From Forward Kansas:
Two months ago a young single mother, Elizabeth Smith, with her 2 year old son in tow, went to town hall meeting in Ottawa to hear from her member of Congress, Lynn Jenkins.
Elizabeth didn't go there with a political agenda. She is a registered independent, but she had a serious question, why does she as a single mother and a waitress, not deserve quality, affordable health care just because she can't afford it?
Elizabeth wanted a forum with her Congresswoman to ask her why the public option was being touted as being so evil when it could do so much to help so many. Instead of receiving the respect and concern of her elected official, she was laughed at, and told we should all just grow up and buy insurance on her own.
Elizabeth left the Franklin County Commission Chambers in Ottawa that day to go back to her life of hard work and motherhood empty handed. She came seeking an honest answer to her question and was dismissed. Her question was still not answered, why should she be held at a disadvantage for access to health care simply because she wasn't in the right income bracket?
Luckily, someone had captured their exchange on tape and let the nation see, once again, the true colors of Lynn Jenkins. A week later, Keith Olbermannand Ed Schultzfeatured Elizabeth on their programs and Lynn Jenkins was forced to answer for her actions.
Jenkins said that Elizabeth Smith's situation was being exploited by "her political party" for a fundraising appeal. Elizabeth is not a member of the Democratic Party, and nor does she plan on registering as such anytime soon. The disrespect by Jenkins was continued, but she told the press that she and her staff were looking into assisting Elizabeth and her son using "current resources in existing programs."
That was two months ago, and you would expect by now that at the very least Elizabeth would have received a phone call from a staffer, if not some action to back up Jenkins' statement that she would provide help. However, as we have, and Elizabeth Smith personally has learned in the past few months, we cannot rely on Lynn Jenkins to be the representative Kansans in the Second District need. This weekend, I was shocked to learn that Elizabeth has not received one single bit of communication from Representative Lynn Jenkins or her office. Elizabeth was kind enough to share with me her feelings on this situation.
I asked Elizabeth how she felt about being slighted, not just once, but twice by Lynn Jenkins. Elizabeth said, "I feel two ways about it. First, I'm not surprised she never followed through on that statement. It was obviously made only to make herself look better, and there was no meaning behind it." Elizabeth also expressed that she feels angry about it and wonders why Jenkins doesn't care about her constituents. Elizabeth also said, "I represent many groups of people: I'm low income, a woman, a single parent, and young. She is effectively saying that all the people I represent are not worth her time and that's not being in good service to the people who elect you."
Elizabeth Smith has not lost her resolve in seeing that Americans have access to health care reform with the public option. Elizabeth said that she has made it "her personal mission, for herself, her family, others like her" to see that the public option comes to fruition. Elizabeth also said that she thinks Jenkins' conduct that day "illustrated how all too much everyday impoverished people are treated as unintelligent, overly idealistic, and childish" when they need help. Elizabeth also expressed some concern over a popular misconception that Americans in need have unlimited access to any resources they need. At the Ottawa town hall meeting, Jenkins even perpetuated this by saying Elizabeth could find health care access through Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP. While Elizabeth's son qualifies for SCHIP, there is nothing out there for young, able bodied, working people who can't afford health insurance. Elizabeth said, "The only hope for me is that a public option is passed so that myself and others in similar situations don't have to go broke just because they don't have health insurance."
Lastly, I asked Elizabeth that if she could deliver a message to Representative Jenkins, what would she say? Elizabeth said she would tell Jenkins to pay very careful attention to her "entire constituency and not just those with money." Elizabeth also would ask Jenkins "If she ever feels guilty about holding the door closed for the people of her state to receive the quality medical care that every human being on this planet deserves" rather than being complacent because the congresswoman has she needs and that's all that matters."
Elizabeth is a strong woman who has not succumbed to apathy because her situation. She is emboldened and wants others like her to rise up and take control of the debate for health care reform and the public option. Elizabeth spoke at a health care rally in Ottawa in September and spoke again at the health care protest in Shawnee this past weekend. Ms. Smith is a shining example of how our democracy is not a spectator sport for the elite few to participate in, while the larger public stands on the sidelines. While Representative Lynn Jenkins pals around with radical right wingers like Michele Bachmannin working to ensure that working Americans don't receive the reform they need, there are constituents back home that deserve more than what they are getting.
People in Kansas are dying or going broke from the abuses of the health insurance industry. Then there are others simply don't have the same access to health care others enjoy because they can't afford it. A mother in Ottawa, Kansas was laughed at by her congresswoman, and then only when the press took notice did this representative offer help. To the poor and uninsured, any offer of help gives them hope and is taken very seriously. If Lynn Jenkins never cared about Elizabeth Smith or her situation, which it is very apparent she doesn't, then she shouldn't have given an empty offer for help. Jenkins should just continue working in service for the rich and elite few that line her campaign coffers and stop acting like she actually cares about ordinary, everyday Kansans. In turn, we'll show you how much we care next November.