HEALTH CARE
Medicaid expansion
would aid uninsured
Mona Charen expressed concern that millions of Americans have been added to the Medicaid system (“Medicaid’s expansion is no reason for celebration,” Opinion, Jan. 8). She feels that only removing people from welfare is cause for celebration. We certainly wish the millions of Americans in poverty could find a job that provides them with health insurance. But that’s not the reality.
Charen cited a study showing Medicaid increases emergency room visits. Yet uninsured people make the most use of emergency rooms — with no means to pay for care. That’s about $2.8 billion a year in Georgia alone. Charen failed to mention the benefits of Medicaid found in the study: increased use of preventive care, improvements in mental health, and a decrease in medically related financial hardship.
Without Medicaid expansion, more than 600,000 Georgians would be left uninsured. These programs are not perfect, but they provide countless Americans a better life through proper health care. That is a reason to celebrate.
TOM ANDREWS, PRESIDENT, ST. JOSEPH'S MERCY CARE SERVICES, AND JOHN BERRY, CEO/EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ST. VINCENT DEPAUL GEORGIA, ATLANTA
ETHICS
What don’t legislators
understand about cap?
In response to the article, “Confusion grips ethics law” (News, Jan. 10), legislators: You have been hired and receive a salary. You each have an office, presumably with a desk, phone and access to staff. You also have a cafeteria or diner close by.
Now, stop pretending to scratch your heads regarding the $75 gift cap rule and get to work. Use your offices to see your constituents — which was the reason you were hired — and see lobbyists in your offices if time permits. Gallivanting around and accepting gifts and lavish meals is unbecoming and reinforces our notion that you are there solely to receive goodies in a “pay to play” manner. Grow up and do your job. That is all we ask of an employee.
EDLA RINGUE, MARIETTA
JUSTICE
Big banks pay up, just
get a slap on the hand
The news about JPMorgan Chase Bank paying a huge fine seems very familiar (“JPMorgan settles with feds in Madoff case,” News, Jan. 8). I remember Bank of America and Wells Fargo committed gross breaches of security laws, made our economy suffer, and only paid big fines, with no one going to prison. In this latest case of JPMorgan Chase, it committed two felony violations of the Bank Secrecy Act but just get a slap on the hand with a fine for their crimes.
Why are the people involved in these white-collar crimes not going to prison? Is payment of mere money now an acceptable penalty for committing felonies? Why does this standard not apply also to bank robbers (who also take the bank’s money)? Our justice system is in dire need of reform, and the duplicity in the big banks’ criminal penalties is only the tip of the iceberg.
BOB THOMAS, CUMMING
