Letters

—Brian McKim Merchantville, New Jersey

PHYSICIAN, HEAL THYSELF

Re: “The Bad Doctor” [January 10–16]. Thank you, Doug Ireland, for boldly stating the case about Senator Bill Frist. By all accounts, Bill Frist is a very competent physician and on occasion “a Good Samaritan.” He is also, however, a multimillion-dollar stakeholder in his family’s for-profit enterprise, Health Corporation of America (HCA). HCA has, so far, paid $1.7 billion in penalties for fraud, i.e., for diverting precious senior-health-care dollars to illicit personal gain. Given this monumental conflict of interest, Senator Frist, ethically, has no other choice than to recuse himself from legislative activity in health matters.

—Quentin Young, M.D. Kimberly Soenen Chicago, Illinois

I was directed to your site by way of a link — to a very funny story you ran about Bill Frist — from an equally hysterical Web site, www.whatreallyhappened.com. You liberals are really good for a laugh. You have no idea why your numbers are dwindling so quickly. Please keep up the good work!

—James Trimble St. Louis, Missouri

THE GIT FACTOR

Although I agree with Brendan Bernhard’s sentiments on the reality-based televison show The It Factor [“American Asshole,” Box Populi, January 10–16], I have to wonder if he’s lost touch with reality. Yes, it would be nice to see a show about struggling actors who possess some semblance of insight, or perhaps aren’t completely narcissistic and self-obsessed. But the sad truth is, a reality-based show featuring actors like that wouldn’t be based in anything resembling reality.

—California Watson Los Angeles

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Re: “The New Year’s Eve Riot You Didn’t Hear About” [January 10–16]. I love the way Alec Hanley Bemis writes. He made me feel like I was there. I wish I had been. It sounds like it was a blast. I am a reader who usually reads one or two paragraphs, and if I don’t like the way a story is written (no matter the subject), I will lose interest quickly and quit, or force myself to find what the point is and skip a lot of the stuff. Bemis’ article made me laugh and smile.

—V.A. Salazar Victorville

CORRECTION

An article last week on instant runoff voting, “What Democracy Votes Like” [January 17–23], incorrectly identified someone being criticized in the last paragraph. Dave Robinson chastised Steve Chessin — not Steven Hill — for suggesting in a proposed letter to the editor that runoff voting is more popular among “progressive” voters. Hill is dedicated to promoting runoffs as a nonpartisan alternative to the current system.