ANOTHER LETTER TO MY REPRESENTATIVES IN WASHINGTON DC

I am one of those irrational people against health care reform as it is presently known. I believe in the views and support the people who appeared at town hall meetings all over the country during the summer. Those people expressed their opposition to the current health care bill and their general distrust and discontent with their political representatives. In my opinion, they reflected the majority views of my age group and my sphere of friends. They were not remotely “turf”. They were frustrated individuals who want their representatives to listen to us to our views and act with wisdom and concern. They expressed my feelings and reflected my personal negative views on health care, the energy tax, tarp and the state of incompetence that you and your fellow representatives have practiced to date. We are fed up, frustrated and unable to stand quietly by while the current administration and its followers put nail after nail into the coffin of my beloved country.

I am a disgruntled constituent. I cannot believe that our elected representatives are voting on and passing legislation that they have neither read or understand. That absolutely “blows my mind”. Any politician who votes for a bill that they have not personally read and understand should be removed from office. We, the American people have an obligation to let you know that the current level of accrued debt and the out of control spending must be stopped. We cannot afford the bills that are being submitted, approved and passed. We are broke!!! My opposition has nothing to do with race, right wing extremism or whatever symbolic language that your latest focus group might label me. I believe that the current opposition is based on different visions, beliefs and commitments. It is time you listened to the other side and heard our plea. The opposition is not right on all matters. Neither are you!! I can assure you that I can hardly wait for next year’s elections because change is needed and badly in both parties.

I continue to hear that the opponents have no plan. I happen to like many of the amendments that the opposition has put forth and that have been rejected by the majority party. My major concerns for health care are as follows:

1. Let’s fix what is broken in our health care and gradually implement changes that will make a difference.
2. Whatever plan is ultimately agreed upon, it should also apply to every government worker, member of Congress and the vast governmental bureaucracy. If it isn’t good enough for the government, it isn’t good enough for our citizens.
3. All bills should be posted on the internet at least 72 hours before a vote is conducted;
4. No government plan. I believe firmly that once the government gets involved business will “opt out” of health care as a benefit. No matter what assurances you or the president or anyone in the government gives me, I believe this will happen;

These are but a few of my health care considerations, but I will not bore you with a detailed account because I am “worldly” enough to realize that you really don’t give a dam and that it is a hopeless effort on my part. I have written this only because I think I need to be on record, not that I think it will be read by the addressee in spite of what I expect will be your regular canned chain response with “focus group” phrases.

THE STATE OF OUR HYPROCRISY

Where is our honesty? Is there no commitment to justice or fairness? We give lip service to being a country run by the “rule of law”. This week, in an area where our forefathers fought for the principles of democracy and freedom, the political process stretched this premise to the limit. The State of Massachusetts passed a provision that permitted a sitting Governor to appoint a temporary Senator to replace the late Senator Ted Kennedy. This law was passed to directly contradict a law passed to deny a sitting Governor of an opposing political party that same right. When our politicians “stoop” deliberately and in full public view to act in this manner in open disregard for fairness and the people look on in approval why should ordinary American citizens take to seriously the “rule of law”? Have we no shame?

HEALTH CARE

 

A lot is being said about the necessity to pass health care now.  It seems to me that the most important thing is to get it right and rushing through a long drawn out version of legal nonsense that no one understands (including the authors) is a terrible disservice to the American people.