Ever wonder why Republicans demonize “government” so much? It’s so people won’t discover the real problem in our democracy, the corporate take-over of U.S. society.
All too often the Republican solution is to “privatize” governmental agencies. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels wasted no time in selling our toll road and, “conveniently,” he will be out of office when Hoosiers have to pick up the pieces from this deal. Wall Street and the Romney-Ryan ticket want to unleash “the free market” to solve all problems. But there’s one catch.
Governmental agencies that provide services do not make a profit. Medicare’s management fee is just 3 percent, while health insurance companies profit by 15 to 30 percent. Our decades of privatized health care have given us a health care system the country can’t afford. Fareed Zakaria, in a recent CNN special on health care in other developed countries, declared that “the market” doesn’t work well at all for health care.
If a governmental agency doesn’t function well, citizens have a voice and can vote politicians in or out of office to solve the problem. When corporations control something, citizens have no say at all. Privatization always costs more because of the profits.
Now Wall Street wants the money in public schools. President George W. Bush initiated a testing program designed, in effect, for schools to fail. Politicians then could howl, “Our schools are failing! Vouchers and charter schools to the rescue!” In New York there are hedge fund managers running charter schools. How do parents feel about children being in someone’s portfolio and exploited for profit?
The title of Dennis Marker’s recent book says it all: “Fifteen Steps to Corporate Feudalism: How the Rich Convinced America’s Middle Class to Eliminate Themselves — From Ronald Reagan to the Tea Party Movement.” No. 10 is “Teaching People to Hate Their Government.”
— Joann Smith
Goshen
Letters to the Editor
Privatization has its limitations
- Letters to the Editor
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2008 robbery victims speak out
We would like to contribute some information concerning the front page article published on Saturday, May 18, in The Goshen News.
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Remember the amnesty law of ’86?
The “Gang of Eight” U.S. Senate members have drafted an immigration bill that’s worse then the amnesty bill signed into law by Ronald Reagan in 1986. S. 744 gives those here illegally instant Registered Provisional Immigrant status, which means they are free from being deported if they register for amnesty.
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Don’t ignore signs of someone contemplating suicide
Everyone has issues that they have to deal with in their lives. It’s when we become overwhelmed and our issues become so drastic that they are unbearable that the results can be catastrophic. Suicide is a desperate attempt to escape suffering that has become unbearable.
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Why do immigrants come to the U.S. illegally?
With the current increased interest in fixing our broken immigration system both political parties are putting forth legislation.
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Safety along C.R. 35 is a concern
This letter is meant to bring awareness and hopefully corrections in regard to C.R. 35 in Elkhart County. Something needs to be done immediately to enforce the laws pertaining to the use of C.R. 35.
- Emphasis on gun control makes you wonder
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Goshen should stick with ‘Redskins’
I must respond to the letter to the editor from Mr. Ron Chupp (The Goshen News, May 9). What’s in a name, Mr. Chupp? I too have a Native American heritage, and for some reason, I am not offended by the term Redskins, or brown skins or any other color of skins.
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More important issues than a nickname
I would like to, in the most respectful way possible, respond to Mr. Chupp’s letter (The Goshen News, May 9) regarding the ongoing debate over the term “Redskins” being used as the nickname and mascot for the Goshen school system.
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There is hope through God
May I share what happened to me after praying about the issue of whether to have guns carried by school authorities at Goshen High School. While calling out to God, my question was: Why have we as a nation come to trusting in government agencies, such as Homeland Security, rather than obeying the Constitution in what you have declared through our forefathers?
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Sheriff has this reader's support
This letter is in defense of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, and in response to Shari Mellin’s letter (The Goshen News, May 8) about Sheriff Brad Rogers not obeying the laws related to anti-gun legislation
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2008 robbery victims speak out
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