LETTERS: Health care premiums, moderate Democrats and more
Maragos responds on health care reform
In your editorial "Ideology won't lower premiums" [April 23], you allege that I resorted to politics in reporting that county health care premiums will be skyrocketing. This is incorrect. My goal is to ensure that the taxpayer is protected from these proposed double-digit increases, which can cost the county up to $52.8 million next year. I felt the best route to fight these types of increases was to turn to our representatives in Congress who helped pass the health care reform law.
My office was one of the first to ring the alarm regarding the "skyrocketing" health insurance rate increases. I immediately advised our U.S. senators that the proposed rate increases could be devastating, costing the state economy more that $5 billion each year.
The result was almost immediate. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein recognized the need to reform the legislation and has introduced a bill to empower the U.S. secretary of Health and Human Services to review and reject unfair premium increases that will devastate taxpayers. Sen. Charles Schumer joined me and County Executive Edward Mangano in our effort to negotiate lower rates for New York, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has now joined the effort.
Our U.S. senators must remain true to the representation that we achieve affordable health care for all Americans. I will be watching on behalf of Nassau County taxpayers. That's not politics; that's my job.
George Maragos
Editor's note: The writer is Nassau County comptroller.
Moderate Democrats are endangered, too
Newsday's article "GOP moderates endangered?" News, April 21] is yet another example of liberal bias. The Democrats are led by the far left of their party. Any objective review of President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's record demonstrates a left-wing agenda. While the Republicans stood together in principle and unanimously rejected the health care bill, over 30 Democrats voted no and many others had to be coerced to vote yes. Newsday should reconsider which party's moderates are endangered.
Jim Madsen
Population explosion needs more coverage
I was pleased to see an article on the issue of population explosion , but I was not pleased that it was on Page A37. On Earth Day, it should have been on Page A1. I agree with the writer that no matter how much we recycle or "go green," there is no helping Earth if there are just too many people to use up resources and add to the pollution. The time is now to bring this issue to the front burner.
Salvatore Verzino
Out East with Doug Geed: Wine harvests, a fish market, baked treats and poinsettias NewsdayTV's Doug Geed visits two wineries and a fish market, and then it's time for holiday cheer, with a visit to a bakery and poinsettia greenhouses.
