Letters to the Editor | July 23, 2024

Joe Biden suspending his campaign is one of the most altruistic acts a politician has ever performed in my lifetime. Unlike his opponent, he put country before self. His stellar legacy has only been enhanced by this very painful and difficult action. I can only hope the pain of this decision is lessened by the knowledge that the country holds him in high esteem. I love Biden, and I celebrate his patriotism while I also mourn the fact that the decision had to be made. Both presidential candidates were too old, but one was an ethical man with a sense of integrity — and his decision will save the country from a dictatorship.

Jo-Ann Maguire, Norristown

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President Joe Biden continued his long career in public service by stepping back and endorsing his capable and experienced vice president, Kamala Harris. Biden was both one of the youngest-ever senators and the oldest president in U.S. history. During those years, he experienced personal tragedies that might have destroyed most of us. He was never perfect, but he was always tenacious. I believe history will remember his term as president as a very consequential one.

Vice President Harris will make history by running as the first woman of color to become president. Her opponent, former President Donald Trump, will run a campaign that’s also marked by a few firsts. Trump is the first convicted felon and the first adjudicated sexual predator to run. He is also the first U.S. president to refuse to accept the results of a fair election and try to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. This choice doesn’t seem hard. Thank you, President Biden, for your long years of service. We the people owe you one last favor to ensure your legacy.

Elliott Miller, Bala Cynwyd

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My first reaction upon learning of President Joe Biden’s decision not to run for president was deep sadness. Regardless of one’s political preferences, I believe this entire situation could and should have been handled differently. When concerns first became apparent, the Democratic Party should have addressed them behind closed doors and with all confidentiality. Not only would it have avoided providing fodder for the GOP, but it would have enabled President Biden to step aside with his dignity intact. Instead, they chose to hammer him, humiliate him, scrutinize him, and point out every misspoken word. To what end? To have been publicly called out repeatedly, to have held him and everything he said or did under a microscope, was seriously demeaning to someone who has been a dedicated public servant for so many years. It doesn’t matter what political party you belong to. If people had just chosen to act in a compassionate and considerate fashion, this decision, while terribly heart-wrenching for Biden, could have been made on his terms, not at the hands of those who badgered him until he really had no other choice.

The Democrats could have achieved their desired outcome without making a public spectacle.

I congratulate Biden for making a decision about which he basically had no other choice. The man has always believed in putting the welfare of the people of the United States first, and in doing so, decided to step aside instead of continuing to fight a battle that he possibly just wasn’t going to win.

I don’t find this to be cause for rejoicing. We are at a very serious crossroads, and if not handled well, the outcome may just be worse than having had Biden as the presidential nominee. Whatever happened to a “kinder, gentler nation”? It certainly hasn’t manifested itself in this instance.

Thank you, President Biden, for your service to our country for so many years. I am sorry you had to endure such public humiliation and scrutiny at the hands of your fellow Democrats and, in turn, in the eyes of the world. I cannot imagine how difficult these past weeks must have been, nor how hard it must have been for you to come to this decision.

Know that there are people out there who appreciate everything you have done and wish you well.

Barbara Kotzin, Cheltenham

Helen Ubiñas’ column regarding Donald Trump hits the nail on the head. She not only condemns physical violence, but she also condemns the man who built his candidacy and presidency around inciting violence. I am incensed that anyone can possibly think Trump a hero for “taking the bullet,” as has been circulating since the attempt on his life. He is no hero; he is a showman, not a leader who represents the values of most Americans. Joe Biden has the decency and leadership qualities to call the widow of the man who was killed at the rally and offer his condolences. Biden is only three years older than Trump but is far more capable, knowledgeable, and compassionate than his opponent.

It comes down to this: Do we want an entertainer/dictator or a president who has accomplished more for our country in the past three and a half years than any other president in recent history? As Ubiñas says, it is time to fight — fight for our democracy, fight for women’s rights, fight for Mother Earth, fight for the right to vote, fight for the poor, and fight for the workers and the middle class. In other words, vote for Democrats who have been fighting the good fight.

Maria Duca, Philadelphia

About a year and a half ago, my pharmacist approached me as I was picking up prescriptions at Spartan Pharmacy to ask me if I knew what a “PBM” was. I had heard of pharmacy benefits managers, but like many people, I had no idea of the depth of their involvement in our access to medications. As a state legislator, I knew I had to act, which is why I introduced House Bill 1993, which would provide transparency and accountability for PBMs.

However, state action is not enough, as our power and scope are limited — we need our federal government to also act because prescription drug pricing is out of control. The medicine itself isn’t changing. There hasn’t been a change with the drug manufacturer. The only thing different is that PBMs have unilaterally decided to charge our insurance companies more, and then that cost is passed on to patients in the form of higher premiums, higher deductibles, and higher copays.

PBMs negotiate prices directly with drug manufacturers. They decide what drugs an insurer will cover, and whether a patient needs to try other drugs first before getting their doctor-recommended treatment. PBMs also determine how much patients will pay for treatments, and what pharmacy can fill a prescription, limiting patient choice and hurting our smaller community pharmacies while unfairly rigging the system for the big corporate players.

Making these companies more transparent, requiring that copays reflect discounts and rebates, and ending the connection between higher fees and more expensive drugs would all save patients money and keep our local community pharmacies in business. As Congress looks to address prescription drug prices, PBM reform must be the next step.

Jessica Benham, state representative, 36th Legislative District

The Democrats have finally been passing more legislation in the interest of working people. The Republicans focus on culture war policy to function as a smokescreen for their actual agenda, which only supports big business and people at the very top. A good example is the 2017 Republican tax scam. The lower corporate tax rate that was supposed to increase hiring and investment only initiated the biggest stock buyback spree in history. Republican policy has led to absurd corporate profits and extreme inequality.

Who’s talking about expanding Medicaid to cover dental? Who’s talking about removing the income cap from Social Security so the rich can contribute their fair share? Who’s going after monopoly power? That would be Democrats. Republicans openly push for policy against the common good, but their rhetoric has been effective in getting voters to vote against their own interests. I hope to see The Inquirer focusing more on the actual policy coming from both parties.

Jeff Monjack, Mount Ephraim, jmonjack@hotmail.com

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