Letters to the editor can be sent to: voxpop-ne@yahoo.com

Yes, I just opened my invoice for health insurance due 11/1/05. I'm self employed and have health insurance for some of my employees. One has a family plan, one has a different plan for one parent and and one child, the other is a single. A few year back (seems like so long ago), those premiums were $690, $370 and 270 repsectively. Prior to to this new hike, I had been paying $880, $535 and $380 since last year. NOW, starting next month, these same premiums are jumping to $1140, $755 and $480!!!!!!!!!!!

My jaw hit the floor! My premium due is now about $2375...up from 1860 in October....that's a jump of more than $500....more than the cost of insuring another person.

This just sickens me. From 4 years ago, my health care costs are up over $1000 per month....not to mention other costs like gas and electricity and local taxes.

To make matters worse, Bush's tax panel is talking about limiting or removing tax deductions for health insurance...among other measures like cutting the deduction of mortgage interest to close the revenue gap caused by his wonderful tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires...which I refer to as a "Tax Shift".

Since those tax cuts, local expenses like municipal taxes and property taxes have gone way up to offset the lower funds coming from the state, which reflects lower funds coming from DC. All this to keep those stupid tax cuts permenant. It's effects mid to higher wage earners too.

I hope those middle to upper middle class voters who vote Republican for "lower taxes" are aware of the ripple effects of those tax cuts. The problem is that they'll blame the local government and never consider DC's role in these increasing costs.

As for Health Care, it's about time someone did something. These policies (or lack thereof) on taxes and healthcare hurt small businesses just as much as middle to upper middle class wage earners. The needs of small business are not like those of Fortune 500 companies...not even close.
Small businesses would be much better served with affordable health care policies and lower payroll taxes. These costs dwarf "capital gains taxes" and other big business worries many times over.

I was at the website for the "Center for American Progress" and THEY GET IT!!! One of their members, John Irons, gave a speech on the House Floor a few weeks back on Tax reform and the Center's proposal for it. It was designed for Small Business

and low to upper middle class wage earners ALIKE. THEY GET IT!! They know where the "Mom and Pop" business, America's largest employer, feel it.

I'm so sick of people saying how bad it would be to have universal health care. BULLSHIT! It would help EVERYONE except those lobbies and special interests that profit from the current system. I say the hell with them!! So does America. All polls I've seen show at least 60% support for universal health care of some kind. I'll go a step further and say that a majority of that 40% opposed are opposed for some simplistic principle of self reliance that has no bearing on the real discussion or problems of the current system. They suffer too! We all do!! They pay higher premiums and out of pocket costs too!! They think it's lawsuits. What a great FRIGGIN' DIVERSION!!

I'm going to call my health care provider and discuss lower cost options like HMO's. I simply can't afford this anymore. NON-MILLION-TO-BILLIONAIRE AMERICA NEEDS TO COME TOGETHER AND LET THOSE SILLY SOCIAL GRIEVANCES ASIDE 'TIL THESE REAL PROBLEMS ARE FIXED! DAMMIT!!!

Name and address withheld

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War is a tantrum, a mindless rampage of death and destruction. It has nothing at all to do with freedom or democracy; and everything to do with exchanging one tyranny for another.

Richard C. Thoene
Lincoln, NE