Both sides are right; how about some balance?
The vast majority of letters submitted are attacks by Democrats on the Republicans and Republicans on the Democrats.
I am going to focus on why both parties are right.
First, the Democrats are right that a compassionate, Christian country helps the poor and disadvantaged.
The Republicans are right in that 1) taking care of everyone will bankrupt the country and too much help creates dependency and an “entitlement” mentality.
The Republicans are correct ? government needs to live within a budget and we can”t solve our problems by continually increasing taxes, particularly on the wealthy ? there aren”t enough of them.
The Democrats are correct ? it is unfair and unrealistic to ask those who are the most vulnerable (the elderly, the sick and the poor) to suffer while the wealthiest live in excessive decadence. The wealth of corporations and individuals comes partly from innovation and risk taking and partly from thriving in a system that they manipulate to maximize financial wealth.
The Republicans are correct ? government is inefficient compared to the private sector and suffocates the system by continuously making new onerous rules with harmful long-term consequences.
The Democrats are correct ? some of corporate America and wealthy individuals are greedy and self-serving and manipulate the system to acquire more wealth while hurting the majority of ordinary people.
This could eventually destroy the middle class and America as we know it.
The Republicans are correct in wanting individuals to take more responsibility for their financial and healthcare future. Overdependence on government is dangerous. The availability of new technologies and drugs and associated costs are increasing faster than any individual, insurance company or government can afford to provide.
The Democrats are correct ? government run Social Security and healthcare can take advantage of economies of scale. While Medicare has a great deal of abuse and fraud, it is much more efficient in administrative costs than private insurers and does not demand a profit.
The Republicans are correct ? the costs of defensive medicine is adding enormous costs to the healthcare system and liability reform is needed.
The Democrats are correct ? individuals should have the right to sue when there is malpractice.
The Republicans are correct ? we cannot balance the budget without spending cuts to our biggest programs such as entitlement programs.
The Democrats are correct ? we cannot balance the budget without decreasing defense spending, increasing revenue, asking the wealthy to pay some more and cutting tax loopholes and subsidies to corporations.
The Republicans are correct ? some public employees have generous retirement and benefit programs that are unsustainable and will bankrupt states and counties if not changed. Unions have been resistant to change and are seriously damaging the education and other systems.
The Democrats are correct ? workers have the right to unionize and while public retirement benefits are generous, salaries of average workers such as teachers and police have for decades been low for their professional requirements and risk.
Carol Schepper
Lucerne
