An open letter to Time magazine

Dear Editors of Time magazine,
When you publish op ed pieces it's very important to have the facts checked. Your Jan 19th 2009 print edition features an opinion piece filled with misleading facts written by Jeffery Sachs of Columbia University. The cornerstone of Mr Sachs article is that Americans are taxed at 18% of GDP and Europeans are taxed at 28% of GDP. This tax difference began in the 1970's. And now the Europeans enjoy better health care, the elimination of poverty, and improved educations, because of their increased tax burden. Unfortunately the facts are in opposition to Mr Sachs case. Starting with health care. If 30 plus years ago the European health care began to improve, then their life expectancy should have as well.
However the CIA World factbook has life expectancy for for the U.S. and most European country's at 78, with Poland is laging at 75.

As for education a European compilation lists 11 of the top 15 universities in the world in the US including state schools like Penn State, Cal Tech and others. Because school districts are run at local levels we can't address anything other than college results. But the fact is if you want the best education in the world, you come to America.

As for poverty, it doubled between 1970 and 1990 in the United Kingdom. Currently 20% are considered "very poor". The European term for poverty. The US is at 12.5% and has been for years. Not that anyone should be happy with 12.5% of Americans being in poverty, but the facts bear out that the exact opposite is true from what Mr Sachs argued. Europeans increased tax burden has not improved their region but weakened it in comparison to the United States. So again the facts tell a different story.

In France 10,000 people die each year because of their socialized medicine. And they're boasting that it's only 10,000 dead per year. Another half million suffer severe adverse effects from things like confusion of the patients name. When we hear about someone getting the wrong leg amputated or something sad because of misreading names we are saddened but understand that the people responsible will have a penalty from fines to prison. A story in todays London Times shows there's 130,000 casses a year of doctors doing wrong procedures on patients. In Europe there is no punishment because you can't sue the government, and with medical people underpaid and overworked by the government accidents are going to happen. Our country and systems aren't perfect. But if we're going to debate the merits of ideas, then it's only fair to present the facts of history as well.