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Thursday's letters: Watch what Trump does ... and what he says

 
Published July 19, 2018

Trump sides with Putin
over U.S.A. | Editorial, July 17

Watch what he does — and what he says, too

Anyone who still takes issue with the allegation that Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit to be president need only look at his shameful and unpatriotic performance in Helsinki with Russian President Vladimir Putin. On the heels of a disastrous NATO summit, during which he ridiculed and scolded our allies, Trump not only avoided rebuking Putin for presiding over a cyber attack on the United States during the 2016 presidential election, he sided with Putin over America's intelligence agencies. At a post summit press conference, Trump continued to express his doubts about Russia's involvement — "I don't see any reason why it would be" (Russia), disputing the findings from CIA, the FBI and NSA, among others. (And later claimed he meant to say "wouldn't.")

Trump's relentless criticisms of our intelligence and law enforcement institutions are motivated by his need for validation. His defeat in the popular vote to Hillary Clinton and Russia's preference for him over Clinton, which Putin acknowledged, are key drivers of this insecurity. Trump's failure to place the interests of our country over his ego-driven concerns is not only in conflict with the constitutionally mandated oath of office — "will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" — it is a threat to our national security.

Jim Paladino, Tampa

Worker: Putnam agency reckless | July 17

The right agency for the job

The conversation should not be about finger-pointing within an agency that had no business processing applications for concealed weapons permits in the first place. Rather, we should focus on the opportunity to place the approval of such permits where it belongs, under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Of course, Department of Agriculture employees did not know what they were doing. The training, tools and data bases necessary to do this job are part of law enforcement, not the Department of Agriculture. Moving the Bureau of License Issuance to the FDLE will not hinder any person's legal right to own a firearm. The fault is in the bigger picture.

Kimberly Reimer, Clearwater

Affordable Care Act

'Skimpy' plans that work

Any day now, the federal government will once again let short-term health insurance plans last for 364 days, instead of capping them at three months as it's done since 2017. Short-term health plans are supposed to bridge unexpected gaps in health insurance coverage, but Americans became increasingly reliant on them after major provisions of the Affordable Care Act caused monthly premiums to skyrocket.

These "skimpy" plans are so-called because a 30-year-old bachelor can purchase coverage without pediatric dental (he has no children), speech therapy (his diction is fine), or chronic disease management (like more than half of adult Americans, he's neither obese nor diabetic).

According to AgileHealthInsurance — the largest short-term health insurance distributor — the average short-term plan saves our fictional bachelor $225 per month compared to a bronze ACA plan. That's $2,700 per year. If an unlucky diagnosis leaves him needing more complete coverage, a yearlong policy can cover him until open enrollment begins. Short-term health insurance isn't right for everyone, but cheaper plans should at least be available for those who need them.

Will Coggin, Washington, D.C.

The writer is research director for the Center for Consumer Freedom in Washington, D.C.