To the Editor:

There has been so much bad-mouthing of “Obamacare” that the obvious value of the program in teaching us how to solve other problems in this country is being totally overlooked.

As just one example of extended problem solving, let us study the problem of homelessness. This can best be done by studying a theoretical situation. Suppose there is a certain town. Let’s call it O’ville. In O’ville there are 1,000 happy families who live in homes with roofs and heat and bedrooms and so forth. However, there are 50 families who live on the streets because they have no homes.

Now that “Obamacare” is up and running so well, the designers are given the job of using their celebrated skills to solve the problem of homelessness in O’ville. They go to work. First they decide what a minimum adequate home really is. Let’s say they define an adequate home as one with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a two-car garage and a fireplace as well as kitchen, family room, lights, heat and water.

Next our intrepid problem solvers inventory the existing homes in O’ville and discover that only 200 families are living in “adequate” homes. The solution to this problem is so simple that even a caveman can figure it out: boot the 800 families who are living in “sub-standard” homes out into the streets and tear their houses down.

Now force those 800 families into an “adequate” home with payments two or three times what they were paying before and use the profit to provide “adequate” homes for the original homeless families.

The genius of this plan is so obvious that we should count ourselves very lucky to have a plan such as “Obamacare” as a pattern. Quit squawking and be glad you live in O’ville.

William C. Lewis

Brasher Falls