Editor:

While I'm still pretty sure that we have the best system of government in the world in these wonderful United States, on balance; I continue to grow more disappointed in the performance of our elected officials who are supposed to represent the people they serve. The ongoing health care debate is a prime example. Polls show that, in spite of scare campaigns, the majority of the public (me included) want to see some kind of public option to keep the insurance industry on its toes. But the insurance industry is going to win this one because?

Even some majority Democrats have given up because Senate rules make it probable that a vocal minority can thwart a simple majority. And for what? My personal experience spans a transition from employer-sponsored insurance from a large, powerful company, into retirement and Medicare as primary and the private insurance company as secondary. That transition was imposed by the private insurer who did not reduce my premiums but certainly reduced its exposure to risk and increased its profit. I started seeing a certain specialist before retirement who told me one day when he was unable to give me a specialized test that he really hated my particular insurance company because they were always getting in the way of his properly caring for his patients (sounds like rationing care to me). Now that I am older he has accepted Medicare (government run the last time I checked) without comment. In the meantime said insurance company benefits from hiding behind Medicare. I think that being different is often better but not always. In the case of health care the U.S. is the only developed nation without universal health care. Hardly better I say.

By the way, Wyoming congressional delegation, you won't be representing me if you continue to oppose the president's health care initiative. If you and the rest yours succeed in contributing to Rush's desire for President Barack Obama to fail, what a morass will await the next who try to fix what will soon become a crippling burden to our national economic health. Think about the travesty of Afghanistan. None other than the Taliban themselves are thankful that we let them regroup while we jousted with windmills in Iraq. How many millions have died as a result of that?

CHUCK REED, Rawlins