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# Let’s fix universal healthcare
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/lets-fix-universal-healthcare-editor/
- Published: 2007-08-06T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T02:31:38.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Holly Bailey-Hofmann*

In his July 31 commentary "Price of socialized medicine is too high," L.K. Samuels errs in logic by using a present-day example (Edith Rodriguez, the unfortunate victim of 'care' at a Los Angeles hospital) to predict the future. On the contrary, what Samuels' example illustrates is that radical change is necessary, because the status quo isn't working. A new idea might present new challenges, but change can yield improvement.

It enrages me when politicians and business people — who no doubt have decent healthcare themselves — use scare tactics to bully the populace into voting against change. The future of American healthcare is not limited to the disaster scenario described by naysayers; there are many options, but we must be free to consider them first! Politicians and big business will always find a way to exploit the status quo for their own interests. Isn't it time for the rest of us to get something too?

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 6, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/080607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)