To the editor:

After nearly 16 years of President George Bush and former President Bill Clinton, Americans continue to be without affordable health insurance.

This isn’t a Republican vs. Democrat issue. It runs much deeper. It doesn’t seem to matter which party is in office. We still have a two-party regime that continues to dictate to millions of Americans, with the result being higher taxes and rising health care costs.

Recently, Ralph Nader’s declaration on “Meet the Press” of his intention to run as a third-party candidate was like a breath of fresh air.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties loathe third-party candidates. Most notable have been Ralph Nader and Ross Perot. These two men arguably altered the election outcomes in 1992 and 2000.

Such third-party candidates will continue to make a significant impact on American politics.

Meanwhile the two-party system continues to thrive and perpetuate their culture of corruption in American politics and upon American citizens.

Third-party candidates, historically, have taken the two-party system to task and have forced them to clean up their acts on various issues.

For example, Ralph Nader and his more than 100 civic organizations have made an impact on tax reform, atomic power regulations, renewable energy, clean air and water, and much more.

Will Mr. Nader be able to eradicate the culture of corruption within Washington, D.C., politics? Guardedly, yes! I only hope it happens in my lifetime.

Robert Hinton,

Lawrence