Although you and I are at different locations on the political spectrum, I would like to agree with two of the themes in your most recent column (No One Asked Me But…PROGRESS Sept. 20).
First, and most important, your statement, “It is time for Americans to forget the tag Democrat and Republican and join together…” And you continued, “Moderate Republicans and moderate Democrats working together to solve the problem is the answer.” I totally agree. In fact, if I may, I would like to bring an ongoing attempt at a solution to your attention.
My spouse and I currently do not live in Moapa Valley but we have purchased land there and will be moving in a few years. Meanwhile, we live in California’s seventh Congressional District. Our Congressman, Dr. Ami Bera, is a founding member of the Problem Solvers Caucus in the House of Representatives. As described in Wikipedia, “Created in January 2017, the Problem Solvers Caucus is a bi-partisan group in Congress that includes approximately 40 members– equally divided between Democrats and Republicans – who are committed to forging bi-partisan cooperation on key issues.” Dr. Bera describes himself as a moderate pragmatic Democrat who is willing to work with Republicans to enact legislation for the good of the country. This is the kind of solution that I believe you are espousing and the kind that we need. Perhaps we should encourage Moapa Valley’s Representative to join the Caucus.
The other statement you made that I agree with was, “We also know that it is imperative that medical care be available to all Americans no matter what their financial status.” Again, you are correct.
How can we have the inalienable right to life without the right to the care that sustains life? That is the equivalent of saying that you have a right to own a gun but no right to own bullets for it. One is useless without the other.
Arguments have been made that medical care was not included in the Constitution. Of course it wasn’t. In the eighteenth century, there was hardly any medical care to speak of. Most of America was rural and virtually all “doctoring” was done at home using whatever remedies might be available. Personally, like you, I’m an older citizen and I certainly don’t want to go back to a time like that.
The conflict arises in the debate over how to achieve the goal. Here again, different people along the political continuum have different ideas.
I do disagree with your statement that the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare) “is a disaster for most.” Twenty million Americans now have health insurance who did not have it before including 8,000 in Nevada. That is far from being a disaster. If the ACA fails, it will not be due to the Act itself but to the deliberate attempts to scuttle it.
The ACA is not perfect which is why the Problem Solvers Caucus “unified behind a bipartisan health care fix to shore up the nation’s struggling health insurance exchanges and to reduce premiums for individuals, families and small businesses.” Unfortunately, the Congressional leadership has sidelined their efforts.
Nevertheless, this is certainly an area that needs bipartisan cooperation for the good of all Americans.
John Soltesz
