July 22 Letters to the Editor

What about cuts?

EDITOR: Mitt Romney has stated that, if elected, he wants to cut the income tax 20?percent for every American. Does that mean that there will also be a 20 percent cut in government spending? Where would this cut come from? Would it start with the pay, benefits and pensions of elected officials and politicians, or would the middle class take another hit?

Education, security, public works, Medicaid and our worn-out infrastructure that needs replacing cannot take any more reductions in funding. Funding for America creates jobs. That is what our taxes are supposed to do — create jobs and build America keeping it strong and a world leader.

Romney has stated that he would eliminate as many expensive government programs as he can. It is common knowledge that the most expensive programs that our taxes support are the inflated earnings and benefits that our elected officials and politicians have granted themselves. Now, that sounds like a great place to start. But this being an election year, it sounds like a lot of horse-pucky to me.

PAUL BENKOVER

Sebastopol

But it tastes good

EDITOR: The controversy surrounding the ban on foie gras has pitted the admirers of the delicacy against people who find the practice of force-feeding a goose by shoving a tube down its throat inhumane.

Why is foie gras so popular that restaurants have already found a way to circumvent the ban? Is it a health food? Absolutely not. Does it have medicinal properties? Nope. The reason? It tastes great. It makes humans' taste buds happy. The ban takes away a human's right to choose whether they want to eat it. It has absolutely nothing to do with another species' choice, because I'll bet you everything I own that the goose does not like it and would prefer not to be the object of such controversy.

But history has proven that we humans don't care what other species think. If they taste good, if they entertain us, if we like wearing their skin, their fur or their tusks, then we have every right to do it and don't dare take away our right to choose. Might makes right. Isn't that right?

CAROL TREACY

Petaluma

No sympathy

EDITOR: Excuse my lack of sympathy for Robert A. Bergeron, the Oakmont fawn shooter ("Outrage at fawn's shooting," Thursday). His defense — my wife is ill so I think I'll go out and kill something — doesn't sit well with me. I'm sure his excuse about an expensive remodel of his Oakmont home makes sense, especially to the homeless and poverty stricken people of our land, but again not to me.

Thank you, Dr. Grant Patrick for your compassion, I'm sure this broke your heart more than even mine.

BRUCE THOMSON

Santa Rosa

Single-payer health

EDITOR: In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act, several letters and opinion pieces have appeared in The Press Democrat.

Dr. James Devore ("Health care economics," Letters, July?9) accurately pointed out that "the free market economy simply doesn't work in health care. Health care isn't a commodity." Dr. Roger Delgado ("Medical care," Letters, July?11) stated that Obamacare "forces you to pay your own insurance, forces bankrupt states to increase payments for Medicaid." He went on to say, "Obamacare doesn't lower the cost of care. It doesn't limit the cost of insurance, medications or legal expenses." David Crane, a lecturer at Stanford, stated that two of the five root causes of California's budget woes are "unfunded health care promises to retired employees and fast-growing spending on Medicaid" ("State Rx: Benefit cuts now, tax later," July 14)."

The solution to these issues is state-provided health insurance with care provided by private physicians and hospitals. All patients receive equal benefits, can choose any doctor and have no out-of-pocket costs. Prices for drugs and medical devices are negotiated. Business and government are relieved of providing health insurance for employees and retirees. All people covered. Costs contained. This is Senate Bill 810. Support it.

DR. NICHOLAS H. ANTON

Santa Rosa