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Show O MONDAY, June 12, 1995 ¢ The Salt Lake Tribune PAGE A6 OUR VIEW The Salt Lake Tribune's Editorial Position Another Dr. Doom on, may net be the best to wait until al $ ity and Medicare millionaire who would the pain of the change, he as an insensitive Scrooge. efits threat is part of the spiel on reforming health ‘are in particular. It “is absoory.” he claims as a foresidential candidate Bob h policy, to raise the retireage if federal old-age programs olvent. Hedoes little to soften his message when he adds that the ograms were not designed with sur1 mind: few people were expected to live long enough to receive assistance. a: For average Americans, Sen. Bennett’s proposalis unacceptable. Coming from someone whocan affordto retire early enough to enjoy the fruit of his life’s labors. who could buy his own health insurance anytime, it is outrageous. Longevity is not the only factor that as changed inthis countrysince Social security and Medicare were created. The of health care has risen out of the reach of average individuals. especially the elderly, whose illnesses often are the most expensive to treat. If the government did notinsure the elderly. who would? Employers? The trend has been to let longtime workers — thoseat the top of the payscale — retire earlyto reduce salary and health costs. Are employers suddenly going to keep people around until age 70 to fill the gap left by the government. no matter the impact on profit margins? If not. older peoplewill have a hardtime obtaining health insurance of anykind The small employers who might be willing to hire older workers won't be much help. These are the employers least able to afford to offer health henefits to any workers, least of all those most likely to get sick. Meantime. the price of individual policies would be prohibitive for older people. because insurance companies would consider them a poorrisk. If Mr. Bennett expects his ideas to be taken seriously, he must spell out somerealistic alternatives for middleincome people with the misfortune to be too young for federal benefits but too old to get insurance elsewhere Even better. he should find waysof reducing Medicare and Social Security costs short of cutting off the people who need federal help. Not every person 65 or older needs Medicare — orSocial Security, for that matter. Medicare patients don’t need unlimited choices of doctors and treatments any more than otherpatients do. Medicare patients, depending on their incomes, could pay higher premiums, fees and deductibles. The health-care industry could be better regulated or revised to reduce price-gouging. costshifting. unnecessary services and cumbersome paperwork The government could create incentives that would enable more Americans to insure and support themselves in retirement. Even Sen. Bennett's voucher idea might help reduce costs, though patients would be susceptible to exploitation by profit-seekers. Mr. Bennett's Draconian scenario should not be seen as imperative until less drastic measures are tried. If Congress and the president would cooperate on controlling health-care costs soonerthan later, there would be reason to expect a revised Medicareto survive long into the future to serveall Americans whoneedit Time Favored Justice The elusive Robert Vesco may have finally run out of places to run. If the notorious fugitiveis actually extradited from Cuba to the United States, this long-lasting saga mayfinally end As surprising as it may seem that Fidel Castro’s Cuba has arrested accused swindler Vesco, the development fits a pattern. Sincehis flight from U.S. law enforcement 23 years ago, Vesco has recurrently managed to spoil his welcomein successive safe havens Reports that the Cuban government has taken himinto custody revive all the old recollections concerning this accused looter of a prominent mutual fund. And while such episodes tended to fade from US. interest. Vescostories seemedto constantly circulate through Central Americ d the Caribbean. lists traveling those regions to hear rumors of Vesco bribing Costa Ricanofficials, colluding with Nicaraguan criminals, being part of the drug traffic connecting Colombia, Panama, Cuba and the United States. In fact, he is chargedin the United States with drug crimes as well as light from criminal investigation Accused of siphoning some $224 million from Investors Overseas Ltd. during the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Vesco surfacedin Costa Rica amid tales of buying protection from that country’s president. With a change of administrations, he ducked out, moving continually and leaving trail of alleged corruption and treacherous associations until his stop 13 years ago in Havana Speculation surrounds the Cubans’ willingness to extradite him. Since Vesco managedto alienate everyone he ever partnered with, perhaps it was simply time for him to sufficiently disgust Fidel If a return to the United States actually occurs, expect a rehash of his sordid career — attempts to bribe President Richard Nixon’s associates, Atty Gen. John Mitchell and Maurice Stans, during the ‘72 elections; the purported effort to embarrass President Jimmy Carter by giving funny moneyto his brother, Billy Carter — a chronicle of incomparable criminality Moresignificantly, however, is the apparent finale — justice again prevailing following a long, persistent tracking of the wanted malefactor. Who knows howmuch harm and damagethe fugitive has done while on the loose, but at least the prospects are better than ever that he will now answer and payup. ANOTHER VIEW Fromthe Chicago Tribune THE PUBLIC FORUM Letters from The Tribune's readers Where to Write @ When submitting letters to the Public Forum, please include your full name,signature, address and daytime telephone numbers. Information oth- barely above. Not at any time in Ben- nett’s affluent life has he wondered about the sourceofhis next dollar. Bennett was wrongbyabout 30 years in his estimation of fiscal problems beginning for Social Security. Expert predictions allow more than 30 years for Congress to make necessary adjustments. Social Security has worked well over the last 60 years. It will continue to do soif Bennett and his colleagues use the present to make reasonable adjustments for the future. If Bennett's estimate of when Medicare runs out of moneyis accurate, 2009, that should give the Congress plenty of time to fix it. In this case, it is not the beneficiaries of Medicare — it is not free, they meet a deductible and pay monthlypremiums — whoare causing the breakdown. of the program. It is the private healthcare system andits inflating costs. Medicare funding increases about 10 percent a vear. Only2 percentofthis is attributable to newbeneficiaries coming aboard. Othercost increasesin this wildly increasing health programare 3 percent general inflation, 3 percent medical inflation and 2 percent new medical technology. So, if Bennett is going to reign in the cost of Medicare, he ought to considerfirst looking at the entire medical profession before he jerks the rug out from under those wholeast deserveto be hurt It seems only the minority in Congress is concerned about the frail andelderly But the majoritywill not budgein its defense of the billions of dollars it gives awayeach year in corporate welfare. Many baby boomers and the generation following them are awarethat the cost of medical help given their grandparents todayis really an investment in their future. And the independencethus granted older people in turn provides quality time for the baby boomersto en- joy JOHN B. COOPER Lehi Moose Be SomeKind of Mistake The moose is a lumbering creature with a big head, and it spends a lot of time wallowing in mud Since moose and politicians already have so much in common, it’s no wonder House Speaker Newt Gingrich is spend ing his vacation in New Hampshire, doing a little moose-watching Holy antlers! It’s starting again, the po: litical mating dance in New Hampshire. thefirst presidential primary state With a scant 34 stops in his four-day New Hampshire moose-athon, Gingrich could probably shake hands with every registered voter in the state. (How many moose are there, by the way, at the Holiday Inn in downtown Manchester?) It is reliably reported that one of the most endearing moose characteristics is their relativelysolitary nature Gingrich is all blushing innocence when he says this started out as a simplelittle getaway to watch the moosefrolic. Those scripted meet-and-greets just sort of evolved Why, you might ask, didn't he set out for Alaska for his communewith nature? There are tons of mooseup there And could you taketherest of the presidential wannabes with you? QO Don’t Tax for Arts I read with interest Joyce Tucker's let ter (Forum, June 2) regarding declining ticket sales and endowments for the Utah Symphony. Tucker's suggestion of an arts tax is one that deserves further exploration The argument put forth by Tuckeris that since ticket sales and endowments havedeclinedto the point that the Sym phonyis no longer a viable enterprise. the taxpayer should pick up the tab. I haveno interest in — and the government has no business — increasing my taxes for the support of any enterprise that serves the needs or desires of only a few Whileit is easy to make an emotional argument for a UTAH’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1871 PUBLISHER PAST PUBLISHERS Dominic Welch John F Fitzpatrick (1924-1960) EDITOR James E. Shelledy John W Gallivan (1960-1983) EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR Jerry O Brien (1983-1904) Harry E. Puller, Jr KEARNS-TRIBUNE CORPORATION, 143 8, MAIN ST, SALT LAKE CITY, M4111 A Fill Those Bottles What Does Bennett Know? Sen. Robert Bennett chose the American Fork High School commencementto stoke the embers of what could be a devastating generational battle — young vs old — that seemsto be the goal of those who would balance the federal budget on the backs oftheelderly. Social Security and Medicare-Medicaid, it is safe to say. are of no personal import to him. Perhaps he is unable to empathize with those who find those programsthe difference betweenliving below the poverty level and existing just i x, the fact re mainsthat if thereis not enough support in the community to maintain the existence of any endeavor, then we should seriously question whether or not that endeavorshould continueto exist If my business sold a product that no. body wanted, should the taxpayer subsi dize it? It is a question only of degree The answer for Tucker shouldbeto en courage attendance and hold fund-rais ers; and stop looking to taxpayers to pay for her favorite pastime er than your name and the city in ich you live are kept confidential. eepit short. Concise letters de- veloping a single themeare more likely to be published. Pleasetype and double space. etters are condensed and edited. & Becauseof the yolumeof mail received, not all submissions are pub- lished. @ Mail to Public Forum, The Salt Lake Tribune,P.O, Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. B Our fax number is (801) 237- 2022. Myhusband and I have traveled fre- quentlyin foreign countries. A treasured rite of homecoming was to turn on the tap, fill a glass with water and savor it slowly. I was home! I could drink the water! This would follow weeks of trudging dutifully through strangecastles and cathedrals, always clutching a white plastic bottle of safe drinking water: Our greedy conglomerates have convinced a submissive Republican Congress that our present clean-water standards are too onerous and expensive. Their ex- orbitant profits are adversely affected Our Congress wants to lower our cleanwater standards to mollify the complaints of their largest contributors. I havevisionsoftourists at the Lincoln Memorial trundling white plastic bottles of safe drinking water. Maybe they will call it “Pocahontas Revenge ELEANOR GREENHALGH Society Needs God Salt Lake City 1 amdisturbed by the recent lawsuit fromthe parents of a West High School student who claimed to be “offended” at the mention of “God” and “Lord” in two graduation songs. As a Jew who believes in God, raised in a Jewish home, I see no reason whyanyonewhoclaimsto be Jewish would be offended at the mention of the Lord our God ina respectful and honoring manner. I have a copyof the Michael W. Smith song “Friends,” which was one of the songs in question, andI thinkit is an ideal graduation song for a public high school I would prefer anysong that reverently acknowledges Godover the immoral and sexually explicit language and themes of manyof today’s songs. On the other hand, there are many gs. movies, political stands andlifestyles in societythat significantly offend my religious beliefs, yet I do not file a lawsuit for merely being offended. As a society, we all benefit when people acknowledge God. Sadly, over the last 30 years, the name of God has been more and more removed fromall aspects of society. This is a tragedy for people of all religious faiths andall of society. Per- haps more of us should be offended by the eradication of God frompublic life. DEBBY EL IN MYLAR Salt LakeCity Why Not Arm to Hilt? Sarah B. Thompson, M.D., in her Salt Lake Tribunearticle June 2, argues that repealing the ban on assault weapons would restore rights taken awayfrom the people and work towards their ability to protect themselves. I assume that she feels that it is necessary to own assault weaponsfor personal protection But whystop at this point? If we need morefirepowerforself-protection, why not allowus to arm“to the hilt” without restriction? One might consider having the right to possess hand grenades, how itzers, heat-seeking missiles, laser-guided rockets, night-vision targeters, and perhaps even biological and chemical warfare capabilities. After all, not all of us are capableof aiminga rifleorpistol well enough to effectively defend our selves, and we need something togive us a better chance tokill the other fellow And we should havethat right. Right? I reckon rights are so important that it is not necessary to consider what some people might do if they hadall these weapons. Weshouldtrust them. Right? Cometo thinkof it, why not include the right to possess all the various forms of explosives? I am sure that the event in Oklahoma City was just an accident. It could not happen again. Couldit? CHARLES F, REICHMUTH Caring About Kids Cedar City ‘The well-being of children is of utmost importance to Utahns.’’ Platitudes to this effect are mouthedoverandover again in Utah, but actions speak louder than words. Thedecision by the two Re publican Salt Lake County commission ers to deny block-grant funding for fam ily planning information and counseling is another example of perverted political reality. The right-wing Eagle Forumwins again by manipulating politicians more Utahns Will Pay Price As June 16 approachesand wewait for the International Olympic Committee to makea decision ona site for the 2 Winter Olympics, I would like to cong ulate the governor, our state and local officials, and the Olympic Bid Committee for keeping thepeople of Utah in almost interestedin re-election than implement complete darkness concerning both the economic and environmental costs to In reality, politics is far more impor tant than the welfareofchildren. Deny- host these games. ing funding for family planning will re- downor quash any negativity that might sult in more children bornto unprepared spark the tinder of public opinion has been for the most part successful for ing soundpublicpolici teen mothers who, if Congress gets its way, will be denied Aid to Families with Dependent Children benefits. At the same time we see cuts in food stamps Medicaid and housing assistance pro grams. And we wonder whykids get involved in gangs. Obviously, appealing to common sense does not work. So let me appeal to base greedand self-interest, To all thoseright wing, anti-family-planning budget-slash BRIAN P. KEARNEY ers: Who do you think is going to get a steady job and paythetaxes to fund your Social Security? Youbetter be saving lots of money so you can buy yourself a for tress to escape fromthe problems of soci ety that you helped create with your twisted public policies Utah cares about kids. What a joke. JEAN M. LOWN Salt LakeCity Logan It canbe saidthat their missionto play those who stand to reap the greatest fi nancial benefits. Unfortunately, it will be the tax-paying citizens of this state who will bare the economicand environmen: tal consequencesfor the actions of their electedofficials for many years to come D.M. CLAPIER Roy { Rotten Thieves 1 would like to personally catch the low-down, rotten, scummy, ratty people whosteal plants and baskets from ceme tory graves, Believe me, it would be the last time these thieves would steal any thing. W. KEITH LARSEN Salt Lake City |
