Re: Debating proposed ColoradoCare single-payer plan, April 10 letters to the editor.
Letter-writer Barry Karlin asserts that health care should be made a human right, while Radhika Nath believes the lives of people should be placed above the profits of companies. A careful reading of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution shows nary a mention of what government is to provide regarding health care. The necessities of life, food, clothing and shelter are also not mentioned, as are not employment and education. All the above are things that must be produced — by others, in a civilized society — and are not rights, nor are they free, based upon someone s interpretation of being a human right. To Nath, who attempts to disconnect companies from the individuals who own and operate them, I would ask: Are those people not entitled to a profit which sustains them — or should they merely provide their goods and services free of charge?
James A. Zordani, Denver
This letter was published in the April 17 edition.Letter-writer David Sullivan is afraid he and his wife will have to leave the state if Amendment 69 passes. I am 73 and working part-time, as I have for many years. My spouse retired six years ago after working for social justice non-profits, making low salaries. We strongly advocate for ColoradoCare, believing that all people should be able to get health care, that our household can simplify elsewhere and pay more to make that happen. (Many will pay much less.) We also believe no one should die because they cannot afford medical or mental health care, and that medical needs should not bankrupt families in our communities. I will be happier if my children, and yours, do not have to go into debt to pay their $6,000 deductibles. Our daughter was recently shocked to find she had no insurance until hers was paid. Voting for ColoradoCare is the right thing to do.
Judy Danielson, Denver
This letter was published in the April 17 edition.
