Clinton's health care
ambitious gamble
Recognizing both the needs of the nation and the
needs of ins presidency. President Bill Clinton
announced ins long awaited health-care reform package
last Wednesday to the people and the Congress and
wasted for the response
The plan, which lias been < ailed the most sweeping
va .• : 1 >■ ?..»<< e I Cl !)«•; !.•<■• <-*„ ■ \ew Dea;
enjoys support from nearly all corners at least in the
general sense that it pledges to make health care avail
able to ail It is in the details that the cheers and
applause give wav to questions and anxiety, and even
staunch opposition
Probably the most important detail to work out is the
question of how much more the Clinton plan will cost,
as compared to the status quo. Although supporters of
the plan claim that the majority of the cost will be
absorbed by eliminating inefficiencies under the current
system, it seems doubtful that such a widespread pro
gram as this, which hopes to extend basic medical cov
erage to 37 million Americans who currently la't such
benefits, could do so without requiring a hike in taxes
The plan will require all employers, regardless of the
size of their business, to provide health insurance to all
employees and to pay 80 percent of the premiums Small
business owners, understandably, are some of the most
vigorously opposed to the plan In an effort to assuage
some of their fears, however, a cap would be placed on
how much a given business would have to pay in pre
miums: a modest 3 5 percent of the total payroll
Under Clinton’s plan, a patient's right to choose his
own doctor would be preserved, although choosing a
physician "out of network’’ would result in the patient’s
having to pay 20 percent of the bill Admittedly, those
people without the means to pay that 20 percent would
be unable to choose, but many of them are effectively
without a choice under the current system, because they
can’t afford any doctors at all
()ne thing that all sides agree on is the need for reform.
Already, several alternative plans have appeared. Hope
fully, the competition between these rival plans and
Clinton's proposal will result in an improved hybrid that
is stronger than each of the individual plans that
inspired it Intelligently, Clinton has welcomed this
t ompetition, recognizing that the spirit of compromise
will have to play a part if there is to Ire? any significant
health-care reform at all.
Clinton, elected as an outsider, unfamiliar with the
wavs of Washington, has been quick ter learn The
Menu* tats in Congress have been slow to tort the Clinton
line, and the Republicans slower. Me knows that any
degree of partisanship may doom his efforts completely,
and many of Clinton’s programs, which have already run
the congressional gauntlet. l>ear the scars of partisan pol
itics.
For Clinton to push for health-care reform, in spite of
this risk, is an ambitious gamble, but it is one that ho
promised to take on the campaign trail and one that the
country desperately need* him to take.
<ifu'ii/i Daily Emerald
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ASK KHOT
w/MT W{ Conroy
caw do foe vou -
Prisoner’s plea
! am # prisoner on death row
it' tin- Arizona State Prison and
was wondering if you would do
rne a fas or 1 have been here for
almost 1<> w «rs and have no
family or friends outside who 1
can write to
1 was wondering if you would
put a small ad in the campus
newspaper for me asking for cor
respondents If you are not able
to do that, then mat tie you have
some type of message or bulletin
board \ou could put it on 1 real
ize you are not a |**n pal club or
anything like that, but I would
appreciate it il you would help
me
Death row prisoner Caucasian
male, age 46 desires correspon
dence with either male or
female college students Wants
to form a friendly relationship
and more or iess exchange past
and present experiences and
ideas Will answer all letters and
ex< flange photos Prison rules
require a complete name and
return address on the outside of
the envelope
Jim Jeffers
Arizona State Prison
Bo* B 38604
Florence. Am 8S232
Delayed reaction
Don Peter* on July 1 gave an
"opinion" that i find appalling
Who is he to talk about the for
est problem and then compli
ment the president on his solu
tions7 I admit the problem
appears difficult, but not in the
eyes of the old-growth forest,
which is not protei ted after all.
Peters talks like we are "start
ing out" now Does he not know
that more than 90 percent of an
ancient forest has already been
cut down and that we are fight
ing over tlie last precious 5 per
cent to 10 percent?
Our mountains are like a rat
eaten blanket full of holes and
no continuum where endan
gered species as well as the old
trees are exposed and doomed.
Who cares7 A whole ecosystem
is is being sacrificed to greed
w hile we hear the screams of big
timber and their brainwashed
workers will not have a forest
ieft to cut anyway in a few years.
They saw this crisis coming
for years and years, but paid no
heed, supported by the U S. For
est Service, the protectors of our
forest Thev have been too busy
figuring timber sales and putting
in thousands of miles of logging
roads, while the stupid taxpay
ers footed the tax hills.
In the end it will l>e cheaper to
subsidize the unemployment of
workers than put billions into
roads There is a lot of work that
our ravaged forests and streams
need, as well as replanting,
which has never kept pace with
clear-cutting
Why didn't Don Peters talk to
the Native Forest Council or
ONKC before giving his opinion
and misleading others7
Hilde K Cherry
Eugene
Catholics forget
William Clinton could not
have eh-ytyd without the
Catholic vote Clinton's position
on abortion was in direct oppo
sition to the teaching of the
C atholic faith taught to him at
Georgetown University.
The church instructs its faith
ful that abortion is murder This
precept has been taught for HO
centuries The American
Catholic population knew the
(tiurr.h's instructions about
abortion as proclaimed bv the
Pope John Paul 11, but chose to
papal declarations because of
economic considerations, espe
cially employment.
The consciences of most
Catholics were not troubled by
casting a vote for pro-abortion
politicians such as Clinton and
Perot. The consciences of too
many Catholics have become
corrupt because of the commis
sion of repeated mortal sins nev
er sorrowfully confessed to a
priest.
Catholics did not realize,
therefore, that they became
accomplices to the abortion
when they voted for pro-abor
tion candidates last November
Consequently, millions of
Catholics with fret' will and suf
fii lent knowledge committed
mortal sin last Election Day, It is
sad to relate that the American
Catholic Bishops failed to pro
vide specific moral direction
about voting for pro-abortion
politicians Their inaction was
truly the “silence of the shep
ards ' This sin of omission was
also morally grievous!
We Catholics have forgotten
that Cod is perfect love and per
ftx t justice If he did not chastise
us for the horrible sin of abor
tion, God would contradict bis
nature. He can never do this We
will be punished. Only prayer
— especially Rosary — and
penam e can reduce the tribula
tions.
Joseph E. Vallely, M Ed
Washington, Conn.
The newspaper's name should
be changed by striking the word
"daily " It is not and never has
Ix-en published every day When
that happens, and perhaps it
should happen, the word can lie
restored.
Charles 0. Porter
Attorney at Law
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