Who’s pragmatic?
Re “Single payer ‘a clear litmus test’ in race for governor,” April 16
The article quotes a UC San Diego professor saying that if you support adopting a single-payer healthcare system in California, you’re a “pure progressive,” and if you don’t, you’re a “pragmatist.”
Sure, the candidates who oppose universal healthcare coverage under a single-payer system are pragmatic, but only as that word might apply to the expediency of courting insurance corporations’ financial support for their election campaigns. In terms of real public benefit, supporters of single payer are the true pragmatists.
What could be more practical than eliminating the bloated administrative expenses of the middleman insurance companies and paying for healthcare directly through a unified fund? Our additional taxes will not double; increases will actually amount to considerably less than we are now paying in premiums, co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses.
So let’s get our labels straight: Insuring all Californians in a fair and just system is pragmatic and humane.
Carol Bardoff San Leandro, Calif.