LIVE CAMS: Check crowds, traffic on Tybee Island 

Click here for more
  • Comment

Letters to the editor Thursday

Posted: April 29, 2010 - 12:18am  |  Updated: April 29, 2010 - 6:20am

Health reform part of competitive future

In the not so distant past, America had some of the lowest corporate taxes in the world. But today we have some of the highest.

What changed? Nothing so much on our part. The world changed.

The defeat of communism and the advancement of free markets and democracy has led other nations to emulate our system and recognize the need to keep their industries competitive. So, yes, we need to reform and reduce corporate taxes for competitive reasons.

On the other side of the market, health care costs continue to rise at alarming rates, vastly outstripping all other nations in percentage of GDP. The biggest fault with the whole health care reform debate was and is the lack of any comparison between the forty odd nations who do have some sort of nationalized health care.

The Swiss (who have more guns per capita than the U.S.) call it a premium, not a tax, it is after all private nonprofit run insurance companies in their country as the primary source of health care, just mandated by the government.

I suspect here lies the heart of the debate for many Americans: Can we as a nation remain economically competitive without a more equitable and efficient health care system? At least in many of those nations who have a nationalized health care system the voters decide how much of their taxes are going to health care.

I am hoping that we as a society can have a more rational discussion about health care reform; it certainly hasn't been in-depth enough and way too shrill so far. Maybe the U.S. can chart a new course in healthcare reform but we would be wise to carefully examine what other countries have done before us before fully implementing or repealing what has been passed into law at this time.




Term limits good for Chatham

Why do people who run for a term-limited job have a hard time accepting the term? ("Liakakis third term bill looks unlikely," April 13)

Since the early 1990s the two-term limit has been in place. Yet the people who are savvy enough to serve for eight years feel that at the end of their two terms the policy needs to be "fixed?"

Do they believe there is no other person in Savannah or Chatham County who can possibly carry us forward? I would be very impressed if the leader had tried to get this policy in place before they ran for office.

If the prior policy of running for office indefinitely was a good idea, it would still be in place today. No one would have found a reason to step forward and change it to begin with.

I wish we could find out what was going on back then. It may explain why we should just leave well enough alone. I think eight-year term limits are a good idea, as new ideas are refreshing and welcomed.

The newbee will keep the good ideas in place and work on something else that needs improvement. Then the outgoing leader will get some much needed R & R and in four years, he can run for the office again - this time with more experience and wisdom.

By the way, who are these people who asked - not once, but twice in the article - not to be named? I originally wrote this for Vox Populi, but changed it to a letter to the editor so I could specifically sign my name.

We are digging ourselves out of a deep recession. We don't need to be spending a bundle on any term limit studies right now. Let's take the view that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."



GOP needs better health alternative

I was interested in Cal Thomas' April 7 column. He does not seem to think Republicans have an adequate substitute if Obamacare is eliminated.

This Conservative syndicated columnist says to Republicans, "suppose the new health care law is overturned on Constitutional grounds. Then what? No one wants to see the current chaos of selective health insurance and rising treatment costs continue."

Quoting Dr. DeBakey, the famous heart surgeon, he says: "blind opposition, indignant repudiation, bitter denunciation of these laws is worse that useless. It leads nowhere and leaves the profession in a position of helplessness if the rising tide of social development seeps over them. Which is what has happened with Obamacare...". He goes on quoting DeBakey, "health care is too critical for the welfare of the people to be held hostage by the politically motivated and profit minded. Herein lies the societal challenge; the need for accepting the desirability of some form of national health care. along with the willingness to pay for it..."

The bottom line is this. He does not feel that the Republicans have a substitute ready to replace Obamacare if it is struck down. They will have to replace it with something because the "rising tide of social development has seeped over them". If they quiet down and try to decide what is best for the country and not what is the most strategic political angle, they may find a way to provide what Obamacare provides; and provide it in accordance with their principles . And sobering up, they may find their principles embodied in the current New Health Care Law that they call Obamacare, as it uses the existing "for profit" insurers and does not create public insurance.

JIMMIE SNOOKS, Springfield



Parents teaching kids unsafe habits

I am frustrated about what seems to be a common philosophy between parents and children that laws are for everyone else. Whether driving or walking, if they did learn any safety laws, they have managed to completely remove them from their lives.

I have seen a mother with a baby in a stroller and a toddler in hand cross Abercorn in the middle of the block when a traffic light and cross walk are within 30 feet. What lesson is she teaching her children?

In fact, that seems to be the norm: Whatever you do, don't cross any street - the busier the better - unless you can dart between cars, and it doesn't matter if they are moving or stopped at a light.

It's not just children or youth ignoring their own safety--it's adults, who should know better. The next time the car behind you is a foot from your bumper and driving 65 mph in a 35 mph zone, check out the driver. And that's easy to do because, in many instances, they will be stopped at the next light - albeit one car length ahead of you. That is, if they don't speed through the red light.

What will stop the stupidity? It's too bad society has to come up with the answer - whether it be cameras at intersections, old fashioned traffic cops on the road, or expensive tickets for jaywalking - all of which I support. But there is a better solution. People, just think before you act and weigh the consequences of your actions. Surely, you care more about your own life and that of your children. Stop the stupidity.




Don't nix phone books

I heard on the radio news that the Georgia Legislature is considering giving telephone companies in large metro areas a pass in providing telephone books for those areas.

This is ludicrous. I refer to my local directory several times a week for telephone numbers, locations of people and business, and street address and zip code numbers.

The telephone companies have it made. They charge exorbitant fees for service including telephone directory service when they provide the number. Every month you have to comb their bill to see what new fee they try to stick on their bills that they have not informed you of.

It is not uncommon to call every month and ask to remove charges that were not authorized. To let them not publish a phone book would amount to opening the dam to sky rocketing prices.

It is difficult now to pay basic services when you are on fixed income.



Submit a letter

  • Comment
Comments (17) Add comment
mcdgary 04/29/10 - 07:10 am
GOP needs better health alternative -ha!

Mr. Snooks the GOP's intent is to derail the Democrats so as to regain power. They have not given any thought to "their" HC reform. Once back in power think of the sountrack from the "Bad News Bears."

seaweaver 04/29/10 - 08:06 am
There are plenty of GOP ideas

but we need only three

Tort reform...which is Violently opposed by democrats..(one call that's all)

Free markets...not the over government regulated madates we have now that require single men to pay for mammogram riders) and by extension to purchase across state lines.

If you have an HSA plan now you better use it and the brilliant Democrats has capped your use in their Grand Design to $2400. If you need braces better get them now.....

Remember those write downs all those companies had to make(by SEC rules) after passage? Remember how Mr. Waxman was going to drag them up to congress for a tongue wagging? DDDdid any democrat notice...that show was canceled? Seems Mr Waxman acknowledged that Amabocare was going to cost big $$$....ooops


WildWeasel 04/29/10 - 12:14 pm
Tort Reform? You need to explain . . .

. . . how you would reform. What do you mean???

. . . a jury of our citizens like you and me decides how much to award for a particular tort.

. . . if the cost of a tort award is not sufficient to discourage a particular practice, then it is just another cost of doing business.



Thinkitover 04/29/10 - 12:24 pm
There are plenty of GOP ideas ?

If the Republicans were worried or cared about what the vast majority of this country were having to deal with health care insurance companies. Then when pray tell, were they ever going to do anything about it ??? They killed it in the early 90s and had 8 years under Bush to do something. Nothing ! Please, if you really believe that the Republicans are going to fix Health Care and Wall Street, you must be one of the gullible voters that believed that Perdue was really going to let you select the new state flag. How did that work out for you ? When the Republicans start to come up with some ideas for the middle and lower income Americans and start to work, making Washington run instead of trying to shut it down, I will change my avatar.

Door 04/29/10 - 12:53 pm
Didn't you know???

The minority, is the new majority.

fattkidd 04/29/10 - 01:14 pm

Is not 'leftist'. 'Leftist' would have been Medicare for all. Throwing people to the wolves (mandating purchase of private insurance) seems more fascist to me than 'leftist'... whatever that means.

Obama went out of his way to not appear or actually be 'leftist' and we ended up with a crap bill written by the health insurance and pharmaceutical industries.

Personally, I would have preferred a 'leftist' health insurance/care plan modeled after the German system.

Also, on Tort Reform, which only amounts to less than 2% of healthcare costs, was done in GA and many other states and lo and behold! It failed to accomplish what it set out to do. It limited a citizens Constitutional right to seek redress in court and all of the savings were pocketed by the insurance companies. Doctor's premiums have failed to decrease as a result.

So, if you've got some grand plan on how to reform our legal system to lower insurance premiums, please, by all means, share it with us and then call your congresscritter.

Mister Jimmy
Mister Jimmy 04/29/10 - 01:26 pm
We're not competitive

as the first letter-writer indicates. Our economy has gone down the tubes and most of the better jobs shipped offshore. A worker in India will accept $8,500 per year to do what an American expects $75,000 to do. We no longer manufacture much of anything, and what we are skilled at making--weapons, for example, most of the rest of the world doesn't want. We wilfully stood by and watched the Wall Street criminals and the politicians they pay off wreck our economy. Now the Supreme Court has handed over financial control of US elections to the domestic and foreign corporations and the dollar appears to be on a very slippery slope. We have thrown away trillions on the two foolish wars we are fighting, In the words of Jack Kerouac: " Whither goest thee America, in thy shiny car at night?"

mrspostman 04/29/10 - 02:22 pm
Enough of the Obamacare and

Enough of the Obamacare and what it is costing. And the polls I saw last night trust Obama more with healthcare than the republicans. They may not like it but they trust him more. We as Americans deserve to have it with all the taxdollars being spent on other things in other countries. Like the two wars, why are you not crying about all those trillions???? It just doesn't make sense. Would you be all right if we started a new war, that we can't afford? Or is it just healthcare? I just don't understand why you say you love America, but then you hate Americans. What is the problem?

Great Circle
Great Circle 04/29/10 - 02:53 pm
fattkidd 04/29/10 - 03:49 pm
Tort Reform...

If you mess up three times, you lose your license to practice medicine.

I believe Bush capped punitive damages at $250k so, why don't the docs just save money on insurance premiums and self-insure? Or, pool their money together and self-insure each other?

How do we qualify and quantify 'defensive medicine'? I tend to think that 'defensive' medicine, or 'CYA medicine', or 'making-sure-you're-not-overlooking-anything' type of medicine is actually good medical care. I'd rather have my doc order some test to make sure he's not missing anything and have it turn out negative than have him skip it for expediency sake and end up dying later because he missed something vital.

But, that's just me.

Back to Top