Downright dumb.

Editor,

Pfizer paid a $2.3 billion fine last week for illegally marketing some of their drugs, and of course the fine was small change next to the money their crimes netted for them.

So what will prevent "health insurance" companies from violating the new rules and accepting a slap on the wrist for denying coverage, dropping coverage, or inventing as yet unheard of schemes for ripping people off?

If a criminal has a long record of defrauding people and stealing from them outright, do you think giving him the password to millions of peoples' bank accounts is a smart idea?

The health insurance companies are a key factor in everything that is wrong with the American health care system, and President Obama's plan boils down essentially to trusting this larcenous crew to magically change their ways and be "accountable." I do not mean any disrespect to the president, but on the block where I grew up thinking like this was considered downright dumb.

re: "The Wild Card" (9/12/2009)