To the Editor:
Re “Millions at Risk of Medicaid Loss if G.O.P. Wins Cuts” (entrance web page, Feb. 26):
Fashionable Republicans have been striving, by tax cuts, anti-regulation, company defunding, characterizing authorities as “the issue” and accusing authorities companies of corruption and fraud, to simply do away with it altogether. And the rationale? Freedom to take advantage of pure sources, materials sources, mental sources and human sources to exhaustion with out hindrance to accrue immense wealth and energy.
Republicans live and working in a post-truth world. One apparent instance of the lies and fraud they foist upon the general public issues the effectivity of two of the biggest authorities packages designed to straight profit the general public: Social Safety and Medicare.
The overhead and administrative prices to run Medicare are lower than 4 % of its spending; Social Safety overhead and administrative prices are lower than 1 %. Elon Musk’s so-called Division of Authorities Effectivity considers these statistics indicators of waste and fraud and is working to “enhance” them by privatization, the place overhead and administration prices run a lot increased.
Packages like Medicaid and Social Safety present why authorities exists within the first place. The state performs important features that the non-public sector isn’t able to doing or chooses to not do. It additionally protects the general public and the general public curiosity from non-public sector abuses; the Shopper Monetary Safety Bureau, which President Trump and his cabal have moved to close down, is without doubt one of the companies not looking for people.
All the brand new bills created by this slashing shall be paid for by the general public, and can additional line the pockets of the brand new privateers. 100 years in the past, we known as them robber barons.
Steven Boyer
St. Paul, Minn.
To the Editor:
As the manager director of the Nationwide Alliance on Psychological Sickness in New York State, I do know firsthand the impact that Medicaid protection can have on individuals with psychological sickness and their households. That’s why I’m so involved that Congress is contemplating main funding cuts to Medicaid that may put entry to psychological well being care in danger for hundreds of thousands in want.
Medicaid is a lifeline for greater than 70 million Individuals, together with individuals with psychological well being and substance use situations, pregnant girls, youngsters, individuals with disabilities, working households and veterans. It’s additionally the biggest funder of psychological well being and substance use care in the US.
If these cuts are carried out, they are going to make it tougher, and even not possible, for many individuals in New York State to keep up insurance coverage protection and entry to psychological well being care. In fact, these cuts wouldn’t really lower your expenses; they might shift the prices to these in want of care.
We at NAMI in New York State urge our senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and our Home representatives to say “no” to any efforts to cap or reduce Medicaid funding to our communities. Throughout an ongoing psychological well being disaster all through our state, these cuts could be disastrous.
Nathan McLaughlin
Menands, N.Y.
To the Editor:
All main religions — and ethical tales of each kind — educate that those that may help others in want ought to. It’s a primary tenet of a very good and first rate life.
President Trump and his Republican supporters try the other. Their major objective is to offer cash largely to the rich — with an anticipated $4.5 trillion in tax cuts. To assist finance that, they plan to take cash from individuals far much less effectively off — by reducing Medicaid, for instance, and different companies that assist these in want.
The makes an attempt to rationalize this by suggesting that states will assume the burdens of fee are flawed. There’s a motive the federal authorities has at all times borne an enormous share of Medicaid prices; most states don’t have the cash to take action, they usually nonetheless don’t.
President Trump’s plan may very well be summarized: Take from the poor and provides to the wealthy. I might have by no means thought so many individuals would truly assist that.
Sheldon Hirsch
Wilmette, In poor health.
To the Editor:
We have now gone from warfare on poverty to warfare on the poor.
I’m slightly involved concerning the ethical arc of the universe.
Larry DuBois
Salt Lake Metropolis
It’s Extremism, Not Science
To the Editor:
Re “Farmers Sue Government Over Deletion of Online Climate Data” (information article, Feb. 25):
The removing of local weather change references from authorities web sites is predicated upon extremist ideology, not evaluation or science. That is the cartoonish, Ayn Rand “minimal state” model of libertarianism, which limits the features of presidency to police actions, courts and a navy.
The first objective of such a authorities is allegedly to guard non-public property. Sadly, this model of safety is counterproductive.
There’s little worth in proudly owning a farm that’s decimated by excessive climate, or a house that’s blown off its basis by a Class 5 hurricane.
Indiscriminate exaggeration of the advantages of limitless particular person freedom precludes social cooperation. With out it, the final welfare evaporates, leaving atomized people missing sources to deal with preventable disasters, from epidemics to environmental degradation.
Gary Stewart
Laguna Seashore, Calif.
Trump, Kafka and Beckett
To the Editor:
Re “Chorus of Vengeance at Purged Kennedy Center” (White Home Memo, entrance web page, Feb. 22):
Are we dwelling within the twisted world of a Kafka novel, or an absurdist Beckett play?
On daily basis, our president behaves in ways in which overturn every little thing we thought we knew. Is there a federal program to stop illness, to assist the needy, to reply to disasters that hasn’t been gutted? Is there an economist who isn’t predicting monetary doom due to President Trump’s Nineteenth-century financial fantasies? Is there a rustic on this planet that respects or trusts us anymore?
And nothing is just too small, too petty, too trivial for his disruptive contact. Purge the Kennedy Middle? What’s subsequent, taking out pennies? (Oh wait, he’s doing that too.) Possibly invade Canada or Panama or Greenland? (By no means thoughts …)
On daily basis, I choose up my copy of The New York Instances with a heavy coronary heart, figuring out I’ll learn one thing that leaves me distressed, confused and confounded. We’d be dwelling within the funniest second in historical past if it weren’t so tragic and absurd.
Mark Schannon
Tucson, Ariz.
The Lengthy View
To the Editor:
Relating to your articles concerning the Trump administration:
I’m 101 years previous and have lived by way of the Nice Despair, Pearl Harbor and World Battle II.
My husband, at age 18, was within the U.S. Military and despatched to Europe. He was in a number of battles and was deep in German territory when the warfare led to 1945. It took sacrifice and work for all of us.
I do know a darling 6-year-old woman. With all the chaos within the White Home, what shall be in her future?
Marion J. Veale
New York
To the Editor:
I’m 82 years previous and was motivated to reside lengthy sufficient to see my younger grandchildren develop up. However now I’m equally motivated by eager to see our management change to people who should not merely succesful but additionally ethical and empathetic.
Is that an excessive amount of to hope for?
Elizabeth Rosenthal
Larchmont, N.Y.
