Fight for me
This country was founded and its Constitution written by men who, although they often vehemently disagreed with each other (think states’ rights), were able to work together for the greater and common good.
I think about that each time I read about or hear about how a politician is going to “fight for me in Augusta or Washington.” We have high schools graduating students who can’t make change for a $10 bill, a health care system that needs a complete overhaul, an obesity epidemic and a national debt that our children’s grandchildren will probably be paying off.
I am tired of having politicians “fight for me” because nothing is getting done. Alex Haley wrote, “When you clench your fist, no one can put anything in your hand nor can your hand pick anything up.”
Walter N. Plaut Jr.
Trescott
Allow high-end tax cuts to expire
Mike Tipping’s BDN blog, The Tipping Point, recently noted a report by two Maine professors about the devastating effect Paul Ryan’s proposed budget would have on the state, including our seniors. But even if the Romney-Ryan ticket isn’t elected this fall, we will be facing similarly destructive tax and spending plans by the year’s end.
That’s when hundreds of billions of dollars worth of across-the-board tax increases and indiscriminate spending cuts are set to kick in unless Congress acts to stop them. That can only happen if the two parties reach a bargain on how intelligently to confront our deficit problem. Democrats have already agreed to a $1 trillion worth of spending reductions over the next decade. Meanwhile, Republicans haven’t agreed to a single dime of revenue increases, even from multibillionaires and multinational corporations awash in profits. It seems clear which side needs to give a little.
Our two moderate Republican senators are well qualified to reacquaint their GOP colleagues with the art of compromise. One easy place to start the process is by allowing Bush-era tax cuts on the 2 percent of taxpayers who make more than a quarter of a million dollars a year to expire, generating tens of billions of dollars that can be used to pay down debt and preserve bulwarks of the middle class such as Medicare and student loans.
All Mainers should contact Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and urge them to allow the high-end tax cuts to expire as part of a balanced budget deal.
James Yerkes
Surry
The fight for quality of life
Earlier this month I traveled to Washington, D.C., with cancer survivors and volunteers to call on Congress to support legislation that emphasizes patients’ quality of life during treatment for a serious disease such as cancer. Lawmakers have the power to improve the lives of cancer patients by making treatment of their pain and other symptoms standard practice during the course of care.
I joined more than 600 cancer patients and survivors from across the country who volunteer for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network to educate lawmakers about proposals that have the potential to better coordinate patient care and reduce the pain, fear and anxiety that many patients feel during treatment.
When I met with a representative for Sen. Susan Collins, I asked for the senator to make a commitment to patients’ quality of life by co-sponsoring legislation that gives patients more control, makes sure that their pain is properly managed and provides better coordination between doctors and medicines so that patients know what to do when they’re discharged from the hospital.
A national commitment to protecting quality of life will help cancer patients get well, stay well and live full lives.
Janet Miles
Livermore
Humble farmer
May I offer a humble suggestion to our political practitioners in reference to the federal tax and budget debate now raging?
Since both Democrats and Republicans (as well as the odd independent) agree that tax cuts due to expire at the end of this year shouldn’t — for folks making less than a quarter of a million dollars annually — let’s not let them expire.
Once we’ve extended tax cuts for the middle class, we can look up at the happy 2 percent of households that rake in over $250,000 each and every year and allow the rates to move up ever so gently — not much, just back to the levels that helped bring on the prosperity and budget surpluses of the Clinton years.
Do our worthy U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins realize that with these two easy steps we could bolster the embattled middle class, raise hundreds of billions of dollars for debt reduction and, most importantly, cut short a debate in Washington?
Robert Karl Skoglund
St. George
Support Kevin Raye
Editor’s note: This letter is being rerun because it originally contained typographical errors.
Our country and our state are in trouble. At the federal level we are racking up debt at a rate of $1 trillion a year. In Maine a third of the population is receiving welfare. It is time for a change, and Republican Kevin Raye is the right person for the job. Raye understands what it takes to run a successful business, meet a payroll and balance the books — skills that appear to be in very short supply in Washington.
Importantly, Raye has promised to work to repeal Obamacare, while his opponent fully supports it. While it would be nice if we could give everyone in our country free health insurance, the bottom line is we, as a nation, cannot afford to do that. Amazingly, under Obamacare, people who prefer and can afford low-deductible, broad-coverage health insurance policies (so-called Cadillac insurance) will be hit with a 40 percent penalty. Think about that: The very people who can afford their own health insurance are going to have to pay a penalty.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud supports Obamacare even though we cannot afford it, even though it is expensive for small business, even though it raises taxes and even though it is unfair to those who want good coverage. Of course, as a congressman, Michaud will not have to pay for Obamacare — he gets the best health insurance money can buy, free. Well, it’s not really free — you and I are paying for it, just like we are paying $800 a month for the new SUV Michaud drives around Maine.
Raye will work to repeal Obamacare, and he will never ask you to pay for his personal vehicle. The choice is clear.
Randy Poulton
Winterport
I repeat: Oh, Randy, you are right. The choice is clear. And, I am hoping the people of
Winterport will see that you will not represent them well in the office you are
seeking. Another ALEC minded person who supports an agenda that does not benefit
The People. Most of us in Northern Maine see right through you and will ask Mike
Michaud to represent us again.
Mr. Plaut, I had to use your quote. I plan to put it in my classroom.
The problem in this country is that people hate each other and many place blame on others when the other four fingers are pointing back at themselves. We need to start taking care of our families and stop expecting others to do it for us. Then we need to make sure those who genuinely cannot are cared for by their communities and churches. Medical care should be available to all but not at the disposal of those who abuse it. Good Letter.
Mr. Plaut should have written that he is tired of politicians who do “not fight for me”. The role of our elected officials is supposed to be to work in the best interest of our citizens and when you feel they haven’t done that, then you exercise your right to vote them out of office and replace them with somebody who will. I think that most people try their best to take care of their families but they have every right in the world to expect their elected officials to aid them in the process. We pay taxes to keep this country running and we have the right to benefit from that. I agree that everyone should have access to healthcare but I’m not sure who you think would be an abuser. Communities and churches also depend on help from the government to help them to be able to help others.
yep that is the problem
Mr. Yerkes and Mr. Skoglund, your letters are right on point.
Please educate Mr. Poulton on three points: The Affordable Care Act closes the projected deficit per the Congressional Budget Office; Congressmen and Senators pay for a part of their health care coverage; and, if the Congressional health care plan any Congresscritter has purchased qualifies as a “Cadillac Plan,” a tax will ultimately be assessed on that benefit paid by the employer, as that benefit will be considered income.
As Poulton wrote a letter just a matter of weeks ago, why is he not subject to the one letter every eight weeks rule?
Good question! Supposedly because the original contained typos. If this is a new policy we will surely be seeing many duplicated letters. I wonder if the policy will carry over for letters that were edited from their original content.
Think of this as the BDN’s affirmative action program for the illiterate. This will help many more Tea Partiers get their letters posted numerous times.
W. Plaut, J. Yerkes, J. Miles, R. Skoglund: good letters.
I am taking bets on whether Snowe and/or Collins will vote to end the Bush cuts for incomes over $250,000.
I bet no. I hope that I am wrong.
As always, sage advice from The Humble Farmer. Reading his post I can hear his meter & rhyme just like he’s on the radio.
Randy Poulton, I find it difficult to feel pity for those who can afford a Cadilac Health Insurance plan. First of all they are obviously doing very well for themselves and probably fall into an income bracket that is out of sight to the greatest majority of Maine citizens. They in all likelyhood aren’t going to have to worry when they go to the grocery store about wether they have enough money to feed the family.
I wonder what exactly, other than the lip service hand wringing, has Kevin Raye done to stop the practice of private business controling where nursing home beds are allocated to? So far I have seen nothing in that regard. In the mean time First Atlantic has been able to remove 50 +- beds from Washington County to Hancock County. Makes one wonder who is running this state and using our tax dollars to benefit private business where public service is concerned.
I’m not overly nuts about Michaud but I certainly don’t want to see another rubber stamp to the extreme right wing going to Washington.
You make some broad sweeping generalizations which are not accurate. I am an educator in a good sized Maine city with an insurance plan which would be described as a “Cadillac” and will ultimately be taxed when the full provisions of the ACA come into play. This plan is available for a brand new teacher at the lowest end of the pay scale, or the highest paid employee with years and years of experience. In looking at the web, the median income of Maine in 2008 – 2012 was 48,000. A brand new teacher has a state mandated salary of 30,000. I do not want your pity, but would appreciate not using such a broad stroke when discussing your viewpoint.
So you have yours and to hell with everyone else. If we keep the current system and do away with ACA, how do you think that will benefit you? Your current Cadillac plan is costing more all the time to cover the uninsured who use the ER’s as their primary care givers. If, praying not, the Republican Party takes over both houses and the white house in DC, you will soon be negotiating just to have a Yugo plan as part of your benefits package.
So you have yours and to…. is not what I said, you moved the argument. You stated I find it difficult to feel pity for those who can afford a Cadilac
Health Insurance plan. First of all they are obviously doing very well
for themselves and probably fall into an income bracket that is out of
sight to the greatest majority of Maine citizens., and with respect to that you are wrong. If you want to know how I would fix the problem, that is a separate post. I just wanted to let you know not to use such a big brush.
First of all you are not doing that well that you are going out buying your own health insurance. You, like most insured get your health insurance through your employer. If you were to be making just a salary with out the health insurance you would need one heck of a lot more money to afford the premiums on a ‘Cadillac’ plan. For your own information go take your group plan and show it to an insurance provider and find out what the premiums would be for you to purchase that plan. Better hope you don’t have any pre-existing medical conditions.
I don’t believe I am painting with that broad of a brush. Most of those who are against the ACA weild a brush that would paint a barn in one swipe.
Let’s try one more time. The broad sweeping generalizations you make are when you speak of a Cadillac plan and not having to worry about the price of groceries at the store. I may not have to worry about the cost of healthcare, but I do have to worry about all the other prices in my budget. Interestingly enough the ACA will be taxing my plan in the out years for it is a Cadillac plan. One of the benefits of belonging to a union. While I am fortunate, I will certainly admit that with no problem, the ACA billed as healthcare reform, but in reality it was insurance (or an attempt at it) reform. Changing the way we pay for healthcare does not help the overall supply or demand of the actual services.
Mr. Skoglund – I guess our senators are blissfully ignorant of what you say because you say they are. They, obviously, are not as smart as you are.
It’s too bad some of our elected officials have made allegience to something other than the US, namely the Grover Norquist pledge, which prevents them from being able to collaborate with their fellow congressmen.
That would include all but a handful of Republicans in Washington. In Maine we currently have 4 State senators and 32 House members signed on to Grover Norquists group of puppets. Charlie Summers has boasted of signing the pledge twice.
People yell about the deficit but then don’t want to do anything about it. They yell about the Government creating welfare states, and people being depended on the on the government. Well so are these people, they want government to take care of the deficit, they do not want to be burden with helping reduce it. We need to raise taxes and cut spending, boom deficit gone. I will glady pay more in taxes to help my country out. Its sad that a lot of so call “true American” don’t want to pay a dime more to help. The expect the Government to Fix the Government.