Letter to the Editor

To Jason Smith

Dear Jason Smith,

I am insulted by many comments you've made disparaging President Obama without any proof for what you've said. Please stop representing me by bad-mouthing the former president, who led historic improvements in the world, ended two wars, caught Osama Bin Laden, saved the auto industry, solved decades-old issues with Iran and Cuba, and started the U.S. on track with the rest of the modern world to offer cost-effective universal health care.

Stop playing games with the lives of your constituents in regard to health care. Recent, independent studies show that the overall, annual cost of healthcare in the USA is approaching $4 trillion, yet we leave millions with no access to preventive health care, high deductibles and co-pays, and obscene drug costs.

Submit a proposal for universal Medicare. Fix Medicare so the system can negotiate the best and most fair prescription drug costs. The anticipated, resultant savings by lowering annual GDP spending on healthcare to less than $2 trillion could easily be invested in our nation in areas that would benefit everyone. Some of those investments would have turn-around values of 5-plus times the initial investments!

Do something good for your constituents and serve everyone beneficially.

End the control of the MILL complex over you and our nation. Valid estimates of the total annual cost of our military imperialism are $1.3 trillion! Please cut this in half and invest the savings! Please schedule regular face-to-face town hall meetings in the 8th District!

Denis Rigdon, Cape Girardeau