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4 . BEACON NEWSPAPER, March 25,2010 EDITORIAL: DRAWING CONCLUSIONS —by Kevin Eastwood ACPPA is a remedy we can all ill afford The Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act (ACPPA) that passed the House on Sunday is now, for all intents and purposes, the law o f this land. Hailed as a health care reform package, it is more o f a restructuring o f the federal government, and expansion o f its powers, a reduction o f its limits and an unconscionable tread into private lives and the private sector. For those hailing it a success, we offer this: Whatever government gives is always equal to, but more often lesser than what government takes. Make no mistake about it, the contortions that the federal government will have to bend itself into to make it appear that it is fulfilling the promise o f “quality health care for everyone,” will have an impact that reaches into the every crevice o f the American econom y and every breath o f American life. It’s requirement that every American purchase health care, its regulations o n health care providers and insurance com panies, and its heavy-handed intervention into the private sector and our private lives can lead to nowhere but more government control, less freedom , and at worst, a spiraling downward o f quality health care the law is thinly disguised to offer. Take N e w Yorkers for example, where liberal policies have caused Medicaid costs to spiral out of control. To address that, New York, and New Jersey for that matter, has done what the ACPPA will have to do: water down services to pay for additional costs. In New York, payments to physicians and other health care providers was cut dramatically when costs skyrocketed. And while the result was that the State was providing more people with Medicaid coverage, it was providing fewer services and more lim ited access. Health care providers accepted fewer M edicaid patients because their costs exceeded the regulated M edicaid payments. That made it markedly more difficult for these patients to get the care they needed, when they needed it. M oney for this new health care package has to com e from somewhere; that’s sim ple logic. Reducing fraud and abuse can account for just so much. The rest has to be found by doing what N ew York and New Jersey have done and that is reduce access, lim it services and strong arm the private sector with a bevy o f laws and regulations to fund this unpopular and illogical program. For those concerned about the health care package, its thousands o f new mandates, and its impact on American society, we offer this: The power o f Americans to choose, whether it is at the supermarket, the stock market or the polls, is the power o f Americans to govern their own lives. They haven’t taken that away from us—yet. JUST TAKE yOUR \ MEDXONE... TRUST 1 ME, X KNOW W HATS ! BEST FOR YOU. J R e a d e r s ’ V o i c e s : Letters and Commentary It’s time for dramatic change at all government levels Dear Editor: The MTA and State Parks should both have their books publicly audited. Between fares/use fees, advertising revenue and concession percentages, neither should run at a loss. M inim ally used routes and parks should be cut/ closed. Worker pay and benefits should.be cut by at least 10 percent, and management pay and benefits should be cut by at least 15 percent. They should be analyzed for efficiency and I would not be surprised i f the work force can be cut by 30 percent, while increasing productivity by 35 percent (com m o n conclusions o f such studies o f government). Maybe it is necessary now for all governments- villages, towns, cities and the state—along with all o f their agencies, to. file, for, reorganizational bankruptcy to get out from under the cumbersome and bloated contracts for labor and services, (including police and teacher contracts) and then start over. End tenure, end lifetim e positions, end lifetim e benefits for all u n ion, n o n -union, appointed and elected public em p loyees/officials. It is tim e for the gravy train that is breaking the back o f the taxpayer to end, not for taxes to increase. None o f these people could ever find a job in the real world making the wages and benefits they do off our backs. Mace H. Greenfield, Esq. H ealth care is a n d sh o u ld be part o f o u r legacy o f p u b lic debate Dear Editor: I have never questioned the patriotism o f those who thoughts. I welcome those opportunities. And yet, want to bring the troops home or who were against there are those among our fellow citizens including the Iraq or Afghanistan wars from the start -never. I friends and classmates who tell me i f I’m against this see those positions as chances to get closer to the truth, if a civil debate were to follow. I welcome opposing views. They make me think about and defend my position. Often they have had me modify my original BEACON NEW SPAPERS Postage Paid - Babylon Pott Offioa, Babylon. NY 11702 (USPS0396-8000) Copyright W C J PUBLISHERS, INC. “THE PAPER THAT WORKS” A combination of newspapers and «dHiont covering Babylon, Lindenhurst, Copiague, Massapequa, Ambyvile, North Babylon. West Babylon, Wyandanch, Deer Park. Dix Hills, Wheatley Heights, West Islip, Brentwood, Brightwaters, Bay Shore, Islip, East Islip, Oakdale, SayvWe, E Patchogue, Patchogue, Bohemia, Holbrook, North Lindenhurst. Main Office: 65 Deer Park Ave, Babylon, NY Official Newspaper for the Towns of Babylon & Islip The Beacon— the paper that works School District - Lindenhurst School OistricL West Babylon School District - Deer Park School District • North Babylon School District ■ West Islip School District • Copiague Schopl District - Wyandanch School District DEADLINES FOR THE NEXT EDITION:: ADVERTISING: 3 P.M. FRIDAY EDITORIAL: 3 P.M. THURSDAY PHONE: (631) 587-56T2 FAX: (631) 587-0198 FOUNDERS EDWARD D. WOLFE, JANE a WOLFE PUBLISHERS: CAROLYN IALFRED JAMES SHUT DONNA CONSOLA LmaauAV E-MAIL ADDRESS: aqnews@rcn.com Postmaster Please return all chanfe of addrews to: <5 Deer Park Avt, Babylon N Y 11702. All Items sent to The Beacon for publication consideration become the property of The Beacon. Composition Responsibility: The newspaper w9l not be liable for errors appearing in any advertisement beyond the cost of space occupied by the errdr. Subscription Rates: By M ail in N Y State: $25 per year $40 for 2 years Out of State: $35 per year / $60 for 2 years Senior Citizens over 65 Take 10% Discount Paid Subscriptions are non-refundable. Copits: 50( within 6 weeks ojpublicum. 7J< for all ortoj, as available. health care bill, I am selfish I can’t argue against such prejudice and ignorance. I see these people in a sad light. I see them infected with hate and have transferred this angst with themselves, their moms or dads, and or some other segment o f our society to those o f us they see as “their mirror” reflecting such ugliness. I love them and am deeply saddened that I cannot reach them for their own sake certainly, but for ours too. Tom Griffith The Beacon Newspaper invites readers to present their views, ideas and issues. Please submit letters to the editor to us at 65 Deer Park Ave., Babylon N Y 11702. Letters should be signed and include a daytime telephone number for verification purposes only. We do not accept personal fhank you notes, political endorsements or anonymous letters, but will, under some circumstances withhold the name o f a writer upon request.
