As Congress plays hot potato with Obamacare, my health is on the line | Opinion
At the edge
I’m 60, self-employed and living with congestive heart failure. That’s not a metaphor — I literally have a weak heart and dangerously low ejection fraction (how much blood the heart pumps out with each contraction).
The Affordable Care Act is why I can see a doctor, afford my medication and stay alive. Now, Congress is playing political hot potato with my health. If it doesn’t extend the ACA’s enhanced subsidies by August, my $30 monthly premium could jump to more than $800.
Unless I start selling organs on the side (not ideal when your heart’s the issue), I won’t be able to keep up. I’m too young for Medicare and I don’t have employer coverage. I’ve worked hard, paid taxes and managed my condition responsibly.
Millions of Americans are walking this same tightrope, silently panicking. The media must show the country what these policy changes really mean, not as talking points, but as human lives.
Kevin Bahn,
Tamarac
In the undertow
We have become numb and indifferent to acts of cruelty and injustice. For many among us, what is happening at Alligator Alcatraz is becoming another daily occurrence, like an accident on the road which we slow down to look at and then drive on.
Are all of those being held at the detention facility truly terrible people who have committed serious crimes and deserve to be in cages? Who are they really and why are they there?
Cowardly local, state and federal officials are watching this car wreck while determined organizations, outspoken Democrats in the state legislature and Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine demand action and answers. Outrage in the face of cavalier rhetoric cannot be driven by party affiliation. Those who sit back and do nothing are just as much a part of this sadistic political experiment as those who justify it.
Mikki Canton,
Coral Gables
Never too close
Vocal critics of DEI, such as President Trump and Govs. Ron DeSantis and Greg Abbott, claim it undermines merit. Meanwhile, they hand out cabinet positions to donors who are totally unqualified.
How often do bosses hire family members or golfing buddies for important job openings? Is merit the top criteria?
Of course not!
A college or university will give a football player who academically would not qualify for admission a scholarship, yet it is not allowed to try to diversify its learning environment by admitting a minority student whose background may have hindered academic achievement. If the school has the proper environment to let this student excel, the government should have no say in whether that student can be admitted.
If DEI is unfair, then so is every boardroom built on bloodlines, every scholarship built on jump shots and every political appointee built on donations instead of competence.
When equity lifts someone unlike you, it’s called injustice. When it lifts your cousin, it’s called networking.
Marty Kleinbart,
Miami
Distorting freedom
Re: the July 4 op-ed by Paul Mullen of the Heritage Foundation, “This Independence Day, you’re not as free as you think.” Astonishing how certain segments of our populace judge freedom only within the confines of their own interests and priorities. Taxes are pervasive and government is overwhelming, but Mullen didn’t mention the massive add to the national debt recently approved by self-serving politicians.
He mentioned zoning restrictions, but ignored the benefits to neighbors and neighborhoods. He vilified vaccine mandates, but ignored that unless the unvaccinated stay home, they can infect others. He completely dismissed the million-plus Americans who died of COVID-19 and the reemergence of measles. He mentioned the Second Amendment, but again ignored how many innocents die or are injured by gun violence.
Considering his cry for liberty, he completely disregarded book bans, abortion rights and other issues that should be personal decisions, as they do not impact quality of life or cause physical injury beyond the immediately concerned. The hypocrisy is astounding.
Linda S. Conner,
Miami
Sewage issue
Lots of noise, but no one asks the obvious question: where is the sewage from Alligator Alcatraz being processed and discharged?
If that answer isn’t at hand, then we know no ecological plans or impact studies were made. That’s grounds for a court to shut it down. It is that simple.
Jared Sherman,
Tamarac
Gubernatorial choice
I’ve listened to U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds on several important occasions and have come away with great respect for this young politician.
He would be the first African American to serve as governor of Florida. He is well-deserved and well-equipped to lead us.
Roger Shatanoff,
Coral Gables
Dade’s waste
July 16 is another decision day for Miami-Dade County commissioners.
Do we stick with past policies of waste management by burning our garbage, or should we use this opportunity to innovate with programs that divert our waste stream to more useful solutions?
Commissioners have offered several resolutions for reducing our landfills, such as composting, collection stations, Pay-As-You-Throw, mulching yard debris, recycling construction debris and more. Meanwhile, small businesses are finding ways to reuse or repair.
The best news is that we won’t need to waste $1.5 billion for a new incinerator.
Noel Cleland,
Miami
Much ado . . .
There was great fanfare with the announced meeting of Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Trump in the White House recently.
So much was at stake: hostages who were to be released on day one of Trump’s presidency; war in Gaza with a growing death toll; suffering and starvation of trapped children.
What transpired?
No joint accomplishments released. No news events. Nada.
Well, just one thing: Netanyahu would nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace award.
Doug Kostowski,
Kendall
Pageants and politics
Before Fidel Castro ran Cuba, that nation had six provinces. In time, he divided them to create 15.
Did anyone notice that the recent Miss Universe Cuba pageant celebrated that geographic nomenclature?
Were pageant organizers paying homage to pre- or post-Castro Cuba?
Leo Bueno,
Coral Gables
Carry each other
Many weeks ago, I had an image of elephants in the wild forming a circle around their young. They protect the most vulnerable among them in the herd.
We, as a caring community, must embrace and help the most vulnerable among us — those hardest hit by the heartless policies of President Trump. Let’s give a triumphant lion’s roar for all who protested against those policies, from immigration raids to No Kings Day.
We are all vulnerable to his Big Blustery Bill. We must help one another and keep up the “good trouble” with protests and letter writing.
Connie Goodman-Milone,
Miami
Springs legend
I was deeply saddened to read in the July 8 Miami Herald the obituary of Miami Springs retired police officer Don Mazzone. He was the archetypal motorman responsible for giving Miami Springs the reputation of being a speed trap, but to Springs residents he was a protector, keeping crime low and the streets safe for our kids to ride their bikes.
Every member of my family, myself included, at one time or another was pulled over by Officer Mazzone, sometimes more than once. If a citation was issued, it was well deserved. He had a gruff exterior and a heart of gold and I am thankful for his dedication and service.
Felix Jimenez,
Miami
Show of shows
I saw Elvis Presley in 1956 performing at the Olympia Theater for $1.50 while he was still causing hysteria among girls across America. I also saw guitarist B.B. King perform there in the early 1990s. Perfect acoustics.
At the Coconut Grove Playhouse, I saw the play “Equus” and I also saw jazz pianist and composer Oscar Peterson perform live.
Because neither venue provides live performances anymore, the only real entertainment in town would be to attend a live Miami City Commission meeting.
Mark Osman,
Kendall