope was a scene of an Italian family leaving the farm by night, walking south and gathering neighbors with the shout: “We’re going to meet the Americans!”

In three months of Trump II, our allies meet his vice president’s family and entourage and ask them politely to step off their front stoop.

What did we let happen to Ronald Reagan’s “shining city on a hill”? If you travel abroad this summer, better tell your tour guides you’re from New Zealand.

- Guelma B. Hopkins, Fort Worth