Letters - Sunday

WHO CARES?

Dobson comment an attempt to influence voters

In light of the ongoing investigations into religious leaders’ attempts to influence political events while enjoying a taxexempt status, I must say I am extremely disappointed with the Gazette’s decision to run the story, “Dobson won’t vote for McCain” in Wednesday’s paper. I see it as a blatant attempt to influence the votes of those who are unable or unwilling to come to their own decision on political matters.

The article even goes so far as to share his personal opinion that the candidates are the worst ever in his lifetime; he must have forgotten about the current president who has lied to us, created the mess in Iraq, given this country’s ideals a black eye by promoting torture while doing his best to subvert the First Amendment.

I hope Gazette readers are smart enough to see through his agenda; if not, I hope they will understand that, almost without exception, there is no candidate out there who could conceivably do worse than the current president. That, and that Dobson’s attempt to peddle political influence without jeopardizing his tax-exempt status has not gone unnoticed.

Tom Wimber

Colorado Springs

McCain more conservative than Democratic candidates

So, James Dobson of Focus on the Family won’t vote for John McCain. Instead, by not supporting McCain, should he become the nomine, by default Dobson is throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama.

Who does Dobson think will best forward the conservative agenda out of this group? McCain may not be the most conservative, but he will be the most conservative choice come November.

The “I’ll take my ball and go home” attitude Dobson and others like him have when they don’t get their way does nothing to help, it just shows they are an embarrassment to our party.

Jim Balcerovich

Colorado Springs

Current president no great conservative

Who died and made James Dobson God? Why does someone who represents a nonprofit religious-based organization think he needs to be so blatantly verbal regarding politics? Besides that, who cares what he thinks?

Dobson supported George W. Bush; look at his approval rating now.

I’m not a McCain supporter but believe he would do a lot better job then our current president. At least he could not do worse.

Bernice Porter

Colorado Springs

HEALTH CARE

Insurance costs too high for regular folks

Like Susan Bohlen, I do not really like the idea of government-run health care. However, my husband and I have come to the point where we feel something is better than nothing. Eight years ago the health insurance premium was $400 per month for our family. Now that same coverage is more than $1,200 per month. We now pay $300 per month for a $10,000 deductible policy. We do not go to the doctor unless it is an emergency.

Bohlen and her family should consider themselves lucky that they have adequate health insurance. Many people I know are struggling with the cost of insurance.

My family and I are not looking for handouts. We are hard-working business owners who are trying to make a living. The cost of private health insurance is just way out of proportion to the cost of other things. Even middle-class taxpayers are having an impossible time trying to afford it. This is not an issue of just not working hard enough or expecting a handout.

Kathy Shyp

Colorado Springs

Government needed to prevent abuse of system

The most telling information in Susan Bohlen’s letter is her admission that she’s “among the lucky few who have an excellent health care plan” (“Government not the answer to what ails system,” Feb. 7). Unfortunately, from there, she proceeds to criticize the unlucky millions who do not. But this attitude is typical among folks like her.

Contrary to Bohlen’s insistence that health care should not be a right, I maintain it emphatically needs to be an unenumerated right under the Ninth Amendment.

She says “most things in life need to be earned:” fair enough. But is it fair or correct that my brother in Florida can be denied health insurance (that he’s quite willing to pay for) because he has pre-existing conditions? This is where the government needs to involved — to make sure no one prepared to pay can be denied health insurance.

The purpose of HMOs ought to be to provide services for sick people, not to cherry-pick how many well people they can get.

As my niece in Toronto put it after her back operation some years ago: “Without the Canadian health system I’d have been in the poor house. It’s time Americans get rid of their for-profit, barbaric system once and for all.”

I totally concur. I suggest Bohlen watch the excellent Michael Moore documentary “Sicko.” It may also help her to gain a more empathetic perspective for those unable to get into an “excellent health care plan".

Phil Stahl

Colorado Springs

STORMWATER ENTERPRISE

Letter writer just wrong about fee collections

A letter from James Marvin in the Feb. 7 Gazette contained factual errors that need to be corrected (“Government spends much to recoup a little”). The Stormwater Enterprise is a separate city entity, not part of Colorado Springs Utilities.

No employees have been, or will be, hired as “collectors” for the Stormwater Enterprise fee. Stormwater employees consist of engineers, technicians, inspectors, maintenance crews and a small administrative staff. These employees implement a program that oversees an $8 million annual capital improvement program for critical and emergency stormwater projects, an expanded maintenance program of $4.4 million annually that will complete more than two dozen large maintenance projects in 2008, and the city’s federally mandated water quality program.

Ken Sampley,

Stormwater Enterprise Manager

Colorado Springs

SHORING UP HOUSING

Congress can make difference in market downturn

Stabilizing housing should be square one for any meaningful effort to stimulate the nation’s economy and pull it back from the brink of recession. If Congress is serious about averting a further loss of jobs and boosting consumer confidence, it needs to start by shoring up housing, which is the biggest financial asset of most families in this country.

With mortgage interest rates near historic lows, it’s time to end the mortgage credit crunch that continues for prospective home buyers who live in high-cost markets, for households with moderate-incomes and for those seeking to buy a home for the first time. Congress has the power to get mortgage money flowing again by allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase larger mortgages for a two-year period and tying that to full regulatory reform of these institutions.

Congress can help buyers who have trouble saving up for a big down-payment by modernizing FHA. It can give a shot in the arm to job-producing businesses that have been hurt by the housing downturn by allowing them to carry back net operating losses for five years. And Congress can make further headway on reducing foreclosures by expanding the mortgage revenue bond program to help subprime borrowers refinance into loans they can afford instead of waiting for their loans to reset at a higher interest rate and with a monthly payment beyond their means.

Skip Howes

Scott Homes, Ltd.

Colorado Springs