Letter: 'Health care is not a commodity'
Bobby Phillips // Appeal-Democrat (Opinion)February 17, 2010
In response to the Jan. 28 letter to the editor "Wrong numbers fuel poor policies "by Kristen Lopez Eastlick, it's interesting to note the letter writer's affiliation.
Eastlick is paid by the Economic Policy Institute which lobbies on behalf of hotel, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and restaurant industries. This group opposes any minimum wage laws and living wage ordinances. Since 1991, it has argued against any health care reform and either cherry picks or cooks data to support its positions.
There's a lot of misinformation about health care reform legislation and much it is fueled by and paid for by the insurance companies. They feel threatened that any competition will derail their gravy train. Insurance companies make a profit on illness. That's obscene and un-American. Health care is not a commodity.
Richard Berman has been a regular front man for business and industry in campaigns against consumer safety and environmental groups. Through his public affairs firm, Berman and Company, Berman has fought unions, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, PETA and other watchdog groups in their efforts to raise awareness about obesity, the minimum wage, the dangers of smoking, mad cow disease, drunk driving, and other causes. Berman runs at least 15 industry-funded front groups and projects, such as the Center for Union Facts and holds 16 "positions" in those organizations.
Each year, Berman, using his front groups to spread misinformation, spends millions of dollars distracting the public with misleading ads.
As a result of his largesse, in 2006, Richard Berman used $2,000,000 in cash to buy this $3.3 million house.
