LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Titus shows how legislating is done

Tom Harper, Henderson

Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009 | 2:04 a.m.

I read with interest the LasVegasSun.com article Wednesday by Lisa Mascaro, “Dina Titus backing House health care plan after changes.” Mascaro notes that “Titus had been walking a political line of supporting health reform, but opposing several elements of the House plan ...” and that Titus was pleased with changes to the new House bill because it “takes important steps to make health insurance more affordable and accessible for the uninsured, employers and those with preexisting conditions.”

Isn’t this the duty and responsibility of legislators to review proposed legislation and then work toward changes to best protect the interests of Americans? It’s a sad and dire contrast with the “Party of No” that, for partisan reasons, opposes legislation suggested by the opposing party and that places the best interest of Americans second to what has become “gotcha politics.”

In these woeful economic times, we must reject partisan politics, which will result only in maintaining the status quo. It’s time for innovative and thoughtful legislation that will rescue a failed health care system wherein many Americans are paying more for their health care than for the necessities of food and housing.

The late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, in his 1980 speech to the Democratic Convention, said it best: “Together, a president and the people can make a difference ... Let us go forward in the knowledge that history only helps those who help themselves.” This is the reason I actively campaigned for a candidate like Titus, who, unlike the “Party of No,” has the political will and courage to pursue necessary political change.

Discussion: 16 comments so far…

By judgesmales

11/8/09 at 5:48 a.m.

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Only Democrats could be stupid enough to embrace being the Party of Yes.

When it comes to spending more of our tax dollars and money borrowed from China on programs devoted to societal leeches, the Dems say Yes every time, no matter how silly the program is, or how badly it penalizes those of us who wind up paying the tab.

The Democrats will learn in 2010 that they can't say Yes to everything. The voters won't stand for it.
By Birdiedreamin

11/8/09 at 6:32 a.m.

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only southern white men with serious inferiority complexes could be stupid enough to embrace the party of no...
the party of w the scum bag liar loser clown...
the party of cheney the evil doer...
the party of johnnie boy i flushed my life's hard earned reputation down the drain in a failed weasel like attempt to become president mccain...
the party of sarah dumb as a bag of rocks palin...
the party of jimmy boy "did you read the police report" gibbons monkey with no leadership skills whatsoever...
the party of johnnie boy i slept with my best friend's wife, then fired them both when i got caught and ruined their lives, then ran to mommy and daddy like a snot nosed spoiled punk ensign...
the party of sue i'm an airhead with a questionable reputation as a party leader who has zero ability to be a us senator lowden...
the party of danny boy i run basketball camps so i too have zero ability to be a us senator tark...
just look at this cast of characters boys and girls...
who the hell would join the stupid pathetic lying republican party these days...
only l-o-s-e-r-s!!!
By jlb101

11/8/09 at 7:20 a.m.

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Titus is stupid. Kowtows to the social parasites who should either pay for their own healthcare or do without.
By Phargo

11/8/09 at 9:51 a.m.

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birdiedreamin:
You and all the Democrats are so afraid of Republicans it shows. You suddenly realize that the anomaly and romantic notion that a ghetto organizer like Obama could rise so far above his station. He has done nothing to convince me that he can lead. He is an effective speaker and in 39 months I can see him making $10,000 a speech at local W.E.B.Dubois clubs. That is if he will accept a check. I also see Huckabee defeating the community organizer in a presidential race.
Everybody that voted for Obama will realize that while he is a charming sort of a guy he has no feel for who to appoint as aides. Emanuel is a flamer and Axelrod is a hack.
By El_Lobo

11/8/09 at 3:08 p.m.

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It appears that Phargo has it all figured out....

Wow! Mike Huckabee will be elected as our next president. Bibles in every class room and mid-morning prayer required in all of our public schools....

Boy, that's a load off my mind. No longer will we honor or believe in the concept of "separation of church & state." The teaching of evolution in the public schools will be banned and any woman who has an abortion will go straight to jail....no trial needed!

Gosh, I can't wait! I feel better just thinking about it.....
By LarryVegas

11/8/09 at 4:04 p.m.

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Hey Wolfy...

Are you proud of our legislators? Did they have plenty of time to go over the 2000+ page bill before the vote? How about public input?

How about debate? Are you satisfied that all details were thoroughly discussed and debated before the vote?

So much for change that we can believe in...
By El_Lobo

11/8/09 at 4:41 p.m.

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LarryVegas.....

Where in the world have you been? The debate over health care has been going on for months and months.

Are you actually saying that the American people have not had a chance to discuss the issues dealing with health care?

Are you saying that the media has not talked about health care?

Are you saying that Congress has not been debating health care for the past several months?

Wow! You should could have fooled me on all counts...

Please, LarryVegas.....don't try to pass off that silly approach with anyone who has been following what has been going on for the past several months...You're smarter than that!
By LarryVegas

11/8/09 at 4:53 p.m.

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So Wolfy, are you saying that you had time to read HR-3962? If so you are doing better then the great majority of Congressmen.

How can you debate something that was written behind closed doors and put up for a vote before most of us had a chance to read most of it. I tried but gave up when it was brought up for a vote in such a short time.

Are you proud of our legislators? Did they have plenty of time to go over the 2000+ page bill before the vote? How about public input?

So, I take it that you are satisfied that all details were thoroughly discussed and debated before the vote?

And, you must be proud of our legislators, because they made plenty of time for all of us to go over the 2000+ page bill before the vote.

Man, how about all that public input? Wasn't it great that our Congressmen solicited all that public input after the details of the bill were explained to the voters?
By El_Lobo

11/8/09 at 5:49 p.m.

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LarryVegas.......LarryVegas......what are we going to do with you?

I wonder how many Americans actually made a real attempt to read anything that was part of the recent health care bill passed by the House? One out of 10,000? Probably less than that....

The point is that information concerning health care reform has been in the news for some time now....the media has been talking about it for months and months. The average American has tuned it out some time ago...Out of sight, out of mind!

Most Americans could care less when it comes to what the debate is all about...

That's sad but true....If you care, you're an exception! Sunday NFL football and the Baseball World Series has been far more important to most Americans that the debate over health care. I'm surprised that you don't see that....

Your contention that the party in power has attempted to force health care reform down the throats of every American with out ample time time for debate is a weak argument made by people such as you and the party out of power.

Wake up! Most Americans just aren't interested....
By LarryVegas

11/8/09 at 6:42 p.m.

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Well Wolfy, I guess we will have to wait until next year to see how many Americans just aren't interested in having a bill that amounts to a federal takeover of our health care system forced down their throats...

Now for me, if I was a congressman, I would at least let you have time to read and debate the bill before I hit you over the head with a ball bat...
By El_Lobo

11/8/09 at 7:28 p.m.

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LarryVegas said....

"I guess we will have to wait until next year to see how many Americans just aren't interested in having a bill that amounts to a federal takeover of our health care system forced down their throats..."

You missed my point. I'm sure many Americans may be interested in the law once it goes into effect, but I was referring to how many Americans are currently interested in the bill before it becomes a law.

Of course the bill has been passed by the House but that bill or a similiar one will have to passed by the Senate before Obama ever has a chance to sign it into law. That's going to take some time...

I'm also under the impression that any health care bill that's signed into law will not go into effect until 2013...
By teamster

11/8/09 at 9:34 p.m.

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El Lobo:

Larry never will get it. The right-wing doesn't
care about their fellow Americans who don't have
health care.
Some of the new health care rules will go into
effect in 2010.
Thanks to the GOOD GUY DEMOCRATS.
By LarryVegas

11/8/09 at 9:59 p.m.

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Hey, my right wing is all right. It's my left wing this is broken and in need of major repair.

Looks like the Democrats don't care about those who don't have health care as what about ten million will still be without health care after the one trillion dollar health care is enacted.

The part of the proposed new health care bill that will go into effect in 2110 is the taxing part. You know.... Tax this, tax that, tax everything...
By lcdrmandingonamvet

11/8/09 at 10:33 p.m.

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Reading healthcare bill? How many of these clowns read the NIE (National Intelligence Estimate) that got us into Iraq-NAM??? U.S. Sen. Kerry, "the President cherry-picked the intelligence to get us into this war". I saw Kerry actually using military combat intelligence in Vietnam, and therfore he knows a "thing or two". Of course everyone knew the NIE was packed with lies and it was used to carry-out the GOP's Nazi plans (eradication of colored folks). Obama should prosecute and execute (HANGING) the whole lot.
By teamster

11/8/09 at 11:04 p.m.

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14,000 Americans die every yearbecause of no
health care. If one of those people were your
family or friends, you would think differently.
YOU HAVE YOUR HEALTH CARE. Don't stop your
fellow Americans from getting health care.
By LarryVegas

11/9/09 at 7 a.m.

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Sorry Teamster,

If a family member or friend of mine was without health insurance and needed medical attention, I would assist in any way that I could and then help them to get on Medicaid or other public assistance if necessary.

Everyone in the U.S. has access to health care. Access to health care in Emergency Rooms are available for those without insurance...

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