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The TIME 100

I am not usually a fan of top-100 lists, but I read every entry of the TIME 100, perhaps because of the equally interesting people asked to write about those on the list–Germaine Greer on Julian Assange, April Capone on Mark Zuckerberg [May 2]. Too often such pairings seem formulaic, but I found myself anticipating discovering the writer as much as the next list member.

Lisa Muir, BOONE, N.C.

TIME’s disappointingly short blurb in the TIME 100 on the South Korean entertainer Rain hardly does him justice. While it may be true that his “main claim to Western fame” is a role in Ninja Assassin, Rain’s influence is strongest in the East. He is the poster child not only for the booming and already widespread Korean entertainment industry but for the growing, economically powerful pop-culture scene throughout Asia.

Wyatt Petty, SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

Your graphic designers outdid themselves with the issue’s striking layouts. However, those who chose the type size must have been on vacation. The huge photos and teensy, often illegible type reverse the order of importance of the information presented. I am more interested in reading about what these folks have accomplished than studying their appearance. The Time 100 issue may have been interesting, but I’ll never know: I tossed it and am waiting for next week’s issue, hoping it is readable.

Bruce Davids, SIMI VALLEY, CALIF.

Justin Bieber, the “prince of pop,” and Amy Chua, the “tiger mom,” have double-page photo layouts. Barack Obama has a small write-up toward the end of the list, printed in a tiny font, with a small picture apparently taken in the dark. This discrepancy is an insult not just to the President but to the presidency.

Dorothy Thatch, KANSAS CITY, MO.

For such a prestigious publication as yours not to find a single Hispanic worthy of mention–with the exception of a soccer player–on your list is ludicrous. People going to jail in Cuba, Honduras and Guatemala for defending human rights; brave Mexican police officers fighting a losing battle with drug lords–these people are worthy of recognition.

Nelson Alba, NORTH MIAMI BEACH

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has just dismantled our state’s public school system. Good teachers are being let go; as the parent of two autistic children, I can attest that there is no consideration for special education. Honoring Christie in the TIME 100 is shameful.

Lisa Doster, MAYWOOD, N.J.

What evidence is there that Michele Bachmann has done anything to deserve being placed among global influential leaders? Rush Limbaugh cites her conservatism but says nothing about how she’s influenced conservative political thinking or policy. As for “smart,” well, her public utterances often say otherwise.

James L. Newman, SYRACUSE, N.Y.

In Transparency We Trust

Bill Saporito correctly says consumers are at a disadvantage in health care [“The Market Can’t Cure Medicare,” Time.com May 2]. Unlike in the cases of cars and cereals, the consumer almost never knows the real price of a treatment or pill offered. Yet markets function most efficiently when prices are transparent to all buyers and sellers. If Congressman Paul Ryan wants to provide real price competition, he must find a way to make prices visible in our health care system.

Glen Bowler, WEST CHESTER, OHIO

Publishing medical-service costs is more difficult than doing so for other goods, but one thing the government should do is require every hospital and medical provider to send the same bill to the insurance company or the government or the uninsured patient. Such a government mandate would be an excellent start to controlling costs for Medicare, Medicaid and the individual payer.

Harvey R. Tuck, DAYTON, OHIO

Solving the Deficit

It is interesting that Joe Klein refers to “the tax-allergic Republicans, especially the Tea Party caucus in the House” [“The Gang of Six Ain’t Talking,” May 2]. It would seem to me all of your readers would be more informed about taxes if you would provide in-depth information on statistics like the one elsewhere in the issue showing that 45% of Americans pay no taxes. Couple that with a company like General Electric making $14 billion in profits and paying no taxes, and you soon realize that all Americans should be a little tax-allergic.

Richard Holt, WILLIAMS, IND.

Run, the Donald, Run

What Donald Trump is doing, if nothing else, is asking the questions the other potential Republican candidates wish they could without getting crucified by the media [“The Big Questions,” May 2]. He is also asking questions that a lot of Americans would like to hear the answers to. What Trump realizes is that Obama is running against himself and his failed Administration. It may not even matter which Republican runs; the election may actually already be over.

Ralph Smith, WEST LAFAYETTE, IND.

As seen clearly in Trump’s recent appearances all over the media, the real estate mogul’s election campaign slogan should be WE SHALL OVERCOMB.

Larry N. Lorenzoni, SAN FRANCISCO

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