Dominic Zuppe – 9/30/04

This page was last updated on September 30, 2004.

Good for whom?; Dominic Zuppe; Beaver County Times; September 30, 2004.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“I listened to a speech that President Bush made on TV in which he stated the last four years were good.”

[RWC] I have reason to doubt President Bush used these words, but he is generally an optimistic leader so he may have. I’ll admit things can always be better, but given everything thrown at the United States over the past four years, I think we’re doing pretty well.

“I guess my question is, good for whom?

“The federal deficit is sky high.”

[RWC] I don’t support deficits by anyone, but how has the current deficit hurt us?

“$200 billion went to Iraq instead of helping Americans who could use help.”

[RWC] Based on a previous letter by Mr. Zuppe, I’m willing to bet the “Americans who could use help” does not mean the taxpayers who actually earned the $200 billion. Mr. Zuppe would prefer to take money from our national defense to promote the socialist agenda of “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

“Our Medicare costs will increase in January by 17 percent a person, the highest jump ever.”

[RWC] I hate to break the news to Mr. Zuppe, but this is beyond President Bush’s control for two reasons. First, the deductible and premium increases are based on healthcare costs and the government doesn’t control them. Second, the deductible and premium increases are updated according to formulas set by Medicare law.

Though government doesn’t control healthcare costs, it does contribute to their rise because of programs like Medicaid and Medicare and unfair tax treatment for employer-based healthcare insurance. A first step to getting healthcare costs under control is to get back to a free market in which the person getting the treatment is the person paying for it, not some third party like the employer or the government.

“Because of money spent in Iraq, the elderly of this country have to make a choice whether to pay rent, buy food or get their medication.”

[RWC] Huh? Since when is government responsible for paying for our food, prescriptions, and rent? The elderly had a lifetime to plan for their retirement. Don’t dump their costs on the rest of us so we are unable to plan for our own retirement.

“Small businesses have to close because of lack of help by this administration.”

[RWC] I have a hard time believing Mr. Zuppe cares one bit for businesses, be they large or small. In general, liberals consider business to be the enemy. Why else would they encourage taxing the daylights out of business? That said, Mr. Zuppe could be the exception to the rule.

“Not only did he get too many young Americans killed in a war that should not have happened, he succeeded to get Americans hated by countries who were once our allies.”

[RWC] Given the current liberal rants, I assume the war to which Mr. Zuppe refers is the Iraq War. Mr. Zuppe, terrorists and Hussein loyalists killed American and other coalition soldiers, not President Bush or British PM Tony Blair. Remember that.

President Bush didn’t “get Americans hated by countries who were once our allies.” We simply learned who our real friends were.