Mailbag: Same arguments from reform haters

Robert Buniatyan, in attacking health-care reform, simply restates the Republican arguments that have been debated for an entire year (“Bill takes away freedoms,” March 26).

Simply stated, Buniatyan, you lost, get over it. Or join up with the “repealers” and see where that gets you politically. When your guy was in charge I strongly and vocally opposed the disastrous invasion of Iraq and the massive tax cuts that went almost totally to the already rich and led to the $1.2-trillion deficit, the bank bailouts and the 2008 Great Recession that President Obama inherited. When I lost my argument, I shut up and let George W. Bush do what he called “governing.”

I will ignore Buniatyan’s philosophical objections to anything that would make America a more humane nation and will just deal with what he calls the most adverse part of health-care reform — the mandate to buy health insurance, with subsidies when necessary.

He doesn’t state whether he objects to health insurers being able to deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions. I’ve never heard anyone, even Republicans, not support that part of reform, but they do object to mandates.

It’s really quite simple. After doing away with the preexisting-conditions clause, without the mandate, why would anyone buy insurance? Why not just wait until you get sick or injured, then buy insurance?

I wonder whether he objects to the requirement for every automobile to be insured? I have to assume that, to him, that’s unconstitutional too.

JIM CARROLL

Burbank

Ramani is right person for the job

The 43rd Assembly District (Burbank/Glendale area) is just weeks away from a special election. With what is going on in our country and in our state, this election couldn’t be more important.

California is on the verge of bankruptcy, we have politicians in Sacramento who were sent there to do a job they are not doing, taxes are going up, revenue continues to decline, businesses are leaving the state, and yet Sacramento keeps spending and going along like politics as usual.

The 43rd Assembly District has been greatly affected by the failure in Sacramento. Look at Magnolia Avenue in Burbank, for example — businesses are closing, families are moving, and under the leadership of former Democratic Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, things didn’t get better, they only got worse.