Has politics in Washington really gotten to the point where there is a call to pass any kind of a healthcare bill just to protect the “brand”? Forget how it may affect actual Americans, just pass anything. Have politics in Washington really gotten to the point where our elected officials believe that legislation that meets the needs of the public can be accomplished in secret? Where something that amounts to 1/6th of the economy of the nation can be accomplished without public input?

Think of how easy it would be if the overarching goal was to choose a health care plan that served everyone and cost less. It's not as if we can't see a better model by looking at how every other developed country does it. They provide healthcare for everyone, and typically at half the cost we are currently paying here in the U.S.

A recent letter writer felt that we couldn't afford universal healthcare because of the belief that the cost would be excessive. While total costs to the government would be higher, total costs to the nation would be far less. There would be costs to the insurance industry for instance, but one obligation of government is to assist with the costs of the disruption that change brings.

We don't know how long it will take for Congress to try more of the things around healthcare that don't work so that they will finally agree to the universal healthcare model that works everywhere else.

Don Thompson
Alamosa