Readers Write for Monday, Sept. 28

HEALTH CARE, CONTINUED

Best reform would eliminate profit

As the health care reform debate has brought to light the many egregious practices of the health insurance industry, one would think Congress -- the supposed protector of the public welfare -- would have shut it down. Nope. Sen. Max Baucus' latest offering continues to center on the health insurance industry, which, after all, spent $263.4 million (from premiums we paid) January through June to insure that each legislator had six lobbyists dancing in attendance.

The bill mandates the purchase of insurance, with the government (taxpayers) subsidizing those who can't afford it. As unemployment increases and fewer businesses can afford to provide insurance, this amounts to another huge taxpayer bailout -- of the insurance industry.

While the industry is promising to stop denying coverage of "preexisting conditions," most companies are for-profit, their main purpose not to provide health care but to increase shareholder profits. The agreement of the pharmaceutical industry to an $80 billion cost reduction is laughable when one learns that is a mere 2 percent of the projected spending of $3.6 trillion on prescription drugs for the next 10 years.

If "reform" must involve insurance companies, let it be as the Swiss do -- with not-for-profit companies using standard forms, coverage, codes and pricing, thus making provision of health care the main focus and greatly reducing administrative costs.

WANDA S. BALLENTINE, EAGAN

•••

Our beloved Democrats are going to pass a health care bill written by a committee whose leader tells us to trust him, passed by a Congress that probably won't read it, signed by a president who smokes, with funding by a treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes and overseen by a surgeon general who is obese, and implemented by a country nearly broke. We can all be very proud.

ALAN E. RICHTER, MINNEAPOLIS

No. 44 aT WORK

Far from overexposed, he's a breath of fresh air

Your Sept. 18 letter of the day compared Pat Boone to President Obama and invited the president to quit "campaigning" and "start working." Conservatives just gave us eight years of a president who spent a third of his presidency on vacation, who was famously uninformed and uncurious, and who misused his powers in countless ways, bringing this country to the precipice economically and morally.

Now these same chuckleheads are braying that Obama is overexposed? We finally have a president who not only has ideas and solutions, but the eloquence and energy to promote and defend them. Keep "campaigning," Pres, I'm loving every minute of it.

MARK SIEVE, MINNEAPOLIS

PAWLENTY'S FUTURE PLANS

Tight reins on budget will serve him well

There's been lots of talk about Gov. Tim Pawlenty running for president in 2012. Though it's far too soon in President Obama's term to pass judgment, he's shown willingness to spend money and worry about the cost of things later, much like President George W. Bush did.

Pawlenty has served through some tough budgets. Though I don't agree with all his budget decisions, it would be nice to have someone serving in the White House who has made decisions to reduce spending in the face of extreme opposition.

TIMOTHY WINN, ROSEVILLE

Schoolkids on city buses

Should they be full price during rush hour?

I recently relocated to Minneapolis with my husband and two children. My family is very interested in reducing our carbon footprint, and my 9-year-old son was planning to ride the bus to his independent school each morning with my husband. His school begins during the morning "rush hour" period (as most schools do). I was very disappointed to realize that there are no monthly pass options or discounted rates that we can use to allow my son to ride the bus to school.

As a 9-year-old, he would have to pay the full adult fare during "rush hour," making his monthly transportation cost between $45 and $50 per month.

As a new resident of the city and state, I will be paying taxes that will support this transportation (in addition to my federal tax dollars which are already supporting it). I find it disturbing that our tax dollars support metro passes for corporate employees while leaving families of schoolchildren to pay top dollar.

JENNIFER WILLIAMS PAVICH,

MINNEAPOLIS

West River Road

It, too, is run-down and in need of a face lift

The West River Road bike- and walk-way construction is going well and will be widely used and appreciated by all once it is finished. Just one comment: Are there any plans to repave the actual roadway, a cracked and pothole-infected surface for much of the 6 miles between the West Bank and Ford Parkway?

KURT BAUM, MINNEAPOLIS