A recent editorial by David Sirota was a despicable case of class envy. He seems to think that he, and/or those of his same sociological mindset, can determine who is making "too much money", and by extension what the rightful use of said money is. I guess the logical conclusion from this line of reasoning is that wealth and assets really only belong to the society, i.e. government, and not to individuals at all.

He starts his argument by stating many "1-percenters" will profit through bonuses from possible bailouts. This basically untrue, and even if somewhat true, it merely highlights the folly of unqualified politicians getting involved in the nation’s economy, and should throw up a red flag concerning their involvement in health care. Then he goes for the horror story that "22,000" Americans die each year due to lack of health insurance. This is an outright lie, and I know this from personal experience. You are not denied treatment if you do not have insurance. You are treated, billed, and hounded by the hospital and, if necessary, a collection agency until that bill is paid.

It is easy to look at a group, such as the "1-percenters" and demonize them with a "c’mon everybody, these guys are the cause of our troubles" attitude. It is however very dangerous to be lured into this trap. It can be very comfortable when you are on the right side of that confrontation, but since those few people do not have enough wealth to possibly bear the cost of proposed "health care reform", what happens when the criteria change and you inevitably wind up on the wrong side? Mr. Sirota implies that only people with a stake in preserving their wealth would deign to disagree with him. I work in the landscape industry and would bet that editorial columnists earn more than I do. Do I have a right to some of David Sirota’s money? If a person "can afford to do a little bit more so that a whole bunch of families out there have a little bit of security…" and he chooses to do so, that is fine, and noble as well. But that decision is rightfully made by the individual, not forced upon him by government.

James West
Widefield CO