Bush and Medicare
Re: “Bush budget plan rattling Congress,” March 2 news story.
Congress and the American people had better be rattled by President Bush’s 2007 budget blueprint.
Reducing provider payments, as Bush proposes, compounds the already dire financial straits of Medicare. Massive reform needs to occur now to avert the insolvency of Medicare, which is projected to be as early as 2010, or somewhere within six years thereafter. Decreasing providers’ payments could lead to some providers’ withdrawal from Medicare altogether, less attention and care given to Medicare patients and shifting claims and payment responsibility to patients.
The president’s proposal calls for a $105 billion cut to Medicare funding while expanding health benefits for the more affluent and wealthy. Clearly, this is taking from middle- and low-income people and giving to the rich.
Part of the long-term solution to Medicare is the consideration and analysis for simplification of our national tax code. We need tax policy that will empower the full economic potential of our country, generating growth in the form of more jobs and innovation, more government revenue and dollars to fund programs like Social Security and Medicare.
It’s time for new approaches and solutions to ensure the health and care of our senior and disabled citizens. Reducing provider payments is not a viable part of those solutions.
Linda C. Rinehart, Littleton
U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
Re: “Gitmo’s disheartening profile,” March 7 editorial.
Ultimately, we the American people bear responsibility for the existence of the prison at Guantanamo Bay, where human beings are being held indefinitely without charge or trial. We must acknowledge that this is being done in our name. It’s not legal, it’s not right, and it’s not American. Have we lost sight of what it means to be American? Wasn’t our nation founded on certain core principles, such as the inalienable rights of all people, and the rule of law? Didn’t we design a branched, accountable government of balanced powers?
Granted these are new and dangerous times, and we feel threatened by terrorism. Granted the president’s men have sold us a “war on terror” in which the old principles don’t apply anymore.
But in abandoning these principles – enshrined in our Constitution, the Geneva Conventions, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – we abandon what makes us uniquely American. Then all that distinguishes us from anybody else is that we have the biggest guns on the planet. The prisoners at Guantanamo have a right to due process and their day in court. If the Bush administration can’t deliver that, then it’s time to shut this prison down.
John F. Krotchko, Denver
Debate over teacher Jay Bennish’s comments
Re: “Public employees and free speech,” and “Students benefit from diverse debate,” March 4 Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post editorials.
It was good of the Denver newspapers to publish both papers’ editorials last Saturday on the same subject when they were so contrasting.
I took the recommendation of the Post editorial and listened to the recording. I was amazed that The Post came to the conclusion that Jay Bennish’s proselytizing actually allowed students to benefit from diverse debate, as the headline suggests. The editorial says teachers “must help students draw out diverse opinions and put them on the table for discussion. Listening to the full recording, Bennish appears to do that.” In the very next sentence the editorial says, “It is mostly him talking, and judging from his tone he’s energetic and engaged.” I heard it as intimidating. Just how is Bennish creating diverse debate or drawing out diverse opinions when “it is mostly him talking”?
We don’t need the likes of Bennish indoctrinating our students to their own personal ideologies. If he’s paid to teach geography, he should stick to it. This time the Rocky Mountain News got it right, not The Post.
Jim Malec, Littleton
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I grew up in Colorado Springs and throughout my secondary education I was exposed the most radical conservative propaganda. In junior high, my social studies teacher would write the letters “FDR” on the blackboard and then stand at the back of the classroom and throw erasers at the president who “destroyed our country.” In high school, my history teacher was a well-known conservative commentator for one of the local TV stations. Conservative themes had a way of weaving their way into every classroom discussion.
Looking back on my education experience, I can’t remember being exposed to a single liberal idea. Ironically, the first time I was exposed to any progressive thought was when I entered the Army.
Jay Bennish’s critics want students protected from controversial ideas. But it is when your ideas are challenged and you are forced to analyze your position that real learning takes place. In my case, in spite of such a poor start, even I eventually learned to think for myself.
Larry Fish, Denver
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As a student in a Colorado public school, I understand how rare it is to find a teacher who not only teaches their subject with intellect and vigor, but also provokes diverse and enlightening discussion. Jay Bennish appears to do that and more.
One of the largest problems facing the education system in America is a failure to give an accurate view of the world and world history. It is obvious that most Americans live inside a bubble, and it seems as if any who attempt to pop that bubble are chastised and labeled as anti-American.
I am 15 and I expect more from my education than a brief and exultant discussion of American history.
Landon Bain, Grand Junction
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Re: “Ugly anti-American or voice of dissent?” March 8 Colorado Voices column.
Like many from the teaching profession, Mark Moe just doesn’t get the point regarding the complaints about Overland High School teacher Jay Bennish’s anti-American tirade recorded by one of his students. It’s not about America-hating, or even criticizing the Bush administration, Mr. Moe, but rather the systematic leftist indoctrination of our youth by teachers like Bennish who present only one side of the political argument on nearly every issue.
Anthony J. Fabian, Aurora
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Re: “Lay down the law: Never compare anyone to Hitler,” March 6 Jim Spencer column.
It’s wrong to compare George Bush to Adolf Hitler. When you look at Bush’s record of distorting the truth, fostering a climate of fear, creating secret prisons, authorizing torture, manipulating the media, avoiding responsibility, supporting dictators friendly to his cause, abrogating international law, keeping secrets from the public, paranoia, military supremacy, surveillance of citizens, payoffs to cronies, etc., the only accurate comparison is between his administration and the government of the former Soviet Union.
Paul Aldretti, Denver
Why didn’t my movie win the Oscar?
The movie that deserved to win the Oscar for best picture didn’t. This is a travesty. It was a socially conscious movie that dealt with the struggles of people different from others. It was enlightening to see how others reacted to the plight of the protagonist. And in the end, acceptance and tolerance prevailed.
The real travesty was that “The 40 Year Old Virgin” wasn’t even nominated. It was my favorite movie of last year, so it not only should’ve been nominated, it should’ve won. Hollywood hates 40-year-old virgins. It’s pretty obvious to me.
Sarcasm aside, “Brokeback Mountain” won a slew of other best-picture awards around the country, including some in Hollywood. Let’s not make this into a homophobic thing. To do so only undermines what gays should be fighting for: marriage, acceptance, equal rights, etc. Crying about an award is petty and should be considered beneath you.
Tony Muscott, Fort Collins
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