Take these steps toward viable health care solutions
How can we secure a viable plan to address health care needs in the United States?
Step 1 — Eliminate these words from the vocabulary:
Obamacare, Trumpcare and repeal. The first two are polarizing misnomers. The third is a useless strategy with no avenue to effect workable solutions.
Step 2 — Begin a constructive, bipartisan national conversation (Congress and citizens) on the current law (legally known as the Affordable Care Act) to identify what needs to be improved or fixed. Build on elements that people agree have had some success.
Americans want access to affordable health care for all. Can we put aside the political posturing and address that concern? Collaboration and compromise are essential to the task. SISTER PATRICIA McCANN
Oakland
We welcome your opinion
The calls come from all over the country. Some people get three or four from the same number the same day.
Maybe if members of Congress got these calls, they would do something about this. The “do not call” list is a joke. No one monitors this list.
People are sick and tired of getting these calls, and our government doesn’t care! DEB MLINAR
Penn Hills could employ people to take ticket money as before and E-ZPass drivers could just slow down a little bit till the gate opens for them.
I am sure the money saved by stopping the cheaters would easily pay the employees who work the ticketed gates. Start thinking smart, turnpike commissioners! MARY JO GARMEY
Marshall
Amelia Nierenberg’s July 24 article about Israel’s Chief Rabbinate’s decision to place 160 rabbis (three from Pittsburgh) on the “blacklist” dismayed me (“Rabbinic ‘Blacklist’ in Israel Causes Local Conversion Stir: Three Non-Orthodox Rabbis Are Targeted”). I found it both touching and sad to read about Beth Shalom’s congregant Chris Hall’s feelings of disenfranchisement because Beth Shalom’s rabbi was among the three Pittsburgh rabbis on the blacklist.
As the son of Holocaust survivors, I believe I can offer some perspective on the issue of Jewish sustainability. Jews make up a minuscule portion of the world’s population: roughly 0.2 percent. Such a small fraction jeopardizes Jews’ potential viability.
I believe that the Jewish community should welcome converts such as Mr. Hall. Mr. Hall’s decisions to marry a Jewish woman and raise his daughter as a Jew demonstrate his fervent commitment to Judaism. Mr. Hall inspires Jews around the world. I admire and commend him. DAVID HAMMERSTEIN
Edgewood