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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 2016)
I can only hope that Congress may get off their fat a... OK, maybe not. Let’s just hope that they can find their own coyotes next year. Peter Tildesley Eugene POLTICAL CHEERLEADING I’m a Green and cannot vote in the May primary, but later I will vote for the Democratic Party’s nomination in the general election. This one is too crucial not to. Personally, I lean toward European-style socialism. However, I do understand that the president’s job is too multifaceted to sum up easily. The job requires addressing dozens of precarious global and domestic issues every day. What worries me the most about this primary election is the naïve emotionalism of fan mentality in Bernie vs. Hillary. This isn’t football. Bernie and Hillary are both incredible people! Isn’t our job, as informed and participating citizens, to vote for (hire) the candidate we see as having the best skill set to meet the rigors of the job of president? Surely, as things stand, we must continue with a Democratic administration in office. But some Democrats threaten that if their guy, or gal, doesn’t get the nomination, they will just stomp away. (And hold their breath until they turn blue and the nation turns red?) That would sure make things much worse. Please stay open and alert. Hang in there, everyone! Deb Huntley Eugene HILLARY IS PRAGMATIC Bernie Sanders supporters like to criticize Hillary Clinton for her support of the Iraq War. Bernie Sanders, because he is a senator from a small, relatively liberal state, had the luxury of voting against military force in Iraq. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, represented New York, the site of the terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. She had no choice under the circumstances; she was representing the voice of her constituents. As a woman, I think it is historically important to elect the first woman president. Too many generations of woman have put up with visible and invisible sexism. I resent Bernie Sanders and his revolutionaries for once again telling women that they will have to wait, that electing a progressive woman president is not important. Clinton is a progressive woman who has fought for liberal values for years. Is she perfect? No, she is not, but neither is Sanders. I absolutely disagree with his views on gun control. Liberals and progressives in this country should be thrilled that we have an opportunity to elect the first woman president; instead, we are having the same old tired arguments that have divided us for years. I don’t personally agree with every political stance taken by Clinton. I don’t expect politicians to agree with everything I believe. Sanders has a utopian view of politics. He promises changes that are unlikely to happen due to the diverse political atmosphere in the U.S. Clinton is pragmatic and tough and has a realistic view of politics; she would make a great president. Irene Henjum Springfield BERNIECARE LEAP U.S. per capita health care spending is more than twice the average of other developed countries (2016 Peter G. Peterson Foundation). Now that Bernie Sanders’ campaign has kindled the fire for change in the hearts and minds of millions of Americans, Medicare for All is just around the corner! Berniecare gives full (head to toe) medical benefits to everyone. (Haven’t you wondered why in our health care-for-profit-system vision, mental health services and dental care cost “extra”?) Bernie’s plan is financed by a moderate tax increase for most people and heavier taxes for the rich. Gone are co-pays, monthly premiums and the $5,000 to $10,000 deductible you must first pay out of pocket before your expensive policy kicks in. This is a serious net savings to the average person. A prosperous country like ours can afford a health care system designed to serve its people, not its corporate elite. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was neither, although a slight improvement. Let’s leap to Berniecare, and get our country on par with the rest of the western and democratic world with universal, high quality and equitable health care for everyone. Already over half of all health care provided is publicly funded — think Medicare, Medicaid and VA benefits — and highly valued. This isn’t rocket science. We’re working hard for it to pass next year in Oregon, but a federal system would be the big leap forward we need. Patricia Hine Eugene eugeneweekly.com • March 3, 2016 7
