Advertisement

Friday's letters: Don't add to Medicare confusion with vouchers

 
Published Aug. 30, 2012

Medicare

Confusing changes

As a senior citizen who previously helped my mother with her Medicare and who now has to ask my children for help in figuring out the complexities of Medicare drug plans, I can't believe that Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney want to make it even more complicated and confusing with vouchers.

Apparently, Ryan and Romney don't care that elderly seniors on fixed budgets will become more confused by having to shop for health care as they get older. Seniors like me have a difficult time just dealing with the curveballs that come our way as we age.

I can't imagine having to use a voucher to shop for health care at a time in my life when I am retired and don't have extra income to make up for the shortfall when the voucher money runs out. And don't tell me that I don't have to worry about it because it won't affect me. If it will affect my children or my grandchildren, it bothers me greatly.

Norma Bean, Tampa

Restoring America's prosperity Aug. 26, commentary

Details lacking

After reading Mitt Romney's opinion column, I felt I had not learned anything new about the details of his "plan."

He wants to make America energy efficient by 2020, but does not spell out anything about increasing vehicle mileage standards. There is nothing specific about how he would create jobs except by lowering taxes on small businesses.

He wants to cut spending, but again, will his plan reduce spending only on programs for the poorer and elderly? He wants to repeal Obamacare, but has not spelled out any workable alternative except allowing businesses to get more involved with a profit motive. He worries about our reduced military, but never mentions the United States spends more on our military than all other nations combined.

In conclusion, I mostly agree with Charlie Crist's opposing opinion column that points out Barack Obama's actual and measurable accomplishments.

Glenn A. Paul, Indian Rocks Beach

'Don't ask, don't tell'

No turning back

After years of worrying what might happen if lesbian and gay troops were allowed to serve openly in the U.S. military, the Pentagon has released a report finding there has been no impact on morale, readiness or unit cohesion in the eight months since "don't ask, don't tell" was repealed.

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: "I have not found any negative effect on good order or discipline."

Now that it is clear there have been no problems, we should applaud the end of this flawed policy. Instead, the GOP platform wants to reinstate it.

We need to move forward. This is another example of how the GOP is only interested in taking us backward.

Sally L. Phillips, Tampa

Republican National Convention

Independent pitch

If Republicans want to reach out to independent voters, they need to realize we are not swayed by talking points that keep their minions wide-eyed. You want our vote? Talk specifics on cuts to programs and then the commonsense reasoning on how those programs will still be effective with such cuts.

Then show your math when explaining how more tax cuts and more spending on the military are going to pave the way for less deficit spending. By doing this, you might bring a shred of legitimacy back to the political process.

Jim Harvey, Tampa

Crist's shift is a sea change | Aug. 29, commentary

Party has changed

George LeMieux's criticism of Charlie Crist is laughable. He states, "This isn't the Charlie Crist I knew," but this isn't the Republican Party I knew.

Since being hijacked by the neocons, the Republican Party is no longer recognizable to Reagan-era Republicans. Crist has always been a moderate who was willing to negotiate and do what was best for his constituents, despite the flack.

Ray Day, Spring Hill