“For profit” and health care don’t mix

To the editor:

As a resident of Pennsylvania’s 10th district, I can only grieve for the state of our democracy after reading that my 2008 choice for Congress will be Democrat Chris Carney and Republican Chris Hackett.

While Tom Kane’s article includes a number of incendiary comments by Hackett, the Republican’s equation of “universal health care” with “socialized medicine” tops the list. During the recent Congressional “SCHIP” debate, another Republican presented a placard that read “Socialized Clinton Hillarycare Insurance Program.” Where is the outrage over this level of discourse?

Hackett says, “I will target how to fix the health care situation with market reforms that can drive the cost down.” Will that fix the problem when health insurance equals a mortgage payment, has deductibles, co-payments and simply doesn’t cover the illness or treatment?

When I become ill, I’m sick of wondering if I am covered, to what extent and by whom. All I want is the treatment that my wife and I pay approximately $700 per month for. I don’t want to be out of state and forced to go to a hospital emergency room for something that is not an emergency, yet needs to be taken care of. Why am I only covered in the emergency room?

Does a for-profit health care system serve us best? The insurance companies profit by denying coverage and curtailing service. Who thinks “the market place” will solve consumers’ problems when it is in business to make money off the consumers, and worse, is successfully dividing up consumers into thousands of complicated groups and plans, thus making the consumer an ineffective force in the marketplace?

I believe that a single payer, universal system is the best answer. I would love to hear intelligent discussion about this life and death issue. What about you?

Winning at any price

To the editor:

As a registered Republican, I am pleased at the results of the last election in Narrowsburg, but I am appalled at the way it was won.

If it is true that 100 percent of the 39 absentee ballots from the Narrowsburg Adult Home were cast for the Republicans, I have to ask myself, who filled out those ballots? The residents at the adult home have nothing else to do on Election Day other than walk down to the library and vote. Why do they need to file absentee ballots?

If I were either of the Republican candidates for the town board, I would refuse to accept the results of this election. If they do accept the results, then I would have to question the legitimacy of the resulting town board. Without the 39 votes, Lisa Dowling would still have a seat on the board. It would make me proud to be a Republican if Lewis Meckle relinquished his seat to his opponent. Winning at any price is just not worth the cost to the democratic process.

Lava, NY

Tina Palacek thanks Town of Highland

To the editor:

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude for all of the incredible support the residents of the Town of Highland gave me during my campaign for town supervisor. I will work very hard for each and every citizen to prove your support was well placed. I hope my dedication to the town can substitute for an individual thank you to every person who supported and helped me for the last five months.

I could not have won the election without the amazing assistance of so many people. You all believed in me as much as I believe in the Town of Highland; I look forward to serving all of the citizens as town supervisor.