Medicare revamp would destroy system that works
U.S. Rep. Tom Price’s plans for Medicare would abandon a system that works and is universally praised by seniors in order to benefit for-profit insurance companies. His plan has a voucher system that these companies would use to squeeze seniors until they no longer have access to good medical care. Price’s plan would effectively destroy Medicare, which I guess must be the idea. But Price has it 180 degrees around from the way it should be. Medicare for all – children, adults under 65, not just seniors – is the way to go. We would have lower premiums and lower deductibles, plus more money for actually treating patients. But I guess such an idea makes too much sense to have any chance in Washington.
CAROLYN FARLEY, ATLANTA
News media will back Hillary run
Hillary Clinton’s possible run for the presidency will be assisted by a willing liberal news media, similar to how they helped Barack Obama be elected. Past associations with questionable individuals will never see the light of day, as well as her participation and her responsibility for the Benghazi scandal and others that occurred during her husband’s disgraceful terms in office. Her failures as secretary of state in the Obama administration will be ignored by the media, as they did for Obama before his election. The fix is in folks, so fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to a bumpy ride.
TOM GAMBESKI, JASPER
Terrorists not driven by Islamic tenets
Atlanta Muslims are shocked and saddened by the senseless murder of schoolchildren by terrorists in Peshawar. Such terrorists are driven by their own agenda and ideology. They call themselves Muslim, yet their actions are in complete contrast to the teachings of Islam. For years, Muslims globally have condemned such acts and tried to emphasize the distinction between Muslims and terrorists. Few seem to grasp the truth and reality of this statement. It is unfortunate that it takes the tragedy of Peshawar to re-emphasize the point. The children were all non-combatants and innocent. They were all Muslims too, not Christians, Jews or Hindus. Yet they were brutally massacred. This tragedy could not be a case of Muslims against Christians, poor against the rich, or even Shias against Sunnis. This is an act of savagery beyond comprehension. It is time that, instead of using such barbaric acts as a basis of indulging in anti-Islamic propaganda and widening the religious divide, the world should stand together against this menace.
Y. KHALID SIDDIQ, ATLANTA
Big test coming for region, state
I write to support Jay Bookman’s column “For GOP, a Test of Courage” (Opinion, Dec. 14). Beyond the GOP, this is a test for all of us to step up to make our city and state the leader it can and should be. For Atlanta and the metro area to flourish, there must be good, convenient public transportation. This need for transportation, and the linked problem of pollution from fossil fuel emissions, must be met and must transcend political differences. For our city and state to succeed, potential workers must be able to reach places of employment. In analyzing Detroit’s collapse, Paul Krugman’s article in the AJC stated that Atlanta could be the next city to collapse, because like Detroit, Atlanta’s public transit system is inadequate to unite workers with jobs. This is something neither party can afford to risk. If Atlanta doesn’t succeed, neither does Georgia.
KATHERINE MITCHELL, ATLANTA
