My Letter to my Senator

[Mythsaje]

Dear Senator Murray,

I'm writing this to indicate my disapproval of how the Finance Committee is treating proponents of a single-payer option with regards to health care reform. Though I myself have decent insurance, I think it borders on the criminal that so many people are either uninsured or under-insured, and that it's common practice for people to be denied claims or have their claims delayed by insurance companies in order to raise profit margins. It feels as though we're at their mercy and, despite all arguments to the contrary, turning over the concept of "reform" to those agencies who have, in effect, put us in this current crisis strikes me as both irresponsible and disturbingly cynical.

If single-payer is off the table (which it appears to be) I urge you to stand in strong support of the public option. We must do all we can to relieve the American people of the stranglehold the insurance industry has on our health care system. Any other attempt at "reform" without acknowledging that this is a problem is nothing more than a band-aid solution, and will result in more difficulties down the road when more people realize the position we're in.

In addition, I'd like to express my disappointment on your recent vote in the matter of interest rate caps on credit cards. I realize that, in these economic times, the threat from the industry to limit credit to those without perfect records might have seemed an insurmountable obstacle, I personally believe this bit of blackmail could have been overridden by a scheduled modification of current rates--say Prime +15 in one year, Prime + 10 in two years, and leveling off at Prime + 5 or + 8 in 3 years. This would have given the banks and CC companies the opportunity to deal with the changing circumstances in a controlled manner that wouldn't greatly affect the current crisis without being an obvious attempt to subvert reasonable oversight and limitation.

Respectfully,

[Bluzmann57]

1. Nice respectful letter

Wish I could be so diplomatic. See, I called Senator Grassley and said that if he voted against any single payer, or any other real health insurance reform, he should give up his Governmemt health insurance and go out there like the rest of us. And he's pretty old so it may cost him more. Anyway, nice posting with you. Hopefully both of us will get our wish and at lest get lower cost health insurance. They already screwed us on credit cards, let's keep up the pressure on the health insurance issue.

[Mythsaje]

2. I have a talent for diplomacy

despite my skill at fiery rants. :)

[Vidar]

3. Good letter. Thank you.