Since my Congresswoman was interested enough to seek my input, I sent the following email:
Dear Representative;
I want to thank you for your personal and informative response to my questions regarding H.R. 3200. In your response you asked me to share my views about how to best achieve reform. It is reassuring to have a representative who is actively seeking input from her constituents.
Again, I will keep my response as brief as possible out of respect for your time.
Health care reform is an extremely complex issue that is very personal. Because it so directly impacts me, I have done a lot of reading and research. I have also spoken to my primary care physician as well as my optometrist in order to gain a better understanding of how the system works and how the money flows.
After these conversations, I’ve come away with the opinion that the primary issue we should concentrate on right now is gaining control of and reducing the cost of health care. Health care has become corporatized and impersonal. Bureaucratic waste and greed threatens to choke the entire system. Rather than forcing an 1,100-page ambiguous bill through congress at break-neck speed with no time to read the bill, let alone analyze and debate it, the White House should start with highly publicized Senate hearings meant to take head on fraud, waste, and abuse. The closed-door meetings the Obama administration has had with “Big Pharma” smack of insincerity and impropriety, especially after repeatedly promising quite the opposite (Obama promised to air such meetings and negotiations on C-SPAN).
As well, I would welcome more public education and debate on the matter and less political street-fighting over the issue. We need a clear and concerted message from the government to the public. That message must include exactly what the problem is we are tackling, how the problem is impacting citizens, and the various options being considered. Clarity and transparency are key. All representatives should be leveraging not only town hall meetings, but also social media (Twitter, Facebook, blogs, etc), mailed pamphlets, etc, to engage their constituents and seek their input and participation and frankly to regain their trust.
As a citizen, a tax payer, and a voter, I would prefer to see my government use my tax dollars and my trust to have an open and intellectual exploration and debate of the issue and possible solutions. Engage the population in a process that will have such a personal and direct impact.
The historic election of President Obama seems to have awakened the America voter, especially the younger crowd. It is unfortunate that that fact isn’t being honestly and vigorously leveraged to better the country and to show the world that we are still the greatest nation.
Again, thank you for your time and service.
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