Ugh

Here is where journalism fails ...

Larry Deland of Snohomish said before the forum that he hoped to make his voice heard in opposition to the proposed health care bills.

“I’m 69 years old and, from what I’ve read, I believe it will be the government take over of the health care industry and I will be screwed,” Deland said. “We just can’t afford this.”

Of course, Deland is enrolled in Medicare which provides universal, cost-efficient coverage for anyone in the country over the age of 65 thanks to mandatory participation and cost-controlling mechanisms. What would really 'screw' Deland would be if the government got out of the health care business, meaning he'd be forced to find affordable coverage from a private provider who, more than likely, wouldn't take him on.

Why this isn't pointed out in the reporting of this story in the Everett (Wash.) Herald is beyond me. It's one thing to permit someone to put forward their own opinion, but it's another thing for them to offer an inaccurate description of what is actually being debated in Congress.