Mailbag: Health bill would help older Americans

I want to thank Rep. Adam Schiff for voting for the health-care-reform bill, which will mean better medical care for every Californian if finally passed by Congress.

The House plan will help millions of older Americans in Medicare like me — more than 22% of Medicare recipients in California — who struggle with the high cost of prescription drugs by closing the gap in existing Medicare drug coverage, known as the “doughnut hole.” This will give us a full prescription drug benefit for the first time ever if included in the final bill passed by Congress.

According to AARP, nearly 20% of people in Medicare delay or choose not to fill their prescriptions because of cost, so I am sure my letter speaks for many others.

I am grateful that the House health-care bill passed, but I know the fight is not over. I am proud to be one of many AARP members who will continue to work with Schiff and other Congress members to make sure any final health-care bill means people like me, who have worked hard their whole lives, will no longer have to choose between paying for medications or paying for heat, food or housing.

MICHAEL SCHUTZ

San Gabriel

A solution to our problems: Vote

I agree with Don Elsmore (“Who is in charge of this city and its police?” Mailbag, Nov. 13) that the City Council’s conduct Nov. 3 was disgusting (“Police chief called out,” Nov. 4).

It was especially reprehensible the way Councilman Dave Golonski opportunistically used the situation to take yet another potshot at his political nemesis, Councilman David Gordon. However, Elsmore asks a very serious question that I would like to answer.

“Who is in charge here?” We are. But unfortunately, less than 50% of registered voters even bother to vote in local elections. As a result of voter indifference and failure to hold elected officials accountable for their actions, in the past decade, the city has fallen into the hands of a clique who are all on the same page, and are apparently interested only in their own personal interests and those of their cronies and campaign contributors.