LETTER TO THE EDITOR: United States citizens do not want socialized medicine

By: Dear Editor: | SCNOW
Published: June 11, 2009

The national media tell us that the governor of California is in Washington requesting funds from the federal government to bail out California. Meanwhile, the governor of South Carolina is refusing to accept money from Washington available to all states. If the bail out for California is financed by federal income tax dollars, doesn’t this mean that some of our future IRS payments would be going to California? This seems incongruous and ridiculous to me.
I realize that Governor Sanford may be thinking of his future political ambitions, but he should consider his S.C. constituency as well. I cannot believe that federal money could not be used in our educational and roadway systems and partly replace funds that could be applied to our state’s debt.
President Obama is purchasing control of General Motors, and states that he plans to pass some of the control to the United Automobile Workers. I believe a large part of the problems of GM and Chrysler is due to the demands of the UAW such as comprehensive medical care without co-pay, two years of full salary after lay-offs, and luxurious retirement benefits. These expenses mean the American automakers are unable to compete with foreign manufactures. To pass managerial decisions to the UAW seems to me tantamount to putting the wolf in charge of the hen house.
I believe many of the actions of our president and congress are a smoke screen as they lead us rapidly down the road to socialism. I do not claim to be an authority on politics or government. However, as a graduated of Johns Hopkins Medical School, a former Governor of the American College of Surgeons, and Professor of Surgery Emeritus of the East Carolina School of Medicine, I do know enough about medical care to be certain that we United States citizens do not want socialized medicine.