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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 27, 2008

Blame The Democrats

Regarding "South Florida Is Nation's Capital Of Medicare Fraud" (Metro, Aug. 18):

With "up to at least $7 million in Medicare fraud daily in South Florida," does anyone think that universal health care would make things better? Politicians will not be using this type of health care that the average taxpayer will have to pay for.

Once again, the Democratic Party has come up with a program that ends up lining the pockets of scam artists and people who have never put anything into this nation except debt. Supplemental Security Income - welfare disability payments - also administered by the Social Security Administration is paying children over $600 per month because they are disabled, meaning they cannot "work." Some parents are collecting over $6,000 tax-exempt dollars a month in cash for children with ADHD, and they got the stimulus check for $300, too.

"Entitlements For Votes" should be the bumper sticker for the Democratic Party. It's a nifty way to buy votes without "doing anything illegal."

DON MILLIGAN

Lakeland

Abuse Is Outrageous

After reading this article, I felt outrage and sadness. To think that there are people taking such advantage of our Medicare program is almost beyond my comprehension. Seven million dollars in Medicare fraud daily in South Florida alone and $60 billion a year nationwide! Surely it would be cost affective to hire fraud investigators to combat this outrageous practice.

According to this article, this had been going on for the past decade. How does this happen? It is no wonder that Medicare is in financial trouble. The article stated that U.S. Senator Mel Martinez has filed legislation to combat health care fraud. Will anything come of this? Congress is failing the American people, and I am very discouraged with how little they get done and seem only to worry about lining their own pockets and getting re-elected.

I guess this is just the tip of the iceberg; fraud has become a major white-collar crime in our country. Whatever happened to self-respect, making an honest living and living within one's means?

S. MARIDON-CRITES

Tampa

Lack Of Accountability

While Medicare officials were patting themselves on their backs for keeping millions of dollars from scrupulous sales persons and suppliers' grubby hands, they also demanded that outside auditors turn a blind eye toward government policies that have the ability to accurately measure and detect fraud.

Isn't it just heartwarming to read that the top officials of Medicare claim to have reduced the number of fraudulent paid claims down to a measly $700 million? These auditors were also instructed not to make any comparisons of invoices submitted by sales persons against doctors' records even though it is a requirement by law.

In this shell game, the report also claims that those improprieties would have amounted to nearly $2.8 billion of taxpayer money. Then to add insult to injury, some congressional staff members and lawmakers say "this is equivalent to corruption."

PAUL MITCHELL

Thonotosassa

Better Store Won

Regarding "New Economy's Corner Carnage" (Other Views, Aug. 20):

Your Buzz Kelly, once again, relative to his "economics" naivete, proves the old adage, "best to keep your tongue and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt."

He writes of Publix as a "chain" as if that is a bad thing. What did he think Albertsons was? It's a chain, also, just a very poorly managed one; while Publix is noted to be one of the best-managed businesses in the United States. The present economy had little to do with Albertsons' demise. It, along with Winn-Dixie, has been deteriorating for years in the face of the competition from Publix. Kelly will miss no choice of food stuffs or service with Publix.

Also noteworthy is the writer's naive segue into the liberal talking points against the war in Iraq and the bursting of the housing bubble, as if such contributed to Albertsons' demise. Additionally, Kelly rants that we should all save all we can, spending only on necessities - a recipe for disaster, as consumer spending is the backbone of a good economy.

MIKE JONES

Lakeland

Dreading The Election

B.W. Tuton's letter "Both Parties Failing Nation" (Aug. 17) was so true and is probably the reason 25 percent of the voters in Hillsborough are registered "Independent." They are unhappy with the two major parties.

On Nov. 4 I will have to choose whether I want Republican socialism or Democrat socialism; there are no other viable choices. I will vote for a president, two members of Congress and a host of local and state legislators. I will not be voting my choice; I will be voting for the person who will do the least damage to the nation by mortgaging my grandchildren's futures less, promote the least massive social programs, be the less subservient to nations that hate us and, most of all, the person that is most likely to put America first. I want honest, original solutions to America's problems. Not the political platitudes that legislators constantly feed us.

It's a shame when you have to vote against a candidate instead of for one.

After I vote I think I am going to be sick.

KENNETH R. LOWE

Sun City Center

Extend Yellow Lights

I am a retired truck driver. Most of my deliveries were in cities from Orlando to Fort Myers. One thing I learned early is that all yellow lights are not the same. They can vary from three seconds to 10 seconds.

If we want people to stop running red lights, we need to standardize the yellow light time so they are the same over the whole USA.

How about a 10-second yellow light that flashes the last five seconds.

RON SEELEY

Tampa

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