[Sosfbay-discuss] Letter to the Editor

[Rob Means]

Letter to the Editor

Two weeks ago, the Post printed a letter under the heading "Health care
proposal threatens grandma - and our freedom".  Filled with distortions,
fearful speculation and outright lies, it would take this entire
newspaper to rebut all the nonsense.  So, let's just take the
fundamental lie "People tend to forget that our current health care
system is by far the best in the world."

No, it is not.  According to the World Health Organization, U. S. ranks
37th in the world in health care performance, and 72nd in overall
health, of the 191 nations surveyed.  Or check what the Commonwealth
Fund (commonwealthfund.org) says:
"Despite having the most costly health system in the world, the United
States consistently underperforms on most dimensions of performance,
relative to other countries. ... Compared with five other
nations-Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom-the
U.S. health care system ranks last or next-to-last on five dimensions of
a high performance health system: quality, access, efficiency, equity,
and healthy lives."  http://snipurl.com/rkzdm

Healthy lives!  Isn't that what we want?  Well, ... not all of us.  Some
of us are more interested in being right or stopping the President's
first legislative initiative than securing health care for all Americans
- not rationing it to those who can afford it.  

In last week's Post under the heading "Obama care" (more nonsense given
that Congress is actually writing the rules - all 5 versions of them), a
writer urged us to "please read H. R. 3200 and decide for yourself".
Apparently he has more time and determination than I to have waded
through all 1017 pages of legalese.  Instead, I seek out individuals and
organizations that hold values aligned with the teachings of Jesus
Christ.  What they say about proposed new rules is filtered through my
own experiences and beliefs before I make a conclusion.

Here's my latest conclusion.  No matter what your issue - energy
efficiency, education, water, clean air, cute critters, technological
evolution, spiritual evolution - you will not get the change you seek if
health care fails.  The corporations will have won, consolidated more
power, secured more control over legislative bodies from national to
local - and will stop any change you want.  

That's why it is important for all of us to support real health care
reform now.  Although my expertise and interest lies in the areas of
energy efficiency and transportation, I have spent many hours and
dollars to ensure that we get health care comparable to other
industrialized nations.  It makes economic sense, supports the ideals of
our founding fathers (and mothers), and is simply the moral thing to do.
Please join together to push back the cynicism that says health care
reform is doomed.  If we win this one, all the other battles ahead (next
is our nation's energy policy) will be easier.  Join in whatever way
fits for you, but join in!

Rob Means
1421 Yellowstone Avenue
Milpitas, CA  95035-6913
408-262-0420    rob.means at electric-bikes.com
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