Attention

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not represent our advertisers

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Dear Mr. Kratovil

Dear Mr. Kratovil,

I was so disappointed when I called your DC office. I am a very busy working mother of two, who called you in route to my job today. I asked your staffer where you stood on the healthcare bill and simply to convey to you that I think the healthcare bill proposed, is horrible and does not address any issues specific to healthcare costs. I requested that you please vote against it because I feel it is too expensive to the taxpayer. It's another real tax, that in our present economy, we can't sustain. I believe it to be a job killer and in a time when we need small businesses to create jobs. This is not a time to increase personal or business taxes, which this bill surely will. I went on to explain the impact on small business and the tax implication to all workers, patients, and doctors.

Your staffer told me you were undecided on the bill. He then went on to debate me about the bill. He was a somewhat indignant and condescending as he asked me for specifics of what I disagreed with in the 1,200+ page bill. Frankly, it seemed as if he was testing me to see if I actually had solid reasons to oppose it (outside the fact that we can't afford the additional taxes) I explained that I hadn't read all 1,200+ pages of the bill, but I hope you had. I had read numerous pages of the bill and found plenty of concerns with it within the first 60 pages. Your staffer requested specifics, so I told him about my concerns regarding the unexplainable rush to get a bill passed through the house before the August break. I don't understand this crazy rush to pass it. That is not transparency. We need to know every specific to this proposal. I sited issues regarding the elimination of the private insurance sector that is apparent in this bill as well a deep concern for the social security office conducting end of life consultations for our elderly. Additionally I stated, we can not afford this. (AGAIN) I forgot to mention that the bill appears to cover non-citizens as well. I don't know about everyone, but I can not take care of the entire world, nor do I desire to.

I thought that when I called your office I would be able to voice my opinion and say yay or nah on a vote and give a brief explanation, that would be communicated to you. I had NO IDEA I was calling to provide sources for a debate to your staffer. I surely would have had the bill in front of me if I knew this was the venue. I was also shocked the staffer never even asked for my name and address for your records that I am sure you keep of your constituency. I mean, I could of been anyone. You do keep public records of our calls, right?

I AM in an independent household and I'm really very unhappy with this sort of condescension regarding my communication to your office. I mentioned to your aid, I had concern because I KNOW you had a huge amount of people call you to ask you to vote against cap and trade and you did anyway, while you took a ton of money from the league of conservation voters, who threatened you. (on public record) if you did not vote for it.

I'd appreciate a more respectful response than what I got from your office, which was again condescending, insightful, argumentative and disrespectful.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Did you really write that your conversation was "insightful?"" Perhaps it was! I don't see what is wrong with asking what part of the health care bill you object to--if there are specific parts that are no good, then Kratovil can address them specifically. The truth is that you don't really know a lot about it, but are against it anyway. Fine, but admit it!

Anonymous said...

What an eye opener! What an expensive bill!

Anonymous said...

9:11 Thank you Congressman and yes I too also oppose any really expensive bill that's being rammed through the house under the guise of "emergency" LIKE YOU DID WITH THE STIMULOUS AND CAP AND TRADE.

Anonymous said...

911

how interesting the timing...

ALl that is wrong with this bill is contained here

http://www.financialsense.com/fsn/presentations/2009/0724.html

(Joe perhaps this link deserves its own post)

(

Anonymous said...

Just saying you think he should vote against it without giving specific reasons makes you uninformed. It is does not help to just repeat Fox News talking points. Just complaining to complain, like this letter.

Anonymous said...

How about this part of itone?

"Amounts appropriated under this section, and outlays flowing from such appropriations, shall not be taken into account for purposes of any budget enforcement procedures including allocations under section 302(a) and (b) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act and budget resolutions for fiscal years during which appropriations are made from the Fund," it says under "Budgetary Implications."

Did that just say the money spent under this section shouldn't be counted?

Anonymous said...

924

Just saying

When the left parrots Olbermann talking points you loons sound just even worse

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:24

Why should the writer have to be informed of ther complete contents of the bill when a high ramking member of congress (John Conyers) said on CNN that he hasn'read it because it would take two days to read and he would need two lawyers to tell him what it meant.

Anonymous said...

Is that (9:24) Kratovils office responding to this post?

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you all are so informed on a bill that isn't yet out of committee.

Anonymous said...

9:34, No it doesn't say that.

9:11 is spot on. If you don't know what's in the bill, then why are you against it? That's stupid, and the staffer is right to call you out on your Fox News BS.

As busy working mother of two, why don't you want health care reform? Are you happy with health care costs doubling in the last 5 years? how about being dropped by your insurance company how about being denied coverage? The status quo is working out just fine, right?

All of you middle class working people who are against this are doing nothing more than following the lead of the corporate PR people who are leading you by the noses. If you were rich then I could understand that you would might be against this because of rich tax increases. But the middle class? The people who need health reform the most? You're so scared of government that you haven't even stopped to consider that you're being screwed by corporate interests.

Anonymous said...

If a voter says they don't like it, Frank should listen! He barely made it into office, and is going to need every vote he can beg, borrow or steal for 2010. Don't piss off the people who decide your political fate!

Anonymous said...

Goverment Run Health Care - Hello!Medicare and Medicad are bankrupting states - that's all anyone needs to know.

I can't believe Kratavil's office is posting on this blog with the same contempt for their voters as the woman who wrote this letter, experienced.

Unbelievable!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, 11:07, it is unbelievable--because it isn't true!

Anonymous said...

11:46 *snickers* surrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre