VOICE OF THE PEOPLE | NOV. 20, 2009

Don't shove bill down our throats

I read all the praises for Rep. John Spratt. Although I voted for him and think that he is a good person, what the letter writers failed to mention was that 99 percent of the time, Mr. Spratt votes what the party wants and not what his public in District 5 want.

It does take courage to vote against a terrible health care plan that will cost at the start $1.5 trillion and, in four years. balloon to $4 trillion. It will also raise your costs and have you paying more taxes. I, for one, am opposed to the government ramming this bill down our throats and telling me what's good for me.

It's time to tell this administration, enough is enough.

Frank Amorosano

Clover

Cost of insurance too high for many

I have been wanting to tell my story for a long time, but I figured nobody would listen.

For 33 years, I gave my services to a textile plant here in South Carolina. They closed and took our jobs to Mexico. But they did offer us a pension at the age of 55 with health insurance. The first year, we paid $140. That was for my husband and myself. Every year, it started going up.

We are now at $800 a month. I have not been able to enjoy any of my pension for paying health insurance. Somebody please help me and all of the other Americans who are suffering.

Debra Caldwell

Rock Hill

Good insurance plans will be endangered

I wish this was called health insurance reform, as it is all about insurance and doesn't even cover increasing the quality of care one is given. It will actually mean less care, as there won't be enough health care professionals to handle the increase in patients.

My husband and I have excellent health insurance, but it is provided through my husband's former employer, who will probably drop our good coverage, as the cost will go up so much. So much for being able to keep your current insurance.You are at the mercy of your employer if he provides your insurance.

There are several measures that can be taken first to see if costs can be reduced and service kept and expanded. Where are the tort reforms that would lower insurance costs? Those costs are passed along to you.

Where is it going to be changed so that insurance can be sold across state lines? Maybe it will be there, maybe not.

And finally, if there is so much waste (hundreds of millions possibly) in Medicare and Medicaid, could we just see how many more people could be covered under those programs before we mess with everyone's current insurance? The majority of Americans are quite well satisfied with their current plans. Why are we looking at changing things for everyone when there only needs to be progams for the uninsured or underinsured? And, if one decides not to have insurance coverage, let's not fine them and/or put them in jail.

Greta Aucoin

Rock Hill

Nation is moving in right direction

We shall be proud as Americans that our country is going toward the right direction on health care. The example of a great nation is that all citizens have access to affordable medical care.

I would like to thank my House representative in particular, Rep John Spratt, for standing up against special interests. As the fight is not over yet, he can be assured of my full support.

Let's keep America a great nation. In order to do so, we have to be able to come together as Americans. The current step is a step into the right direction of creating more social justice and peace.

Robert Thiel

Fort Mill

Why should we help the unhealthy?

Some 45,000 people a year die from not having health insurance, while 300,000 die each year due to illness related to overweight and obesity. Looks like if you started taking care of yourself, America, you would not need the rest of us to take care of you.

The problem is not insurance, it is lifestyle. The current proposal does not lower the cost of health care in any way, it just shifts who pays for it. So the healthy pay for the unhealthy, the wise pay for the unwise. There are already systems in place that take care of the poor. Looks like just another way for the Democrats to “spread the wealth around.”

Nancy Sims

Fort Mill