Business Letters
Re: Michael Hiltzik’s business column “PG&E amps up bid for power,” Feb. 10:
Congratulations to Michael Hiltzik for shining a light on Pacific Gas & Electric’s power grab (puns intended). California’s leadership in developing renewable sources of energy will be in peril unless the public and our public servants rally to defeat PG&E’s Proposition 16 on the June 8 ballot.
Please keep up the coverage to alert readers about PG&E’s threat to California’s green economy and clean energy initiatives.
Sarah Tamor
Santa Monica
Walk of Fame deserves repairs
Re: “Touting Tinseltown to tourists,” Feb. 9:
Hollywood has finally regained most of its glamour and credibility. What is lacking on the sidewalks, however, is repair work.
Tourists are taking pictures of their favorite celebrities’ stars on the Walk of Fame to show to friends back home, but many of those pictures include major disrepair and poor cement patching -- especially along the front of the Hollywood & Highland Center and the Metro station entrance.
The most popular draw to the boulevard has been the placement of the stars in the sidewalks. Let’s dress up the area so Hollywood can proudly show off one of its major claims to fame.
Morley J. Helfand
Arcadia
Toyota’s future at a tipping point
Re: “Toyota starts image repair,” Feb 10:
Toyota Motor Corp. not only has been painfully slow to respond to its myriad recent problems, which include acceleration and brake issues, but it also seems confused or evasive about the cause. So Toyota is experiencing a monumental public relations disaster as well. Somehow I get the feeling it’s being deceptive and cares more about profit than it does about its customers.
This does not bode well for Toyota, which could go from the top car company in the world to an illustrious bust in a rather short period of time if its problems keep mounting.
If no one feels safe in Toyota’s vehicles, no one will buy them, no matter how inexpensive they may be or what the company’s reputation has been.
Kenneth L. Zimmerman
Huntington Beach
On the cost of health insurance
Re: David Lazarus’ consumer column “A health plan that’s insurance in name only,” Feb. 8:
This column was somewhat short on fact and long on emotion.
First, unless I learn otherwise, I am assuming that Anthem Blue Cross is in compliance with state regulations that require at least 70% of revenue from premiums on individual policies to be paid out in medical benefits. If you feel that this level should be raised, take it to the Insurance Commission.
Second, is the family described in your column utilizing a fee-for-service plan? These are generally more expensive than managed care plans, so if they have the former, maybe they should consider changing to the latter.
The question that was unasked and unanswered was, “What are they doing to control their own insurance costs?”
Kevin M. Minihan
Los Angeles
::
David Lazarus’ column really hit home. I am 51, female, self-employed and in good health. In fact, I have never been hospitalized.
My insurance premium with Anthem Blue Cross would periodically go up in small increments until January 2009, when I received a notice that it was jumping from $385 a month to $472. I have a $1,500 deductible.
I called Anthem, but the only explanation I got was “rising healthcare costs.”
A week ago I received a notice that my premium was jumping from $472 to $599 for the same “reason.”
Over the last two years, my rate has jumped from $4,620 a year to $7,188.
I am frustrated to no end. I think I went to the doctor once this year for a cold. How do insurance executives sleep at night?
Valerie L. Boyce
Long Beach
::
Here we have another column about people spending way too much on health insurance plans in California. Why don’t you write about changing the rules so we can buy health insurance across state lines?
The couple described in the column would be able to buy a no-deductible, no-co-pay hospitalization plan from Empire Blue Cross of New York state for about $300 a month.
Then the $650 or so a month they would save by canceling their high-deductible plan from Anthem could be placed in a health savings account. Is this too simple a solution?
John Atkinson
Westwood
It’s sad to cancel moon program
Re: “New budget trajectory for NASA,” Feb. 4:
By killing the Bush administration’s moon program, President Obama has clipped NASA’s wings and pulled the plug on our manned space program.
If America doesn’t take the lead in space exploration, someone else will! This is a sad day for America.
Rick Schreiner
San Marino
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