Health care bill is not real reform

I voted for President Obama, and I think he gives a terrific speech. But in spite of his words, the history of our private insurance companies proves one thing: if nobody else keeps them honest, they never will be. The president says having a federally run public option is "only one of the ways" to achieve health reform. Not so. According to a wide range of independent experts, it's the only way.

Only a Medicare-style entity - not unproven little co-ops, not shoddy new "high-risk" policies from the same old companies - will bring the clout to negotiate low rates and be a competitive force against the insurance Goliaths and their ever-worsening performance.

The reform being kicked around now doesn't do this. It would force every American to buy health insurance, as the president admits. But if there's no choice of insurer except these companies, it simply forces even more of us to pay them. That's yet more profit for them, yet more nothing for us.

If this bill reaches the floor without a real public option, then the Democrats who run Congress have the duty to kill it. That goes for Rep. Bean, Sen. Burris, Sen. Durbin and all the rest. Otherwise, our one chance to fix this mess will be lost for another generation-and we'll be stuck for with insurer-friendly "reform" that's worse than nothing.

Anthony J. Sterbenc

Barrington