Universal care the answer
I would like to thank columnist Matthew Gagnon for publicly acknowledging that a bad economy results in actual human suffering rather than just reduced earnings and profits in his Jan. 7 Pine Tree Politics column. With this said, now we as a state can focus on what can be done about improving our economic circumstances to help Mainers and reduce their economic dependence on government help.
To be different, Maine needs to establish a taxpayer-funded single-payer health insurance system that covers everybody in the state. The insurance should be provided by a private, established operation that is given a five-year contract with state oversight. This needs to be top-level coverage and not the high-deductible, low-coverage plans that too many people have been forced to pay for in the past.
Here are the benefits of single-payer health for our economic growth: a healthy, ready-to-work labor pool; lower operating costs and less paperwork that interfere with business; lower per-unit production costs, because health benefits are not needed (years ago, I recall reading that $2,000 of an American-made automobile’s manufacturing price is health benefits costs). Lower production costs mean competitive lower wholesale prices or increased business profits.
In addition, people and their families will be willing to move to Maine without fearing the loss of good health insurance coverage or higher costs, and Maine entrepreneurs will be willing to take business risks without having to worry about losing their current employer’s health insurance plans. The self-employed will not be burdened with health insurance paperwork and costs while trying to earn a living.
Henry Dilts
Washington
Preserve buildings
On Jan. 12, the Presque Isle City Council will decide whether to place our city hall, the now historic former Presque Isle Hospital, up for sale. This issue has been raised on the premise that repairs and renovation would be more costly than presumably available, newer structures would be. Cost comparisons have been cited that suggest “ridding the old and moving to new” do not compute favorably.
Suppose the comparisons were roughly equal in cost outlay. What remains, then, to consider is Presque Isle’s history. Too many old Presque Isle landmarks are gone.
The “throw-away” attitude regarding our civic buildings has got to stop. Yes, buildings do need upkeep, but we have tended to forgo maintenance and renovation until suddenly it appears cheaper to cast away buildings that have meant much to us and finance new ones. This is wasteful. It’s as if there were no sense of historical continuity.
With shrinking state contributions to our tax base and a shrinking city and county population, we lack a burgeoning populace knocking at our doors to expand our civic buildings and to hire new “services.”
A revolving fund, prioritizing on a reasonable time frame, the yearly maintenance and if need arises the renovation of our buildings would spread these costs over time and reduce the suddenness of “gotta have new quarters” hitting our municipal taxes.
May our city councilors and manager take note.
Gary M. Boone
Presque Isle
EMHS heartless
As told in a Jan. 7 BDN article, U.S. Sen. Susan Collins has introduced legislation that would relieve employers from offering health insurance to workers who work fewer than 40 hours per week (up from 30). In other words, if I declare your job to be 39 hours instead of 40, no health insurance for you. Thanks, senator.
What stopped me in my tracks, though, was this: Collins was “flanked by representatives from Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems and the National Restaurant Association. ‘We simply do not have the revenue to provide our workers with benefits and insurance,’ Lisa Harvey McPherson of EMHS said.”
Really? EMHS, Bangor’s health care behemoth, wants to cry poor so they can get out of providing health insurance for its own people? It’s bitter cold in Bangor right now, but methinks EMHS’ heart is colder.
George Fricke
Bangor