Interesting. Some of my letters or writings have been

[mmonk]

published in the News & Observer newspaper. So in the search engine, I did a search of my name and 31 matches came up. I was not aware of this feature. Anyway, the following was published this past Sunday concerning our Senators in North Carolina and health care:



Shaping, or strangling

I read your July 12 article "N.C. hands shape reform" and thought it would be more accurate to use the word kill as to reform or to call it preserving the current middle-man profit system. It appears to have little to do with cost containment but rather is an ideological approach aimed at protecting the interests of the for-profit health insurance system.

The mere fact that Sen. Max Baucus began the committee looking into reform without allowing physicians and supporters of a single-payer system a seat at the table confirms this approach. The other confirmation is the efforts of our senators to deny or sabotage a public option.

The citizen who pays the full $1,100 or more per month family premium will still be paying in one way or another for the marketing, administrative costs, stockholder profits and lawyers of health insurers even if he doesn't see a doctor during the year. Our health insurers will still determine the costs and rules involved in keeping their middle-man profits. Until the people have a lobby, there is probably little that citizens, small businesses and taxpayers can do but deal with high and escalating costs.

Michael L. Monk,


http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/letters/story/1611847.html


I no longer care about using my name. The last threat directed at me and my family due to my writings was two years ago (so now you who didn't know my name now do). The threats are the reason was my profile has been hidden.

[NoSheep]

1. I was speaking with my sister last night about this very thing.

I am really starting to worry that what is being represented as something the government intends to do to help the less fortunate is really a way to cut an already shrinking pie into servings that are bearable to hospitals and insurance companies. The less fortunate will emerge screwed again. As always. Without fail.

[mmonk]

3. The only way it seems to help the less fortunate

will be to increase taxes to pay for a for profit health insurance contract for them. I see no other way in a country geared so ideologically to the private sector. Of course, that sector is also the anti-tax anti-government group.

[gratuitous]

2. That was your second mistake!

gratuitous {dialing phone}: Yeah, get me the number for mmonk. Thanks, operator.

gratuitous (dialing number): mmonk? You suck! {Hangs up hurriedly} I am soooo clever! {Phone rings, wets pants}

Actually, I don't mean to make light of any threats that anonymous persons make to folks participating in public debate and discussion, but practically all anonymous threats spring from the same mentality limned above.

[sandnsea]

4. Hi Michael, I'm Sandy, nice to meet you

Yeah, I gave up on the anonymity a while back. Fuck 'em, ya know?

On edit:

Cool about your letters, I was just commiserating with the threat thingy, been there, fuck that.

[mmonk]

6. Hi Sandy. Nice to meet you too.

I'm pretty sure fear is what they wanted from me. I guess I will oblige them no longer. My fear at one time was based on when my family received a threatening phone call when I was 3 or 4 hours away by car.

[sandnsea]

7. I got an anonymous letter

I posted parts of it here I think, crazy religious support the President or die by the sword rant. I was worried about my kids too. But they were in high school so a warning about weirdos was good enough. If they were little, I might have had a different response. I used to worry about business too but have since decided you gain as many as you lose. I've only lost a few even though many of our clients are complete opposites politically. Life's too short. Glad you're feeling more at ease.

[waiting for hope]

5. K&R - and good job on getting your letter

in the News & Observer. :thumbsup:

[mmonk]

9. Thanks

[KoKo]

8. Congrats! Thanks for posting this.

I didn't read my Sunday N&0. You've gotten threats from local people or folks pm'ing you here on DU?

[mmonk]

10. No, phone calls and an internet stalker.