Just repeal the thing
For six years Republicans ran for Congress on a pledge to repeal Obamacare, and they were elected. Now all of a sudden the mantra is "repeal and replace." The voters never said anything about replacing Obamacare with another government health-care system. The federal government should not be running health care.
Please, congressional Republicans, just repeal it. If we need to work on getting low-income people some help to buy insurance, we can do that, but first keep your promise and repeal Obamacare. If this were actually about health care, then Democrats would be joining this effort after seeing what an abysmal failure Obamacare has been. But I think it's more about power and control than health care.
FRANK LATIMER
Sherwood
For our mental health
Still true: The people of Arkansas would be better off if, instead of meeting every two years for 60 days, the Legislature met every 60 years for two days.
ROBERT B. NELSON
Little Rock
Degree in victimhood
It seems some liberal-minded (as opposed to liberal arts) colleges are aiding and abetting students in the art of victimhood by telling them they are victims of a repressive government and society. I suggest such colleges abandon all pretense of academic excellence and offer courses as follows.
Victimhood 101: An introductory course covering the basics of victimhood, its origin, spread and rise to acceptability. A general education requirement.
Psychology of Victimhood 201: Prerequisite Victimhood 101. An in-depth study of the mindset of victims, what motivates them, and the extent that environmental factors and governmental policies play in the development of victims.
Becoming a Victim 411: A senior-level course open to all majors designed to help students decide if they want to pursue victimhood as a career choice. Successful completion of this course requires submission of a written report detailing at least one actual victimhood experience.
Those of my own generation could have little imagined that by simply having hot coffee jump out of a Styrofoam cup onto our laps we could become instant victims of corporate greed and neglect with possibility of monetary rewards. It might be said we were victims of our time.
Now, a college degree is not actually required to lead a life of victimhood. It may well be that the majority of victims are degree-less, having learned their trade as apprentices to experienced victims. Whether victims with degrees accumulate more wealth over a lifetime than those without a degree has not yet been determined. Further studies are needed in this area. Federally funded, of course.
JOHN McPHERSON
Searcy
Calling all Americans
At this time our country has many, many problems. A lot of these problems could be solved or at least improved if we all (particularly politicians and the news media) were more patriotic and put America above political parties.
Be an American first, not a Democrat or a Republican. How can this be accomplished? True patriotism and love of country must be the first order of the day. America deserves it!
JOHN E. HAIN JR.
Little Rock
Health-care debacle
Pay your taxes and show your health card. It's really that simple in most industrialized countries and can be here too with your help and a call to your representative and senator. When people stumble into the ER possibly facing death, the last thing they want to worry about is whether or not they have the money for the deductible, or the painfully complicated rules of what's covered and what isn't.
The Affordable Care Act succeeded in expanding coverage to millions of Americans that formerly had none, including several hundreds of thousands of our own citizens here in Arkansas. Unfortunately, it didn't do much to control cost.
Oddly and darkly, quite frankly, the plan from President Trump and the GOP Congress that rightly went down in flames last week would not only have done little to control costs, it would have also thrown tens of millions out of insurance and condemned them to a life of fear or possibly death. On top of that, it gave a huge tax break to the richest Americans. This not only wasn't right, it was immoral.
Now that the Republicans' crusade to destroy the Affordable Care Act is in a total shambles, let us all now come and break bread together and work toward a real solution to not only the coverage gaps, but the onerous cost of health care in this country, which is a Medicare for all or single-payer program. Could now be the time to prove Winston Churchill right on this issue? "Americans will always do the right thing, after they have exhausted all the alternatives."
RICHARD MOORE
Little Rock
Find some other way
The state House of Representatives has proposed a new tax on gas, I do believe of 6.5 percent, which it wants to put before the people of Arkansas. I would like to say if something like this should come to pass, I think you should get rid of two other taxes that we have. Do as our president is doing: If you add something, take two away.
It seems all you people can come up with is to tax us, but you don't take some away that have been on the books for a while. Time to take away or cut back on spending. There are some seniors in this state that can't be hit all the time. As you know, we have not received a raise in Social Security for some time. About time you people find some other way than adding 6.5 percent on us people.
RICHARD BROWN
Bella Vista
Editorial on 03/29/2017