Letter to the President Regarding Health Care Reform

I am a strong supporter of the President. Health Care Reform is, in my judgment, a pivotal issue. Many citizens have voted for the President with this issue clearly in mind. I strongly urge the President to reject any proposed legislation that does not include a public option. I believe it is an outrage for the Democrats to propose legislation that explicitly prohibits a public option from directly competing with the private health insurers who have demonstrated their utter disdain for the public health as evidenced by the tens of millions of people who do not have access to meaningful health care. They are literally killing us as demonstrated by all the needless suffering endured by so many. The plan they are proposing is nothing more than a mechanism to use public monies to subsidize the for-profit companies.

The President should understand that he has the people behind him. In my judgment, he needs to take the offensive and clearly indicate what he will not accept. Otherwise, this is reform in name only and will consign us to an abysmal future where the public health is once again secondary to profit. I believe that if the President does not act decisively on this issue, an important opportunity will be missed. He has a wonderful opportunity to achieve greatness in the eyes of the American public.

To base national health care on a for-profit model is a totally bankrupt concept. Even though the Congress has demonstrated repeatedly the degree to which they have been corrupted by the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, the President can appeal directly to his millions of loyal supporters. If he chooses to rubber stamp this approach, he will run the risk of disillusioning many of those who voted for him, myself included. This is a very important issue that must be attended to with the appropriate solution that will provide enduring and meaningful change; to accept less is a travesty, in my opinion.