Rick Smith's Jan. 25 letter contains numerous errors, which prompted me to write.

One fundamental error is his underlying assumption that our economic system allocates resources based on individual productivity. This is a fantasy.

Does he really think that an $8 million per year professional baseball player is 200 times more productive than a $40,000 per year science teacher?

More to the point, does Mr. Smith really believe that it is our capitalist system and not our government that is responsible for America having the best health care system in the world?

He states that without profits of insurance and pharmaceutical companies, there would be no research. Medical research in this country is primarily funded by the taxpayers through the National Institutes of Health, to the tune of $20 billion this year alone. There is a hospital within a 30 minutes drive of every American, built with taxpayer funds. Roughly half of the operating funds for these hospitals come from Medicare and Medicaid payments, taxpayer funds without which these hospitals would shut down.

Taxpayers also heavily subsidize the nation's medical schools. We have an excellent health care system because of ongoing taxpayer investment. Given this, why should only some taxpayers be allowed access to it, as Mr. Smith advocates? I suggest that Mr. Smith spend a little more time on history and economics.