I just discovered the Seniors-Site and read Mr. Cheney's comments. I too remember when obtaining something of value did not involve securing a second mortgage on your home. I also remember not having to repeat mistakes hundreds of times before acknowledging there should be a change in goal or response.

Health Care funding does not have to be so complex. I agree that all of us should share the Health Program that the members of congress enjoy, and pay no more for it than they do. If everyone had their health care bills paid, either directly by the person or by coverage, costs could be reduced. At the present, we have waste through excessive administrative costs; people, equipment, supplies, postage, etc., to support an incredibly complex system. How many times have you recived a bill in the mail for a balance of 32 cents? It is a bit like the income tax laws, if they were simplified, it would reduce the overhead of collection. The Clintons tried to make the point of 100% coverage reducing health care costs but no one would listen. Most noise came from those with free access to health care and sufficient income so as to not feel the need to pass up filling a prescription this month because the utilities went up. I cannot but feel their motives were self serving at the least.

Please allow me to express some of my other observations, and address, in my opinion, some of our most extravagant waste of resources and time. Most of us have lived long enough to know that there is no way to MAKE people do or not do something. Years ago, moral choices were left to the pervue of family and religion. Some character flaws and health devastating habits have been with us always. Cain was jealous. God gave us the ten commandments to help us make choices. What have we done with time and politics?

Some people think that everyone must be mandated to do things in the manner to which they or their group deem proper or right. I may even agree in principle with many of these well meaning groups, but it is not my business to say we must limit others in what they do. The main reason I feel this way is not because I am liberal or conservative or whatever. I feel this way because it is a waste of time and money!

I have seen, in my years and experience, even good families have problems with wrong choices. I doubt that having a law against the choice they made would have had much effect on what they chose. If we could repeal many of the more expensive (to enforce)laws, we could pay for health care for all or have great highways, clean air, and so on.

Why must I pay taxes to hire someone to arrest prostitutes? It is a waste of time. Tax their incomes and help pay off the deficit. Lonely and sad people will always seek solace, even if they have to pay for it. People with emotional or physical pain will seek relief through drugs or alcohol. Why spend billions to prevent this? We endanger the police and others with our fanatical approach to eliminate any substance that causes a mind alteration. Research has found that sitting in a group and conversing pleasantly increases a natural brain chemical that is in the "feel good, relaxation category." Will someone decide this is bad and should be made illegal too. I do not suggest that we should legalize drugs, prostitution, etc. Look what happened when the proposed Surgeon General suggested that. I suggest we just decriminlize all this. Take the laws off the books.

We need to focus on laws that would prevent predators from taking advantage of the helpless. Some white collar criminals who rob us of our savings should get life imprisonment. Get drug users out of jail and there will be room for them. Murderers, abusers of others, robbers, confidence game crooks, vandals, neglectors of duty leading to injury of others... The list could go on.

We do not need laws that create an undergroud culture so that fortunes can be made through traffic in "sinful" activities. Organized criminals and church officials have worked together to create many of our financial problems with excessive laws. Prohibition did not work either. Some things just need to be taxed. Use the taxes to fund treatment for those who suffer from destroyed health from doing these unhealthy and now illegal activities.

We need to pay legislators less, much less. Make politics a part time job or a voluntary pursuit. Give them less time to make so many laws. Maybe someone else has some of these same feelings. Surely, I cannot be the only one who has seen this side of things.