California Health-Care Crisis Looms Large

“Deaf to Health Fund Crisis” (editorial, Aug. 18), about California medical care, is appropriate. However, this is like shooting BB guns when The Times should be using guided missiles. I believe it to be the moral duty of all who have a public forum to harangue our lawmakers. A never-ending barrage should be used to make them realize there must be a national health program.

Robert S. Ellison MD

Arcadia

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Thank you for keeping before our eyes the approaching tsunami of closures and cutbacks in health-care services threatening all of us in L.A. County. Who knows when or where any of us will be in need of emergency medical treatment? A few minutes may mean the difference between life and death. Your editorial states that “closing county hospitals and clinics would overwhelm private hospitals and undermine the already fragile trauma-care system,” leaving us all vulnerable.

Please help us yank the president and the governor from their fund-raising troughs to address this crisis. I support the county Board of Supervisors’ small steps to address the problem. As a property owner I am willing to share the expense of protecting the lives of those who live in or pass through our county. But we also need state and federal help.

Steve Gilliland

Lakewood