Unbelievable! Or perhaps, considering it's a GOP Congressman behind it, I shouldn't be surprised. During a visit to Facebook on May 6, I saw this ad on my screen:
Quite frankly, it made me angry because here was the person who is supposed to be representing all of his constituents in Congress, PAYING for each click, and actively saying that he didn't want somebody who disagrees with him to click the ad. I clicked it any way. I also posted a comment about how I had health coverage for the first time since 1996 and that I was appalled by his ad asking people to IGNORE it. I can't remember exactly what I said, and I can't copy what I said now, because when I went back a few days later to see what response it received, I discovered that my post had been deleted. Perhaps it was the snarky comment I ended the post with about how Dennis Ross also wanted me to IGNORE his name on the ballot in November.
A few days later, I was once again browsing at Facebook when this ad popped up:
Once again I was infuriated by the obvious attempt by Dennis Ross to avoid paying for clicks by asking people to IGNORE his ad. But, I was busy and didn't have time to write another post, which let's face it would have been deleted.
BUT ... you won't believe what happened today. Then again, it's a GOP Congressman behind it, so you probably will believe it. No, it wasn't another Facebook ad. It was a postcard paid for at taxpayer expense that came in the mail. Jump over the orange squiggly ...
When I walked out onto the front porch this afternoon, my husband held out the postcard and said something like, "I'm so angry, I almost threw it away." You see, we've received several postcards at taxpayer expense from Dennis Ross over the last few months and my husband has called Dennis Ross' office several times and requested removal from the mailing list. First, to save taxpayer money, and second because his mailings just make my husband angry. Me too for that matter.
Too bad for Dennis Ross that his office didn't honor my husband's request. Otherwise, I wouldn't have seen the postcard and wouldn't be writing this diary. I took one look at it and went directly to my computer to visit the website. I was going to write my story as I had on his Facebook page, but I couldn't. Why? Because the website was broken. Whoever was responsible for posting the form for people to share their stories didn't bother to publish it. You guessed it ... Dennis Ross directed his constituents to a website that was BROKEN! This is what I saw:
Here's a closer view of the spot where visitors are supposed to be able to share their stories:
Considering it is late on a Friday afternoon, I wonder if Dennis Ross' staff will figure this out before Monday and actually publish the Form. I could have kept my mouth shut, but I didn't. I went back to the Facebook page and made another post which I expect will be deleted. This time I took a screen shot before publishing it:
Received your mailing today. Went to the website to share my story as you requested ... However, there is no place to share my story. Your website didn't work. Maybe you won't see the irony in the fact that you spent a few thousand tax dollars to send out that mailing only to have constituents arrive at a broken website.
Quite frankly, I was surprised to receive your mailing considering when I came here and shared the same story after seeing your ad here at Facebook, you deleted my post. So I'm guessing you will soon delete this one too because you're probably only interested in hearing from those of your constituents who have horror stories to tell. My story is that for the first time in almost two decades I finally have health insurance for $465/month. Coverage I was denied by insurance companies because of pre-existing conditions before Obamacare. My guess is that you're going to get more stories like mine then the ones you are looking for because, guess what? Obamacare is working and people like me who went without insurance for decades, now have peace of mind they didn't have before.
Back to the actual postcard paid for by your tax dollars. See it says so:
It certainly isn't what I would call unbiased. Do these questions sound like Dennis Ross wants to hear about success stories?
Tell me your Obamacare stories:
• How have you been affected by Obamacare?
• Has your coverage shrunk or expanded?
• Have your premiums increased or decreased?
• Were you able to keep your plan?
How about a question about finally having coverage you haven't had? But wait, there is more on the other side of the postcard.
I guess Dennis Ross didn't get the memo that Obamacare is actually working. According to his worldview:
But that's not how I see. I know people who have been stuck in jobs they hate because they are afraid to give up their healthcare. I was one of those people in 1996, but I took the plunge and quit my job anyway to start a business and that's why I went without health care for so long. What that 2.5 million number means is (1) people can leave jobs they hate, and (2) older people can afford to retire before their Medicare kicks in because they can find affordable insurance with Obamacare. Oh, and speaking of Medicare. Didn't Dennis Ross vote to increase the qualifying age from 65 to 70?
Dennis goes on:
Are you thinking maybe you heard or saw something about Dennis Ross recently? Yes, you did. Remember the video of his town hall when he was
dismissive about raising the minimum wage?
Dennis Ross ran unopposed in 2012. We're stuck with him as our Congressman even though he makes it quite clear that his priority is to represent the GOP before he represents his constituents. Otherwise, when I wrote to him on his Facebook page he would have responded to me instead of deleting my comment. This postcard that we received in the mail today is campaign propaganda masquerading as community outreach to his constituents.
Fortunately, Dennis Ross is not running unopposed this year. He actually has an opponent which may be why he's using taxpayer funds for these mailers instead of his campaign coffers. His challenger is Alan Cohn. Please, please citizens of District 15. Pay attention to what's going on and get out and vote!
UPDATE: Somebody over at Dennis Ross' office figured out the site wasn't working. There's actually a form to fill out now. Of course, there's no place to say that you have health coverage that you didn't have before ACA. He's just looking for stories about people who have been adversely affected.