I am surprised at the animosity exhibited by otherwise rational folks when it comes to the subject of health insurance and food stamps. The most common remark is, “Why don’t these people get jobs and buy their own groceries or health insurance?”

Are these people for real? Most folks who receive food stamps are already working. If anything, they need more food assistance. And, a family health care policy is pretty darned expensive. Check it out.

Here in the South our jobs pay a lot less than they would farther north. So, let’s say you make $12 an hour. That’s a lot more than a lot of people here make. On a 40-hour week you make $480.

Taxes may take $80. Leaves you $400. Monthly roughly $1,600. A family health care policy with a medium deductible will cost about $1,100-$1200 monthly. What’s left? I think even with the state of our education in Alabama most of you can figure that one out.

And, now our Republican governor, along with several other Republican governors, has decided that even though they want less government in our lives they won’t set up health care exchanges, and are leaving it up to the federal government to do so. More intrusion by the federal government invited in by the state government. Go figure.

More competition usually lowers prices. And, when there is a virtual heath care provider monopoly in the state who would be better off with less competition?

Rodney Osbirn

Florence