Michael Torbic – 9/7/06

This page was last updated on September 10, 2006.

We need national health care; Michael Torbic; Beaver County Times; September 7, 2006.

If a dictionary has an entry for “broken record,” surely it must contain a picture of Mr. Torbic. Most of what’s in this letter was in six previous letters beginning in November 2004. See “Use entertainment for funding,” “Expand entitlements’ tax base,” “Use lottery for Social Security,” “Hands off, Mr. Fix-It,” “Nation must plan to compete,” and “A way to solve two problems” as examples. In another letter, Mr. Torbic wanted gambling taxes to fund political campaigns.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“UPMC will make a record profit this year.”

[RWC] Mr. Torbic failed to note a few items about this.

First, 39% of that profit came from investments, not revenue from healthcare operations.

Second, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Take away those investment profits, and UPMC’s profit margin [8.7%] -- as it would be calculated by Moody’s Investors Service -- was at the average for hospitals with an AA bond rating.”

Third, UPMC is a non-profit operation. As a result, its “profits” go to provide “community service,” not to shareholders. The PG article provides examples. One of those examples is providing free care to people who can’t pay.

“A few days later, I read that UPMC was going to cut benefits to the people it insures for eye care, hearing care and co-payment for medicines as well as other benefits. This taking from the elderly, poor and working and middle class families amounts to nothing but greed.”

[RWC] Assuming Mr. Torbic is correct about the benefit changes, what’s new about this? Just about every year healthcare insurers change their guidelines.

Since 99.9% of families are “working … families,” Mr. Torbic described everyone.

Regarding Mr. Torbic’s claim of greed, if UPMC “profits” go to “community service” as asserted by the PG article, who’s being greedy?

“There are various ways to fund health care without putting a burden on the people.”

[RWC] Apparently Mr. Torbic still believes in the “free lunch.” What’s next, a perpetual motion machine?

“Let’s start by placing a 0.25 to 1 percent tax on all forms of entertainment admissions, sporting events admissions, gambling winnings and wages and salaries of people earning $50,000 per year or more.”

[RWC] According to the IRS, people earning $50,000 or more already pay 96% of federal income taxes.

“Married couples with children would be exempt. A 10 percent tax on retiring CEOs of large corporations would stop the greed that hurts the elderly, poor and middle class.”

[RWC] Exactly how do CEO retirement packages hurt “the elderly, poor and middle class?” Mr. Torbic should know these retirement packages already count as taxable income, and the top marginal tax rate is 35%.

“Congress would be in charge of the proposed funds collected and see that they are properly used for health care for the people.”

[RWC] I would sooner trust a crack addict to guard a stash of cocaine than I would Congress to see to the proper use of taxpayer dollars.

“I’d like to recite a poem I found in my spelling book. It was written by H.W. Longfellow many years ago. It goes like this: ‘If a task is once begun/Never leave it till it’s done/Be the labor great or small/Do it well or not at all.’

“If the leaders of this nation would perform their tasks when elected to office instead of enjoying benefits the people don’t have, we would have a better nation and would be respected by all the rest of the world.”

[RWC] So one of “their tasks” is for Congress to take money from one person and give it to another to pay for healthcare or whatever Mr. Torbic deems appropriate?

“So let’s get rid of the greed and enjoy life. Individuals paying $25 to park at a ball game can certainly afford to contribute to national health care.”

[RWC] Why should the majority of Americans who pay for their healthcare have to pay for those who don’t?

I love it when one person tells us what another can afford to pay. That’s greed in my book.

“Thank you, Mr. Longfellow, for your wisdom.”

[RWC] It’s too bad Mr. Longfellow’s wisdom wasn’t contagious.