Lines seem visible …

It was with great interest that I read “No walls here, just invisible state lines” on the March 4 editorial page that explained why allowing insurers to sell policies across state lines will cure our health crisis.

Interesting because it seemed to be gleaned from an Associated Press article printed two days earlier in this very paper, “Cross-state health ideas a concern for some.”

Interesting because the thrust of the article, as I understood, was that this idea has been kicked around for a long time and that there is a good reason why no one in Congress has actually championed the concept until now: This nonsense probably won’t help. Only competition in the actual health-care service-delivery system can substantially effect costs.

Interesting because I had thought that state sovereignty was a bedrock conservative principle—not a Republican bumper sticker to be cast aside whenever expedient. I hope we have the pleasure of hearing from Allen Kerr, the appointed insurance commissioner of the state of Arkansas, as we race to the bottom of the insurance barrel and have our hardworking citizens pay a substantial portion of their income on health insurance not worth the paper it’s printed on.

I understand the purpose of your piece was to convey an opinion rather than useful information, but please save the ink next time and assume I actually read your paper. I must say I feel blessed to be able to subscribe to a rag that makes me curse into my cup of coffee each and every day of the week. Good morning.

KEITH VACHON

Little Rock