Oct. 14 Letters to the Editor

GOP hypocrisy

EDITOR: Charles Krauthammer and his political purist friends probably have medical coverage for themselves and families ("Place blame where it belongs: Democrats," Oct. 5). Not all people are so lucky.

President Barack Obama didn't invent the Affordable Care Act. Decades of prior research formulated it. The bill passed the Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. Is that not enough to satisfy Krauthammer and Republican Party ideologues?

The American people want health coverage. It's not perfect. It's not the single-payer system that Obama abandoned. At least it is a step to having full coverage for all people in America. It's called decency for the common good and taking care of the least advantaged, very much a Christian, family-values approach. Major industrial countries have universal health coverage. Why not the United States, the richest and most powerful country in the world?

We have been fed the lie that it's socialism. Interestingly, these same critics don't turn down Social Security, public schools, parks, police, fire and emergency services, Medicare or corporate subsidies and tax breaks. They love socialism when it works for them. Krauthammer and his purist friends are hypocrites. Their self-serving arguments don't stand up to scrutiny.

JOHN FLAHERTY

San Francisco

Crisis in Washington

EDITOR: Our president's quote: "I believe we can reach a comprehensive solution and believe that there is a basis for a resolution."

At last, Barack Hussein Obama and Congress will come to some agreement on Obamacare and the risk of shutting down the government. Oh, wait a minute, I made a small error. This is what he told Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, regarding Iran's nuclear program.

Barack Hussein Obama will negotiate with our 30-year enemy, which sponsors worldwide terrorist organizations that kill Americans, but he will not negotiate with his own Congress?

Wake up, Americans.

AL MANSOOR

Santa Rosa

Licensing bikes

EDITOR: I have an idea to create some equality between bicyclists and motorists to ease some of the friction. How about bicyclists being licensed, registered, mandatorily insured for liability and identifiable with license plates? Harassment works both ways. Enforce violations when they run stop signs, ride the wrong way, ride in packs. How do I give three feet when they don't?

I know bicyclists are going to say they do pay with their cars, but I do, too, and I don't ride a bike on public streets. Motorists have paid for bike lanes, signage, etc. forever. It's time we share the fees and the road. Think of the revenue that we could generate. Maybe we could fix some of the roads that are disasters.

It seems that the small percentage who actually ride on roads are reaping the benefits. What do you think?

Bicyclists also need to know they are endangering me as well as themselves when they ride on narrow roads. Pull over, and let us go by. Let's work together to make the roads safe for all.

LARRY ROBERT

Santa Rosa

Get informed

EDITOR: The Republicans want compromise on Obamacare, which costs too much because of compromise. Originally, Obamacare offered a single-payer insurance alternative, the "public option." The insurance lobby influenced both parties to remove this option, requiring participants to buy private insurance.

Insurance is the problem, not the cure. The largest single-payer system, Medicare, has an overhead of 3 percent. There are no "death panels" and few complaints about care. Blue Cross's overhead is 30 percent, service is poor, and care is restricted.

Educate yourself. Read the March 4, 2013 issue of Time magazine devoted to investigating medical costs. Attend local meetings of Physicians for a Single Payer System. Rent the movie "Inside Job," see the upcoming movie "Inequality for All."

If you are not informed, you may be voting against your own interests.

MICHAEL HOEY

Santa Rosa

Liberty and government

EDITOR: While serving in Congress, Gerald Ford said: "Government big enough to supply everything you need is big enough to take everything you have."

The course of history shows us that as government grows, liberty decreases.

So, in what direction are we, the people of our United States, being led? Let's stop, look and listen.

JOANNE MADDOX DeMARCO

Santa Rosa