‘Trump care’ will devastate New Mexicans
The American Health Care Act, also known as “Trumpcare.” is a giveaway to corporate insurance companies who now can return to the days of charging us outrageous amounts for junk policies that aren’t there for us when we need it (“Gov. stays silent on health care overhaul,” May 11). Trumpcare essentially would allow insurers to go back to the days of discriminating against patients with pre-existing conditions. That’s appalling. If the Senate votes for it, constituents like me won’t forget. Trumpcare not only ends policies for so many of those on Medicaid; it bans those who keep it from using their insurance to be treated at Planned Parenthood — the only provider in many areas. Tell the Senate: Hands off the Affordable Care Act. Trumpcare will cost more and cover less.
Debbi Brody
Santa Fe
Narcissism is easy
On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron.” — H.L. Mencken, 1920
Candidate Donald Trump: “I know more about ISIS than the generals do.” “Nobody knows jobs like I do!” “Nobody knows more about taxes than I do.”
“Nobody knows banking better than I do.”
“Nobody knows more about trade than I do.”
“Nobody knows the visa system better than me.”
“Nobody knows the government system better than I do.”
“Nobody has ever known so much about infrastructure as Donald Trump.”
“You’re going to have such great health care, at a tiny fraction of the cost — and it’s going to be so easy.”
President Trump: “Nobody knew health care could be so complicated.
“After listening for 10 minutes, I realized it’s not so easy.”
“This is really a bigger job than I though. ... I thought it would be easier.”
Business and public administration are alike only in all unimportant respects. — Wallace Stanley Sayre, 1973
Dean Owen
Santa Fe
Set in stone
“Just between us” exchanges are a part of Southern life from Virginia to Texas and all the states in between (“In New Orleans, racism is set in stone,” Commentary, May 15). New Orleans is not unique in this form of white racist behavior. The various racist states are distinguished only by the overtness of their “just between us” behavior. In my experience, South Carolina is the loudest and proudest racist state, followed closely by Mississippi and Texas. Other Confederate states are less overt but very proud to express their racism behind closed doors. Don’t be fooled by Southern hospitality and gracious manners.
Jeff Ferris
Santa Fe
Biased and illogical
Bill Stewart produced another inaccurate and biased column (“Middle East peace is in Kushner’s hands,” Understanding Your World, May 6).
Aside from factual errors, his conclusions were illogical and immoral. Conflating the Palestinian/Israel dispute to violence and terrorism in the entire Middle East and abroad — the carnage in Syria, pitting Shiites, Sunnis and Islamic State militants against one another, the massacre of Egyptian Christians in church just before Easter, or beheading of Westerners and other nonbelievers — misses the complexity of ideologies in the region. He says “the Palestinian Authority spends about $315 million a year in distributing funds to some 36,000 families” who “support ‘widows and orphans’ of those Palestinians caught in the act. The Israelis claim this amounts to subsidizing terrorism and demand an end to the practice. So do members of Congress.” Mr. Stewart, remunerating those who murder civilians is wrong, regardless of where your sympathies lie.
Audrey Stein Goldings, M.D. Santa Fe
Protecting our world
I very much appreciated Nicole Horse herder’s My View (“Navajo Nation can move away from coal,” May 7). Her position is principled and forward-looking. The problem isn’t that fossil fuels are inherently bad. The problem is that they are being burned at such a high volume that their residues are changing the atmosphere and causing a range of other problems, which Horse herder clearly explains. But if fossil fuels were extracted more selectively and used at much lower volume, they actually could provide significant benefits in centuries to come.
An immediate problem we face is how to address an overuse that is happening everywhere and at high levels. One reasonable solution would be tax on carbon. It has the advantage of curbing carbon overuse wherever it occurs. Rory Holscher Corrales
Wondering why
It only took 200 years for us to mature as a nation, and now in 100 days we have become the laughingstock of the world. I wonder why?
Richard “P-Nuts” Madrid Santa Fe