To the Editor:

I take exception to the guest columnist, Gene Lyons, “Romney’s bold-faced lie,” that appeared in the Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012 edition of The Griffin Daily News. In my opinion, what Mitt Romney has said of President Obama’s taking $716 billion from Medicare to pay for his signature health care program is not a lie.

To use money that was put in an account that was paid for by Medicare recipients is not extending the life of Medicare, but only causing it to go bankrupt a lot faster that expected.

The statement he made “hospitals, private insurance companies, Medicare and Medicaid alike cane quit robbing Peter to pay Paul, effecting significant savings” is because the money has been shifted from Medicare already. Medicare is like Social Security, neither was ever intended to be used by those who did not pay into both systems.

If I take $200 from my checking account and spend it, I do not have that $200 to spend again — my bank will not allow it. That $716 billion is gone from Medicare and will be used for “Obamacare.” Just wait if President Obama is re-elected, we will receive a government pay healthcare system.



TOMMIE M. LEE

Griffin