letter to the editor

Still priority number one

Mon, 04/24/2017 - 4:45pm

Dear Editor:

Despite its recent defeat, "Repeal and Replace," federal health care legislation is back on the front burner. The reason for this is interesting: Tax cuts, to be palatable, must appear to be revenue neutral.

This is the plan: A reformulated health care law is designed to reduce funding for Medicaid, which, as we know, is healthcare for the poor. Over 10 years the savings will amount to 350 billion dollars, a tidy sum to perfectly balance, over the same period, cost to the government of tax reduction, mainly benefiting wealthy individuals and corporations.

Once again, the poor, God bless them, are chosen to help our nation in time of need. They are asked to do the heavy lifting, this time sacrificing good health for the common good, which will be identified as stimulus and motivation, raising America to new levels of prosperity.

Paul E. McArdle

Boothbay