Trust in government has not been earned

Michael K. Casler, Las Vegas

Friday, Aug. 28, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

Regarding John Sloan’s Tuesday letter to the editor in the Las Vegas Sun headlined “Listen to reason, not anger about health care”:

Trust in government must be earned. Social Security and Medicare have been headed for insolvency for years. What have our representatives done about that? Nothing.

We have needed real immigration reform and a sane immigration policy for years. What have our representatives done about that? Nothing.

I could go on, but you get the point. Health insurance needs reform and it will not be reformed without some government action. It is possible for the present system to be reformed by legislation and not replaced by a full government program if our representatives take some tough action.

But as with Social Security, Medicare and immigration, either nothing gets done or what is done is overkill or ineffective or both. I feel both shame for my government and fear of my government.

PBS’ Bill Moyers points out real problems in health care, but our government has done such a poor job for so long on so many big issues I don’t have much belief in it at this point.