Letters by Joe Zuber (Herald, Oct. 2) and Carol Lewin (Herald, Oct. 3), repeat misunderstandings about Amendment 69.
Here are facts:
“Highest taxes, repel businesses, kill jobs”: Context is everything. $25 billion tax buys excellent health care, versus $30 billion we currently spend for lousy industry insurance. Plus, industry rates will skyrocket 16 percent to 42 percent again in 2017. Annually, ColoradoCare saves our state government $147.3 million, and saves us residents $4.5 billion – confirmed by the state of Colorado Fiscal Impact Statement. That’s $4.5 billion mainly spent in local businesses or $28,660 potential new revenue, per business. Plus, 6.67 percent tax on businesses equals half of the current average 13.5 percent premium cost. 32,000 new jobs are projected. See http://www.coloradocare.org/amendment/saving-cities-millions/ to see why local taxes would probably drop. Retirement income is only taxed above large exemptions, up to $60,000 per couple. Currently, medical emergencies cause 60 percent of bankruptcies, 50 percent of foreclosures, which would be prevented with ColoradoCare.“No control over tax hikes”: ColoradoCare creates a legal cooperative owned and controlled democratically by all voting-age Coloradans. We elect supervisors in Section 5 (1), and voters have complete control over any rate increase in Section 9 (8) – the reverse of corporate dictatorship.“Covered while traveling, residency requirements, privacy?” Travel is covered – Section 5 (4) (n). One-year residency is required for members – Section 2 (11). Federal law mandates privacy requirements for all states.“Opposed by many”: True, the establishment of Colorado wealth opposes ColoradoCare, including governors, senators, chambers of commerce. But follow the money. They all have huge financial interest in this rigged system. Example: Colorado Gov. Hickenlooper received $300,000 from just two insurance companies. ColoradoCare absolutely benefits 80 percent of us; these wealthiest already have health care.“Poor government-run health care”: ColoradoCare is based on 50 years of Medicare efficiency (administrative costs 2 percent to 3 percent, versus industry’s rat-tunnel maze 20 percent to 30 percent). All funds go to health care, not profit.Ignore the falsehoods and do your own research. Vote “yes” for Amendment 69, “expanded Medicare.”
Karen Pontius
Durango
