July 22nd, 2009:

This is a letter I sent to Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA6). I also sent this as a “letter to the editor” to The Tacoma News Tribune, and the Kitsap Sun newspapers.

We Are Our Brother’s Keepers

President Obama is considering that one way to pay for the public health care option is to place a surcharge on those with incomes above $280,000 per year. I think this is a great idea, but my household income is about one-fourth of that, so I will not be required to pay the surcharge.

But I want to. I will gladly pay my portion, one-fourth of the full surcharge, to help cover the costs incurred relating to public health care. Why? Because I can.

Nothing would be more rewarding to me than to be able to help our less fortunate citizens gain access to the same quality of health care I have. But I am only one person and I wonder what the impact would be if the entire community I live in would pitch in their fair share to ensure that those less fortunate in our community could live healthy lives unafraid to seek the medical attention that they deserve – that we all deserve. I will gladly write a check to the IRS annually to help my neighbors.

I don’t care if the recipients of public health care are white, black, red, legal, illegal, single mothers, divorced mothers, or what have you. They deserve to have a public health plan – not because they are poor and can’t afford the emergency room, but simply because they get sick and/or injured. Health care for everyone should not be a matter of money, but a matter of community morals. We must look out for one another.

We have to do at least this much, and keep doing it. We must also use every channel of communication possible, such as blogging, tweeting, facebook, & etc, to continually remind everyone what is at stake with health care reform. Bills may not get done before the August recess, but if we keep the pressure on, we can get reform done this year.