mailbox / By North Coast Journal Readers

What’s the Matter with Fortuna?

(Sept. 10, 2009)  Editor:

Thanks, Bob Doran, for covering the health care meeting in Fortuna and greetings from the socialist stronghold of Arcata, where we have public roads, a fire department, public water, a library, a police department, where people use Medi-Cal and Medicare, collect government pensions, student aid, unemployment insurance, social security (which even has the dreaded word social), go to public schools … (“Tea in Fortuna,” Sept 3).

But hey, wait a minute, these services are provided for everyone in our country — hmmm. socialism — why not health care? What about the government-subsidized cheap water that comes from around the state and goes to the Central Valley to grow toxic food? Subsidy is just another word for welfare. What if the fire department let your house burn down because you neglected to by a fire protection policy? Or somebody robbed your house and the police didn’t come because you didn’t pay your police protection premium?

Mary from Fortuna mentioned that nobody at the meeting seems to know what they’re so upset about. I suspect that some are just venting their anger left over from the election last November. Just like the duped masses that supported the invasion of Iraq, the Tea Party movement is anything but patriotic. A true patriot cares about the health of their neighbor whether they are rich or poor. Our health care system is going to collapse if there is not something done to take care of people who cannot afford health care.

People who don’t have health insurance will continue to go to the hospital emergency room when they need to. Wouldn’t you? What other choice would you have when your child is very ill? It is cruel and unusual punishment to not care for the sick.

Sam Camp, Arcata

Editor:

If the “patriots” at the Fortuna Vets Hall were only willing to do research on their own they might be less “frightened.” They also might be less willing to be used by health industry lobbyists.

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