Hello and good day,
I am writing to urge you to think very long and hard about the new health care reform proposals being presented to congress. I have been a lifelong democrat/liberal but with the growing debt, lack of demand by our party for personal responsibility, and now the continued reward for irresponsibility this additional legislation will provide is too much.
This legislation is not addressing the needs of the people who actually pay for their health care, which is what we are truly concerned about. Being denied services such as surgery, physical therapy, and medication because of health insurance bureaucracy is my problem. I am tired of paying... paying for the housing, food, bills, clothes, cars, and schools of irresponsible individuals who have no desire to help themselves and instead choose to live of the system. Buying drugs, or Nike shoes, new cars, houses they can't afford, etc, while as a responsible citizen who make educated and informed decisions to live responsibly must pay for their being without any say in how my income taxes (which are nearly 40% by the way) are spent and who gets my help.
Because I chose not to have children until I can afford them, I am taxed. Because Jane Doe knows she can get more money for each kid she has more. It is not about religion, it is not about abortion, it is about responsibility. The reality is, families cost this country more so they should be contributing more to our government and how it functions.
It is time for true equality. Equality of taxation and responsibility. Our Constitution states the "pursuit" of happiness is a right. I cannot pursue happiness because I am paying for the happiness of others who are not "pursing" anything. It is time for a straight across federal income tax that treats everyone equal. Not based on income, family size, or anything. To be equal would mean we are all treated the same by the government. What we have now is preferential treatment for the lowest non-contributing portion of society who are "exempt" from taxes.
During the election, Obama spoke of service. Write into the health care bill and any other bill that provides money to individuals who are "hard pressed" to earn it through service. How many government buildings, national parks, federal roads, state roads, public parks, private volunteer opportunities exist in this country. If people want something from the government, they should give back in anyway they can. Pick up trash for all I care. People can log and submit community service as payment for the services they receive, if they can't earn an income to pay taxes.
I am tired of the "riders" on bills so that they "get pushed through." I am tired of lobbyists and congress deciding things without public input. I am tired of problems not being addressed because of the double-dealing.
Tell me how, I can work toward a constitutional amendment that "bans" riders on bills.
Tell me how I can work toward a constitutional amendment that guarantees my right to bear arms so the bad guys are the only ones with guns.
I want to know how "we the people" can actually get things done to address problems instead of use a tit-for-tat method which helps no one and never addresses the problem.