This letter was sent to Kyle Michaelis of the New Nebrasksa Network:
Dear Silver tongued Democratic Orators-
I am asking each of you to put your pens to work for a Democratic cause. The State Child Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is a federal program administered by the states (somewhat as Medicaid) that provides health insurance for low income children who do not qualify for Medicaid. In Nebraska, it is known as Kids Connection.
The federal government pays about 71 cents on each dollar. It has been in place since 1997 and has been highly successful. It is up for renewal in Congress by the end of September and was passed with expanded funding by both the House and Senate prior to August recess.
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So, what is the problem??? It is too good. Bush says he will veto it. It takes us down the slippery slope of insuring all our US kid citizens which could lead to "O Horrors", we may think we can afford to insure all our US citizens. The Senate had enough votes to override a veto but the House does not. How can you good democrats help and show Nebraska that we, in fact, care about our children?
All of our Republican representatives voted against SCHIP renewal. So Senator Chuck Hagel, Representatives Terry, Fortenberry and Smith voted against. Our Democratic Sentator Nelson voted to support. We need letters to the editor to praise Senator Nelson and to chastise the nay saying Republicans for turning the back side of their wallets on the children of our working citizens. We need citizens to attend town hall meetings and to ask tough questions and to make tough statements about the heartlessness of turning down our children for health care insurance through SCHIP.
How shameful that the children of Senator Hagel, Representative Terry and Fortenberry (children of Smith are unknown) are covered by comprehensive health insurance paid for by us voters but working people's children will be denied if these people have their way.
Representative Terry has town hall meetings on Wed Aug 22 at 8:30 AM at Bellevue City Hall at 210 West Mission Avenue, at 12:00 Noon on Aug 22 at Sump Memorial Library at 222 North Jefferson St and on Thurs Aug 23 at 5:30 PM at Firefighters Union Hall at 6005 Grover St in Omaha. I'm sure the other folks have meetings coming up. Don't let them off the hook as they attempt to explain why their children are so much more precious and deserve health insurance but our low income working people do not have children who deserve health care.
Please call, write, protest, show up or whatever to let our officals and our fellow citizens know that we as Democrats value all of our citizens, including our children. That is one thing that makes us different from the other party. There is a lot of information on the Internet if you just search SCHIP. Thank you to all of you.
I will be at each of the following town hall meeting and I want to see all of you armed with questions. (I should have my video recorder for at least two of them)
Please, write letters to the editor. I will post them on Terry Watch as I see them. Send them to pulse@owh.com.
The bigger issue here is a lack of real representation from our officials. The vast majority of citizens support the SCHIP legislation. It is effective and doesn't cost too much money. It should be used as a model for future legislation. But Terry and our other Republican politicians have continued to put ideology ahead of principle. Deep down, they know it works and they know it is a good program.
We have an opportunity to sweep these guys out of office. Terry is unpopular, Smith is unpopular, Fort is unpopular, and Hagel is confusing and confused. Let's made a real difference in 2008. The nation is clamoring for real change - let's be part of that in 2008!
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