Michael Vass thoughts on Sen. Gillibrand response
Written by Michael Vass
Well in a mere 36 days since I first contacted Senator Gillibrand, I have now received a response. I suppose that can be called a quick turnaround by the standards of Congress these days. In fact most people I know, or have commented on this and other blogs I write for, didn’t think I would get a response at all.
But considering the fact that Senator Schumer responded relatively quickly, the time it took Sen. Gillibrand looks really bad. Still better than Representative Hinchey - who has yet to make any response, like the White House - but bad all the same. Of course the response I have gotten is a form letter.
Like Senator Schumer, Sen. Gillibrand has chosen to give a boiler plate response. Of the 22 questions I asked on August 11th, not one was answered. Not even the most simple and important question - Have you read the Health Care Reform proposal? Maybe my question was too difficult to understand.
Most of the response by Sen. Gillibrand is a restatement of the issue at hand. Which I obviously understand if reading my letter was ever attempted. Even at a glance.
But to be specific, Sen. Gillibrand raises questions for me, not answers them. Which is sad if, as Sen. Gillibrand says,
“I appreciate your point of view and share many of your concerns.”
In the first paragraph of her response she states that Medicare will be strengthened. Though it is factual that Congress and the White House have stated that the only way the Health Care Reform can work as currently proposed is if Medicare, and Medicaid, have massive cuts. In the range of $500 billion, which is still not enough to pay for the Reform.
Of course the reminder by Sen. Gillibrand that the health care system is broken was important. It is the single point that everyone can agree upon.
But Sen. Gillibrand went on to quote that
“…forty-seven million Americans, including three million New Yorkers, are currently uninsured…”
which is a false number. It can only be reached by including 12 million illegal aliens and 5 - 7 million Americans that CHOOSE not to have health care insurance. That’s not my numbers, its from the White House. Ask them.
But as she closes the second paragraph I again agree that Congress must act. But action does not mean chaos, or failure to be responsible. A quick, rammed through Reform that creates bigger problems than it solves is not the action we need. Creating a program that is as good as the Post Office, as President Obama has compared, or based in a similar manner to Medicare - which is bloated and part of the problem with health care - is not good enough. Bankrupting (more than has been done with the ineffective and wasteful Obama Stimulus) current and future generations of America is unacceptable.
Sen. Gillibrand then goes on to discuss, generally, the quality of care and affordability of any future reform. To which she promotes the public option. Which across America is despised and unwanted by the majority of Americans (outside of the Democrat-led Congress) according to EVERY poll since before I wrote my initial letter. It is an option that 1) requires acceptance lest anyone not taking it would pay 2.5% of their taxes as a penalty. 2) It CANNOT prevent, and likely assures, that any employer would drop any current health care plan and force employees to adopt the Government plan - even if it is inferior to the plan they currently have.
In addition questions of delays in receiving health care, reductions in quality of care, and inevitable annual increases of cost on the national budget (according to the CBO) are raised by the public option. Questions that I asked Sen. Gillibrand, which she chose to ignore.
She continues to state
“I am committed to addressing this important issue and will work with my Senate colleagues on bipartisan solution.”
Which is really the funniest part of this form letter. Because it is a fact (as found at Politifact) that all the Heath Care Reforms proposed and being debated (except for the Bachaus Bill created yesterday) are completely devoid of ideas or options presented by Republicans. So if you call Republicans trying to remove loopholes and interject proposals that actually make sense, and yet get shut out of the Bills, “bipartisan” I suppose she is working. If you call Senate Majority leader Harry Reid and Speaker Nancy Pelosi threatening to pass the Health Care Reform without any Republican support - or even several Democrats under a ‘nuclear option’ (requires 51 votes in Senate) - ‘bipartisan’ I suppose you also count to five with all yur toes and fingers.
The letter closes with Senator Kristen Gillibrand stating she hopes I will stay in touch. Which I already have. But considering how far behind she is in (not)responding to what I have to say, I expect an answer by December.
Let me ask you, my readers, is this the kind of Senator you want in the Senate? Is this a fair representation of the concerns and issues that constituents have? Is this the kind of person you want to re-elect in the 2010 mid-term elections?
I asked 22 questions, that I have read, been told, and pondered on the Health Care Reform. Between responses from both Senators for New York, no comment yet from 1 Representative (Hinchey), and the White House I am left with even more questions than what I started with.
Yet, mark my words - as I know you always do and I am greatful for - each of the elected officials I have written to will flood the airwaves with political ads insiting that New Yorkers re-elect them. Somehow I see less reason to do that today, than I did 36 days ago.
