A couple letters have responded to Jean Grapes' Sept. 2 letter supporting President Obama and criticizing the outsized influence of Karl Rove and the hundreds of millions in secret money he has amassed to influence our elections. Grapes pointed out that Fox News is an arm of the Republican Party - or the Republican Party is an arm of Fox News. This is not a judgment call - Fox literally contributes hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Republican Party.
Although none of the facts she pointed out are disputed, she is labeled "vicious." The only fact the writers responding to Grapes' dispute is whether Paul Ryan's budget - which Gov. Romney has endorsed - would turn Medicare into a voucher program. This quote is from the Romney campaign website:
"Traditional fee-for-service Medicare will be offered by the government as an insurance plan, meaning that seniors can purchase that form of coverage if they prefer it; however, if it costs the government more to provide that service than it costs private plans to offer their versions, then the premiums charged by the government will have to be higher and seniors will have to pay the difference to enroll in the traditional Medicare option."
The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities estimates seniors will pay $6,400 more per year for their Medicare benefits under the Romney/Ryan plan. Sounds like a voucher to me. Of course those on Medicare are part of the 47 percent of the country Gov. Romney says he does not care about, so I guess that makes sense.
Walt Auvil
Parkersburg
