Letter: Privatization is not working

Wednesday, March 14, 2007 | 7:19 a.m.

Well, it was only natural that the veterans health system scandal would bring people like Doug Nusbaum out of the woodwork, using the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to excoriate all government-run health care in his March 7 letter.

I would direct Mr. Nusbaum to Paul Krugman's March 7 column, "Behind the photo ops." Mr. Nusbaum, can you explain why the same Veterans Affairs system was a shining example of government-run health care in the Clinton years, when money was not the sole object and the system was given adequate funding to operate in an efficient and compassionate manner. Then along comes "Mr. Privatization" himself, George Bush, fresh from botching up another government agency, FEMA, and so today we have the Walter Reed mess.

We seniors should look at these developments and cast a wary eye toward Medicare, which may be the next "domino" to fall under the tax-cutting budget-cutting, "privatization" craze of the Bush administration. What Mr. Nusbaum seems to be unaware of in this case is that if you multiply the abuses of Walter Reed by hundreds and you get our mish-mash private health care and insurance system, he, as I do, could conclude "privatization" is not the answer.

As for Mr. Bush, he should be requested by competent (there are some) members of his own party to resign, along with his vice president, old "dead eye" Dick Cheney, and if they refuse, impeachment proceedings should be brought by the Democratic Congress, but don't hold you breath!

Daniel F. Olivier, Bullhead City, Ariz.