This is why reform is needed

3/24/2010

Because of my teenage daughter Cassandra’s epilepsy and Asperger’s syndrome, every insurance company rejected her for coverage because of pre-existing conditions — a denial that health reform would make illegal (“Health reform approved,” March 22).

To pay for her medical care, our family had to make tough decisions. We sold our home and put tens of thousands of dollars in medical debt on each of our credit cards trying to take care of our little girl. While we continue to try to lower those debts, we face certain foreclosure and bankruptcy.

While Congress deliberated on this important issue, families such as mine have continued to struggle under the weight of medical costs and pray that they stay safe and healthy. Please don’t misunderstand what we are asking our elected officials to do. We don’t want a handout. We just want a fair playing field.

I am proud of Ohio Democrats Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Marcy Kaptur, who stood on the side of Ohioans and the American people in support of health reform. Republican Sen. George Voinovich and his colleagues must stop playing politics.

Penny Wilson

Gilbert Road

The KKK has a different name?

After watching the activists against the health-care bill swearing at, hurling racial epithets at, and spitting on elected officials, I wondered: When did the Ku Klux Klan change its name to the Tea Party?

Bill Pieper

Oregon

Some are not proud of U.S.A.

Memo to First Lady Michelle Obama: Thanks to your husband and his Democratic colleagues, this is the first time in our adult lifetimes that, unlike you, we are not proud of our country for going against the will of the people and the Constitution.

Gary Stechschulte

Perrysburg

Dems will hear at polls in fall

Americans who counted on elected officials to represent the majority are the losers on health care. Each vote for Obamacare was the equivalent of House Democrats bulldozing the expressed, informed opinions of their constituents.

Maybe they will hear us at the polls when they are up for re-election.

John Pirrwitz

Oregon

Representatives ignored voters

Americans were mistaken when we believed that representatives represent us. House Democrats ignored numerous polls, letters, e-mails, and calls that showed a majority opposed the health-care reform package.

Few denied the need for reform, but a majority felt that the current package was not acceptable. Apparently, House Democrats feel that the public is not capable of intelligent decision-making.

Jessica Bucher

Northwood

Decline in health could come soon

It amazes me how many people complain about and fear the cost of health-care reform, but don’t give a thought to how much we spend on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Cancer will be knocking at your door before a terrorist will. In this economy, you could be looking at a situation where you could lose your health insurance. You would then wish you had options.

Wade Born

East Streicher Street

Kaptur could be job hunting

As usual, U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur’s arrogant attitude toward her constituents reared its ugly head in the form of her vote for the health-care bill.

I’ll bet you a soda that come November, she’ll be looking in The Blade’s want ads for something new to do.

Ken Palicki

Pine Street

Victory tainted with dirty politics

President Obama was forced to generate a last-minute executive order to squeeze out a narrow victory.

But he made a fool out of himself in attempting to schedule an international trip. The old saying about managing by the seat of your pants comes to mind. Internationally, we look very professional.

Congratulations on the big win. Dirty politics has no limitations? You be the judge.

Claus Stang

Sylvania

Those ignored won’t forget

The millions of Americans who were ignored will not forget. Many have determined that they will not live in a socialist country. As far as I’m concerned, he Democrat Party is no longer compatible with America.

Be prepared for rationing. Health care is not a right. It is a service that does not exist without providers. There is a limited supply of it. In a free system, the aggregate choices of free people determine how these services are tendered. This is what we call the free market.

In an unfree system, governmental powers determine who gets what. And those powers will always be beholden to special interests. That is only the beginning.

From here on out, your health care will not be a function of what you negotiate with your doctor. It will be determined by how slippery a politician you have representing you in Washington.

Peter Burfeind

Westbrook Drive

Still, it’s jobs, not health care

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D., Cleveland) took the bait from President Obama to change his vote on the government takeover of health care.

This is not the man who campaigned for president and pledged to eliminate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has cost thousands of jobs in his district and millions of jobs nationally.

The problem is jobs, not health care. That is a diversionary tactic to take attention from the politically difficult task of zeroing out trade with Mexico and not Canada, and putting up the enormous trade barriers against China and other low-wage nations that it will take to reindustrialize America.

Without reindustrialization, there will be no recovery.

Carl R. Goodwin

Norwalk, Ohio

Now, Obama, FDR, Johnson

Congratulations to President Obama, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, and the other legislators for having the vision and courage to reform health care.

They have joined the ranks of Franklin D. Roosevelt with Social Security and Lyndon B. Johnson with Medicare and Medicaid. What condition would this country be in without those benefits? I’ll guarantee every one of those so-called Tea Party protesters and others opposed to the health-care legislation have benefited in some way, or else their parents have.

In my 50 years of political involvement, including my service as a Toledo City Council member, with the exception of the civil rights movement, I have never seen such hatred and organized effort by Republicans to malign President Obama on a continual basis.

The conduct of the protesters at the Capitol toward minority congressmen is despicable. Is this representative of America? Republicans claim it is.

The cost of health care has skyrocketed and it must have a lid. Millions who are not insured must have coverage. Someone has to pay.

Now it is time to stand up for President Obama, Miss Kaptur, and others who had the courage to reform health care.

June Boyd

Islington Street