Letters to the Editor
Medicare is the best value "It's simple: Medicare for everyone" (Tuesday) should be required reading. Medicare provides the best coverage for the least amount of money for the most people.
Medicare
is the best value
"It's simple: Medicare for everyone" (Tuesday) should be required reading. Medicare provides the best coverage for the least amount of money for the most people.
For a very reasonable deduction from my Social Security check, I get to choose my own doctors, negotiate my own treatment, avoid paperwork, have never waited for treatment for any condition (including three surgeries), have never had recommended treatment denied, and do not pay for any generic drugs (with the addition of Medicare Part D, for which the charge is also reasonable). Occasionally, there is a small copay for some services.
Writer Leonard Boasberg mentions the "astronomical executive compensation" among other negative practices that are standard procedure for private insurance companies. Why should we be penalized, denied care, and forced to fund these wealthy pariahs whose bottom line has nothing to do with providing good care for those they choose to cover?
Claire Donohue
Philadelphia
Column omitted
Joe Wilson's past
I read Kevin Ferris' right-wing rant of the week Sunday and found glaring omissions that need to be noted ("People who should know better play the race card").
Ferris goes after Maureen Dowd for implying that Rep. Joe Wilson's "You lie" statement really meant "You lie, boy." Ferris claims that poor Joe is being unfairly labeled a racist because he is Southern, white, conservative, and Republican.
First, Wilson was one of seven South Carolina state senators who, in 2000, voted against removing the Confederate flag from the state house. Second, he is a member of the ultraconservative Sons of Confederate Veterans. Last, he apparently made a pretty big stink when Essie Mae Washington-Williams revealed that she was the late Sen. Strom Thurmond's daughter.
While none of these things or their combination might make Wilson a racist, it was simply irresponsible for Ferris to not include them in his column.
Mark Orth
Sellersville
Police improved in handling rape cases
Re: "Phila. police upgrade handling of rape cases," Sept. 28:
I want to express my appreciation to the leadership of the Philadelphia Police Department's Special Victims Unit for the way the unit now handles victims of sexual assault.
The sensitivity described in Daniel Rubin's column and echoed by Carol Tracey of the Women's Law Project is very important, especially considering that the majority of reported sex crimes involve individuals under the age of 18. That's right; most victims are children.
For a child who has been sexually abused, often by someone known and trusted, the response of law enforcement and other mandated agencies such as child welfare can make the difference in his or her ultimate healing and recovery.
Chris Kirchner
Executive director
Philadelphia Children's Alliance
Philadelphia
Olympics are just
another business
I am delighted that Chicago did not get the Olympic Games. First of all, the Olympics have become just one more multibillion-dollar corporation. It's all about money, not sportsmanship. It's all about corporations giving zillions of dollars to the Olympics so they can hawk their beer and other merchandise. If it's not all about money, why are professional, million-dollar athletes allowed to take part?
Furthermore, what on earth is the U.S. president doing flying to Denmark to flack for this athletic corporation? Excuse me. Doesn't he have better things to do?
Len Lear
Philadelphia
Should we all
carry guns?
Scott Misus thinks we would all be safer if everyone carried a gun; I'm sure he loves cowboy movies and longs for those good old days ("A downside to carrying a gun," Wednesday).
The statistical discussion you raise is an interesting one. I wonder if it would be possible to use those cowboy days to determine the relative safety of law-abiding citizens back then, whether or not they carried six-shooters. I'll bet that the life expectancy in Wild West towns was a lot shorter than today.
OK, that may be solely due to modern science. How about comparing the life expectancy back then between the Wild West towns and more "genteel" Eastern cities like Philadelphia? Did our town have anything like the per-capita death rate from guns that we're "enjoying" today?
Joe Matisoff
Philadelphia
A marriage
of giants
Comcast is in negotiation to purchase NBC Universal, a perfect marriage of two companies that have no idea what quality television programming is.
On the bright side, instead of having to watch Jay Leno not be funny every night, we can hope to see Jean-Claude Van Damme's Bloodsport.
Tim Daly
Yardley