Our views: ; The public doesn't; want 'public option'; Smaller fixes would make health care more available, less expensive

THERE is much to be admired in Sen. Jay Rockefeller's continuedpursuit of a government-run health insurance program to compete withthe 1,300 private health insurance plans nationally.

But the fact remains that most voters oppose the public option.The Rasmussen Poll of voters showed only 41 percent support the planof President Obama and congressional Democrats, while 56 percent areopposed.

Rockefeller should listen to the people.

More than 200 million Americans now have private insurance andpoll after poll shows that more than 80 percent are satisfied withtheir private insurance.

Congress should use private health insurance as the platform andnot create a whole new entitlement - especially when SocialSecurity, Medicaid and Medicare are running at deficits.

The health insurance system should be tweaked, and not replaced.

The best way to get health insurance companies to compete is toallow them to compete nationally. Right now, the 50 states regulateinsurance. Congress should invoke the interstate commerce clause ofthe Constitution and let the competition rachet up among theseplans.

The problems of pre-existing conditions and the like can besolved through simple changes in the law, and not through thecreation of another government program. There is no public optionfor car insurance, and yet there is nearly universal car insurance.

Residents of the state Rockefeller represents know all too wellwhen workers compensation insurance was run by the state, it hadhigh premiums and even higher deficits. Privatization reducedpremiums.

Few voters really believe a government-run anything can be moreefficient than private enterprise.

The president admitted this. In a campaign stop to push his plan,Obama denied that a public option plan would put private insuranceout of business. He pointed to the mail.

"UPS and FedEx are doing just fine," Obama said. "It's the PostOffice that's always having problems."

And that is why most Americans reject a "post office" insuranceplan. Rockefeller would be wise to listen to the people on thisissue.