Obama should recognize opposition will not fold
The World Health Association ranks the United States last among industrialized nations at twice the average cost. Our health-care system has been statistically and undeniably broken.
The for-profit health-insurance industry has been one of the few employment-growth industries the last 10 years. Analysis shows that growth to largely be claims examiners whose primary job is to deny claims to individuals or doctors. Add on the huge salaries of CEO’s and the smoke and mirrors used as an explanation of soaring rates is clear.
President Obama tried to make a bipartisan bill. He made hundreds of changes in response to Republican concerns, yet not one Republican voted for this bill. Many of us see its faults as not going far enough or going too far. However, there is no chance that not one Republican saw it as better than what we have.
President Obama is a smart guy. I hope that he sees that the opposition has no desire to cooperate. It is time for him to step forward, and act out of conviction and step beyond politics into statesmanship. If he had done so a year ago, we might already have the popular Medicare program for all today.
— Harvey Schwartz, Bellingham