Let veterans get care anywhere they want

To the editor:

There was yet another dramatized political dustup in Sunday’s Review-Journal over who gets credit for the new VA hospital in North Las Vegas (“Senate rivals go to war for veterans’ vote,” Sunday Review-Journal). It’s all about votes, not vets.

The ability of our military veterans to have access to health care services in a timely manner is only the beginning of their problems. It isn’t just about access and the quality of care our veterans receive, but also the availability of consistent long-term health care. This is a geographical distribution problem that will never be solved by simply adding another VA hospital.

With 175 hospitals, the VA hospital system is the single largest hospital system in America. But that doesn’t make it the only system. This system is dwarfed by the sheer number of hospitals in America. Why shouldn’t the majority of the VA hospital system be privatized? In today’s environment do we really need 175 VA hospitals? How about supporting only 15 or 20 government-run regional specialty centers?

Thirty-five thousand people die every year on our highways, but far more people are seriously injured. Another 5,000 suffer gunshot wounds. Yes, it’s a battlefield out there on our highways and in our streets.

America’s privately run hospitals can handle nearly all of our veterans’ medical needs. Why shouldn’t every one of our military veterans be given immediate direct access to any quality hospital and doctor of their choice, not just the at the VA location?

Privatizing the VA is a political hot potato. Think of the loss of votes from those now working as government employees at the VA hospitals, the inability of politicians to crow about how they brought to their local vets even more questionable quality and geographically rationed health care.

It’s time to give our vets a true choice of where they get their care. Regardless of their age, give our vets Medicare or a similar plan and let the federal government pay the entire cost of their care in a much larger program that would clearly provide better access. It’s all about what our vets fought and died for: freedom of choice. After all, good hospitals and doctors are everywhere, not just at the VA.

Richard Rychtarik

Las Vegas

Ryan’s a realist

To the editor:

Now that Rep. Paul Ryan is Mitt Romney’s VP choice, the Democrats will be rolling out the attack ads, no doubt portraying him as an extremist on budget issues.

If he is such an extremist, and so unpopular, Democrats may first want to re-examine how he has won seven elections as a Wisconsin congressman in a Democrat district. As for his so-called extremist budget proposals, it doesn’t take a math genius to figure out the current budget is out of control. If you cut the total cost of operating the government and military, about $1.3 trillion, and only paid all entitlements and interest on the national debt, you would still be operating with a deficit. Couple this with more than $120 trillion in unfunded entitlement liabilities and it’s not hard to see that we are headed for economic disaster.

It’s a two-part dilemma: getting spending under control and creating jobs. Letting the Bush tax cuts expire for the rich will do very little, if anything, to increase revenue. It would make the budget deficit about $1.2 trillion instead of $1.3 trillion. Whoop-de-do.

And it would take about $80 billion out of investment in new and existing businesses.

To create jobs we need a better-balanced and restructured tax code that encourages investment in new and existing business, versus throwing this money down the proverbial government rat hole.

Warren Willis Sr.

Las Vegas

Martinez a bargain

To the editor:

I got a laugh over Bradley W. Kuhns’ Saturday letter, in which he complains that the Wahoe County School District will pay new Superintendent Pedro Martinez some $300,000 per year in salary and benefits. Mr. Kuhns apparently is not familiar with the way leaders in executive suites are paid.

When he wakes up and showers and shaves, does he think the CEOs of the toiletry companies get a measly $300,000 in salary? Then he goes out to start his car. I can assure him that the CEOs of the auto companies get seven or eight times what Mr. Martinez is paid. He stops for gas. What about the compensation the oil company CEOs get? I could go on. But you get the idea.

The fact is, the CEOs of major corporations are paid exorbitant salaries in the millions, and with all the benefits Mr. Martinez is getting – only their cars are limousines and they are transported about in corporate jets.

When you consider these facts, the Washoe County School District is getting a bargain paying only $300,000.

Richard J. Mundy

Las Vegas

Executive privilege

To the editor:

I have one very important question for all members of the U.S. Congress. How has President Obama been able to bastardize our U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights? Answer: executive privilege.

In many instances he has extended his executive privilege beyond what the Founding Fathers of our Constitution would have thought possible.

If President Obama is elected to a second term, we will not recognize the type of government we have enjoyed for more than 230 years.

CLARENCE LANZARATH

LAS VEGAS