Universal Health Care

The Times’ Jan. 23 editorial, “Health Insurance Crisis,” appropriately calls attention to the 7.3 million Californians without health insurance and notes that this number is growing by 23,000 a month. Various piecemeal reforms, such as vouchers and tax credits, are mentioned, but it is not observed that we are dealing with a problem long solved by other Western industrial countries--they all have universal heath insurance.

The U.S. pioneered in instituting publicly funded schools open to all residents. Some economists have attributed much of our economic success to this policy. Our industrial competitors have all imitated our educational policy and it would we wise if we imitated their health care policy. Most of the arguments in favor of universal educational opportunity apply to universal health insurance.

WILLIAM H. FORTHMAN

Northridge

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If The Times would only look beyond the end of its nose, it would find the cause of most of California’s societal problems it laments. Whether the problem is the high level of uninsured, poverty, poor school performance, the widening income disparity and the list goes on, the undisputed fact is that an estimated 3 million (1 in 11) residents in the state are mostly poor, uneducated, illegal immigrants.

Rather than offering suggestions on how to solve the problems illegal immigrants cause, The Times should devote its attention to suggesting ways to keep the lawbreakers out of our state and country.

DONALD HIRT

Paso Robles