Listen to us, legislators

For once our legislators should not let their generous health industry lobbyists dictate their votes, and should vote for what a vast majority of their constituents really want, which is a universally available, government-operated, publicly funded, health-care option. Those who prefer their HMOs should stay with them.

What our Congress doesn’t seem to grasp is that though the lobbyists can bribe them all they want, they still need us “little” people to cast our votes for them to get re-elected. On this issue, those who vote with the people will be re-elected forever, but we, if they vote against us, will support their challengers most vigorously.

Eva Millette Coombs

Camano Island

Buffett is spot on

On Thursday, June 25, billionaire Warren Buffett said, regarding the economy, the “worst is yet to come,” and he is spot on! We live in a convoluted consumer economy and the “buck” should be stopping at the kitchen table where responsibility and prudence should rule the day.

Until consumers learn financial prudence, until savings takes precedent over indebtedness and until people realize they are not “entitled,” our consumptive economy will remain a roller coaster ride that eventually jumps the track and crashes completely. Such has been our history for nearly a hundred years, leaving people and institutions in a devastating lurch, being jerked up — then down, and around.

The pain yet to come will most likely have little effect on changing attitudes about personal indebtedness. It took nearly 10 years of a deep depression for our grandparents, at least some of them, to wake up. It IS the economy, “stupid”! If we continue down a path of personal and household credit abuse, and couple that with horrific national debt, then guess who is the stupid one?

Norman J. Landerman-Moore

Anacortes