A dog and pony show

A dog and pony show

EDITOR:

Your story on U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan’s public meeting on health care was probably more revealing than intended. Mr. Ryan says that he was at the meeting to listen to the health care concerns of his constituents. But the story reveals that Mr. Ryan himself carefully selected who would speak at the meeting, based upon their ability to present a touching story that fits his political agenda. This isn’t listening; this is showmanship.

Carefully excluded from the presentation were the thousands of Mahoning Valley residents whose private insurance plans would be driven from the marketplace by the government-imposed public “option” favored by Mr. Ryan. Another defender of the health care plan gave the none-too-reassuring defense that “the government can’t make it any worse.” Keep in mind that this is the same government that was elected to office with the slogan “Yes we can!”

Finally, Mr. Ryan disagrees with the professional economists at the Congressional Budget Office who report that the plan will cost much more than the already daunting price that the president has claimed Since Mr. Ryan also voted for the so-called stimulus bill with the promise that it would cap unemployment at 8 percent (it’s now 9.5 percent nationally, and 12.8 percent locally), he’ll forgive us if we ask for a second opinion concerning this prescription.

ERIC CHEVLEN, M.D.

Liberty township