Your October story “Confronting the Health Care Crisis” mentioned many times the rising costs, uncovered people, unemployed and the underinsured. Your five-point plan did not address the solution. The Canadian plan stated in your side column, which is single payer (providing all-inclusive coverage for all residents), is the cheapest and best coverage for all citizens. While single payer in the USA faces an uphill battle for acceptance and government approval, it needs to be discussed and debated. If Canada can be successful, why not the USA?

David Judovin
Local 164 retiree, Jersey City, N.J.

Responding to your October issue, I noticed your five-point plan for health care reform excluded any tort reform and didn’t mention purchasing health care across state lines. You support the public option—but if there are millions of dollars of waste and fraud in Medicare and Medicaid, what makes you think we can deal with another government program? I recently saw my senator, Amy Klobuchar (D), on TV waffling on taxing union health care plans. She was asked repeatedly about it. She would not answer.

Deb Larson
Local 110 member, St. Paul, Minn.

It is the Veteran, not the preacher, who
Has given us the freedom of religion.
It is the Veteran, not the reporter, who
Has given us the freedom of the press.
It is the Veteran, not the poet, who
Has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Veteran, not the lawyer, who
Has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Veteran, not the politician, who
Has given us the right to vote.
It is the Veteran, not the event planner, who
Has given us the right to assemble at our Union meetings.
It is the Veterans who we should give thanks to in November.
Honor Veterans Day on 11/11.

Veterans Terry Smolik and George Concaildi
Local 176 members, Joliet, Ill.