Letters: Government shutdown


‘Obamacare’ works, and it’s popular

The public really likes “Obamacare.” And why not, as friends tell me of projected savings on health insurance of $1 to $13,000 per year? The country has had a seven-year experiment with the Affordable Care Act in Massachusetts. They love it there. Former governor and presidential candidate Mitt Romney had to admit this, but said the plan in one state may work but not as a national plan. This is logic?

The irony is that a plan like the Affordable Care Act that omitted a public option was a Republican Party platform plank for many years, because it would avoid a single-payer plan that cut out insurance companies.

Should the USA be the only industrialized nation not to offer a national medical plan? How many families have gone bankrupt over medical bills and how many died because they could not afford preventive or critical care? The residents of the 26 states that rejected Medicaid expansion will surely express their feelings at the polls.

Harry Phillips III


The writer is a regent

of the University of the State of New York

Stop making U.S.

a laughingstock

Since our elected officials closed down our government — fire, impeach, recall all “them bums.”

Ever since the 1980s and the cruel obscene “trickle-down and pour-up” philosophy took hold, this government has tried and succeeded in destroying the middle class, making the poor poorer and pricing college out of the reach of too many. We all have to face the fact that the only thing this Congress cares about is not offending their corporate masters.

We elect these clowns only to have them turn around and knife their constituents in the back, and we’ve been saying “thank you” and keep re-electing them.

The tea party is a ploy of the Koch brothers and gigantic money people who do not care how they damage our country; and they are doing a really swell job of it. We are a laughingstock to the world.

Joanne R. Dulman


‘We the People’ have not shut down

We should all take a deep breath as we recall one of the core principles of our American republic. If we do this, we will take heart with the present calamity in Washington. The actual government — the root of political authority in this country — has not shut down.

Granted, what has shut down is being called “the government,” but what has really shut down is the vast cadre of administrative personnel that carry out the will of the American people. The final line of the Gettysburg Address references this truth: “that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” The essential truth is that “we the people” are the government. I am here to report that we have not shut down.

Those among the vast cadre who have chosen to abandon the stewardship of the people’s will should be rightly struck with a sense of shame and immediately return to the task at hand: properly administering the country so that we can all thrive more successfully in our quest for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Michael Clarizio III


The writer is a professor at the College of Westchester

Stop blaming the Republicans

Re “Stop shutdown; and work together,” Oct. 3 letter:

I wonder where the letter-writer gets his information regarding many congressional members who want to stop paying for Social Security, Medicare, disabled vets, school children, state disasters, the homeless, etc. None of these government programs caused a massive deficit according to him. With high government salaries, perks, pensions, waste and giveaways, all this and more helped cause massive deficits.

The Democrats are doing a splendid job of pushing the blame onto Republicans with their brainwashing and propaganda, which the uninformed gullible believe.

By the way, the monies spent on the wars mentioned were fought for the defense of this country, and the cost was in the billions, not trillions. As for Obama, he will not negotiate with the Republicans, he’s also the man who has a problem telling the truth and gets away with it.

Pat Cardone