The following went out to , Pres. Barack Obama Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and

I was able to send it to all four at once via Congress.org.  That website makes it easy to get your views to your representatives.

If you like any or all of the message, please feel free to use it as your own.

I don’t think anyone is giving real people with real problems real consideration in the health care reform debate.

What good is a tax credit to someone who takes standard deductions?  What good is a tax credit to someone who receives the Earned Income Credit because the household income is so low.  What good is a tax credit to someone who has no income?

How far do you really think $2,000, even $6,000, in vouchers would go for someone who does not have health insurance and who has not been covered for a long time?

Did you know certain conditions in Texas automatically put you in a high-risk pool, where, no matter what your health is, you pay twice the average premium to start?  Other charges are added on later.

Did you know that?  Did you know Texas has the highest population of uninsured in the United States?

Did you know?

What’s more, pardon me for asking, do you really care?

We need to address the uninsured with a public option plan.  We are talking about the people the insurance companies don’t want anyway.  It’s not as though we are depriving them of a prime customer base.  For the most part, they’ve already been rejected due to preexisting conditions or lack of funds.

That’s the real health care rationing.  It’s going on right now, and you know it.  People are dying because insurance company “death panels”  or even single nsurance company “death czars” are denying needed care.

You know that’s true.

You want malpractice reform.  Has Texas’ reform taken down malpractice insurance rates?  If so, fine.  Give the inept their free ride in court.  It’s not likely they can kill more people than already are killed by lack of coverage, even if they all tried.

You know, those who are insured already are picking up a hefty bill already for those who are not insured.  Hospitals pass on the costs to the taxpayer and the insured.  People right now are paying higher taxes and premiums, resulting in less public services and less disposable income, to cover the costs of the uninsured.  With the uninsured being picking up thier end of the load through the public option and other plans, Current rates should go down.

I say should go down because a public option should be accompanied by a ban on refusing insurance for preexisting conditions (that won’t hurt much as the public policy will offer a better deal) and reining in raising premiums at will.

This is what we need.  This is what the majority of Americans want.  This is fair.

This is an unposed photo of the reading matter in an auto repair shop.  It seems to stand for all the GOP stands for today – God, guns and fairy tales.

Just say NO to thugs!

Without public option, all bets are off and all deals are null and void. Tell that to the corporations that stand to gain. That’s the way it should be. Get the corporations which will profit to stand up for what’s right.

We also should change the law to allow the government to negotiate drug prices in all venues. We also need to take a new look at laws that cover generic drugs to allow quicker access to the generic shelf.

Insurance companies should be forced to establish a fund – out of their profits – to refund taxpayers for local emergency room care.

Mr. President, you are in danger of losing not only independents, but some core supporters as well.

This requires a massive response.

If we can’t have public option, no deals for the corporations.

As for the Republicans, get your pals in the Senate to force them to filibuster. If all they have to do is threaten, they will threaten until the cows come home. We’ve already seen that.

Sadly.

It is time to stop the lies in their tracks. 

Death to lie-rants!

The following was sent to Sen. Kent Conrad:

Dear Senator Conrad,
As a person who believes strongly in health care reform, it is time the Senate started showing some spunk.
There are many of us who have to suffer under the lack of imagination and leadership (as well as downright selfishness and greed) of such senators as mine – Hutchison and Cornyn.
For us, we have to look outside for any hope of decency on a number of issues, rather than to our own “representatives” in Washington.
I am so sad to see the Senate caving to mob rule and letting the likes of “my” two senators be triumphant.
When they win, the country usually loses.
A copy of this will be forwarded to them.
I hope, in the end, I am not as ashamed of the whole senate as I am the two senators from Texas.

God help us all if they cave.