Depressing Politics of Reform

Dear Mr. Black,
    I am writing in response to Michael King's article on health care reform [“Point Austin,” News, March 26]. King and House Rep. Lloyd Doggett cite the 30 million people who now get health insurance. But they do not question the fact that a large percentage of these people might not have health insurance simply because they choose not to buy it. Many young people have the money but would rather have that fancy car or plasma TV over health insurance. Of course, King and Doggett also say nothing about Texas' large number of undocumented workers who contribute to the high percentage of uninsured people in Texas. The bill that was signed into law will do nothing to help these people. King also avoids addressing the cost to employers. Already heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar has announced that the new law will raise its costs for health care by more than $100 million in the first year alone. AT&T has estimated that the hit they will potentially take will be in the range of $1 billion in the first quarter. It may take 10 years or more to see if the new law will achieve its goals, but one thing we can all agree on now is that “the politics of the entire process were depressing.”