Voters’ voices made a difference with health bill
Lots of explanations have been offered for the failure of the House of Representatives to vote on Trumpcare. And many of those explanations have merit.
But I don’t see many comments on the key role that voters have played in this process ever since January.
This unprecendented mass movement — which has followed Congress for months — is the strongest, most vocal I’ve ever seen.
Some observers estimate that 2 percent of the U.S. population participated in women’s marches in January, and people are keeping on the heat! The representatives only had to listen to their constituents. From massive phone/letter campaigns to visits to packed town meetings, these officials could not avoid hearing the voters say: No, we don’t want Trumpcare!
President Donald Trump has no idea how politics works. And he doesn’t want to learn. He doesn’t know that he can’t “close a deal” in politics by threatening people. Members of Congress have thousands of voters back home to answer to.
So we’ll keep fighting and I hope we can save more of our precious democracy. JONI RABINOWITZ
Park Place spotting several squirrels in the yard, unsure what to focus on first. But I have always tried to seek out columnists/pundits from both sides of the issues to gain some clarity and understanding of the problems facing our great country.
After reading in the Post-Gazette the conservative Charles Krauthammer and the liberal Paul Krugman, as I always do, and recently listening to conservative Glenn Beck and liberal Robert Reich — who don’t agree on much — I was struck with the one thing with which they do agree. Our president, Donald Trump, is a classic demagogue, a Vladimir Putin wanna-be, an unhinged, narcissistic strongman who if left unchecked and unchallenged could be a real threat to our democracy.
I am not sure if I am scared senseless that the two sides agree or optimistically hopeful that they can find something for which they can join forces to temper or change. It reminds me of the “Apollo 13” movie line: “Houston, we have a problem.” We, the American people, have a problem in the White House that transcends party politics or opposing political views.
Our only hope is that the systems of checks and balances, as well as the coming together of the left and right on this one issue, can keep our wonderful country from sinking under the weight of this juvenile, bombastic, erratic, “so-called” leader. As another recent letter to the editor put it: “I have never been so worried about our future.” MARINA MILLER
Marshall
There are a lot of injustices today, and one of them is the Pennsylvania Turnpike. If you enter at Exit 10 New Castle and travel to Exit 28 Cranberry, 17.77 miles, your toll is zero.
If you enter Exit 39 Butler and travel to Exit 28 Cranberry, 10.63 miles, your toll is $1.64. The toll per mile is over 15 cents a mile one way and zero the other.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike is raising tolls every year till 2044. I can’t even imagine what the cost will be per mile when it reaches its goal. We must stop this absurdity now. ROBERT E. SALTZMAN
Hampton