Congressman Michael Arcuri
327 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Rep. Arcuri,
Ned was a pioneer in his 90's. At least that was what they called him in a the small town in Oregon's "Outback" where I was born. Ned and his wife in her 80's lived on his minimum Social Security pension in a small cabin. Ned chopped wood for the wood stoves that heated the cabin and cooked the food. He then had to walk miles for groceries and supplies and even had a little left over for a beer or two that then cost a nickel at the bar.
The Irish buckaroo regulars in the Shamrock really liked Ned. Rough and tumble, fighting, drinking men, they respected one hardy old veteran who took no guff from anyone.
Then Ned got sick. Wasn't much really. Probably pneumonia or something from the cold winters and old age or whatever. A day or two and Ned was fine.
Except there was no money for the hospital and doctors. There was no Medicare those days and the state of Oregon didn't much cotton to paying bills for sick people when they somehow got into a hospital.
The state of Oregon wanted the tiny cabin Ned and his wife lived in. The cabin wasn't worth much but it was all Ned had. Well Ned had the Social Security pension. Maybe they wanted that too. I don't know.
Ned would have fought a grizzly bear for that tiny cabin for his wife and himself but the state of Oregon was a lot bigger and meaner and tougher than a whole herd of grizzly bears.
Ned soon died. He wasn't tough anymore. I don't know what became of his wife.
We old geezers have Medicare today. Most of us can get sick and keep what we have. We think that's good even if the cost to the country is way, way too high for medical care. The U.S. pays way more than any other country in the world for substandard medical care that destroys many lives with or without medical insurance. The health insurance companies are nothing more than parasites draining the system, figuring out how they can avoid paying for medical care.
I will join others in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13 in a march for the last pitiful remnant of health care reform that is left. They call it public option. My son asked my mother if Dad still knew how to march. I don't do much marching these days. May not even make it through the short march. I will try.
It would be a proud thing if my representative supported us. I know you said you supported the public option. You seem to be a good representative despite styling yourself a Blue Dog. Many Blue Dogs don't give a hang for their constituents and their country. They represent only "moneyed interests" the Founders prophetically worried about at the very beginning.
Thank you for listening.
[signed]
Best, Terry