LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Today, 05:00 AM

Socialized medicine coming up short

Editor, In the Oct. 18 edition of the Boerne Star, the Kendall County Democrat tells us about the Republican Party that has very little grasp of the difference between true socialism and a society with a functioning social safety net.

Apparently, the social safety nets are not working in the socialist worker’s paradises of France, Italy and Belgium, as indicated by the ongoing riots. Closer to home, there has been for years, a string of Canadian politicians and wealthy Canadians who come to the U.S. for their medical treatments. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams traveled to the United States in February to undergo heart surgery. Robert Bourassa, former Premier of Quebec, came to the United States when he was diagnosed with multiple melanoma.

Currently, about 17 percent of Canadians are on waiting lists for access to a primary care doctor. Then the Canadians have to wait to see a specialist and wait for CAT scans or MRIs. This has motivated many legal challenges to the current system.

There are more MRI machines in Pennsylvania than in Canada. Legal challenges to the Canada Health Act mean there will be increasing numbers of private medical clinics, like those in the US, opening up in Canada.

When I was a cancer patient at M.D. Anderson in Houston years ago, my wife and I met patients and their families from all over the world. They came from countries with socialized medicine. They came to the U.S. because they wanted to live.

— Richard C. Burnett Fair Oaks Ranch resident

Running a business

Editor, Voting is upon us again, and as most of you know but sometimes forget, we are all part of running a giant business.

Let’s say we have been given the opportunity to have and run our own business. As CEO of our business, and because of our great business plan, it is our responsibility to make our business grow and prosper, to fill all the positions in our new business, with the best experienced and qualified employees we can find, to make that success happen, right?

Congratulations, guess what? We have just been appointed CEOs of the largest and most successful business in the world. Because of our unique qualifications, citizenship, we get to do the hiring and firing of applicants/employees for the job openings in our business. Because hiring-firing is such a thoughtful and serious process, we must use all of our skills in filling these positions.

Let’s get out and select — vote for — the best qualified applicants that support our Constitution for our business or our business, so that it will prosper, and also guarantee our continued role as CEOs in charge of hiring-firing.