The Republican party and the well to do simply don’t care.

Ronald Reagan was a typical example of a leader who hurt the middle class, working people and unions.

I noticed last week a pie scale survey about the health care reform in The Natchez Democrat. It showed that 72 percent of voters were against the president’s health care reform plan.

I have to challenge this for I don’t think this as other surveys are factual but, as usual, local politics. These surveys may be done by computer when people are working and don’t get to vote because of their responsibilities, or they don’t have a computer. I guess this is how this survey works?

The Top of the Morning in The Natchez Democrat featured U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi and U.S. Rep. Rodney Alexander of Louisiana opposing the health care bill.

Why hasn’t there been someone put in the newspaper that is for the health plan?

Now, let’s be fair about this issue for it affects millions of people that don’t have health insurance like my wife and I.

I worked at the Grand Gulf Nuclear Plant and had to have back surgery in December. At the time I had health insurance up until March 16. I received a letter from United Health on March 19 telling me my health insurance was expired on the 16 on my wife and I.

I was then offered Cobra, which is so expensive people like us can’t afford to pay the premiums. I’m still in doctors’ care going to therapy and self paying my way through until I go back to work. This is a perfect example of how powerful the private insurance  companies are and something needs to be done for us, President Obama says.

It’s going to get worse and health reform is needed to get the U.S. budget back in sound order. Medicare and Medicaid need reform for fraud from doctors, hospitals, nursing homes, people who are “dead,” drug stores, health care rentals and etc. This isn’t going to break the nation but the opposite in that it will be affordable health care that you won’t be turned down for any reason and have preventive care to stay healthy.

We would see a reduction in families taking bankruptcy when a family member is sick. I just can’t see how anyone would deny the American people health care, except the greedy and rich private insurance companies that have no competition and lobbyists in congress that are paid more than a million dollars a day by the private insurers to fight the health bill. And the Republicans that are negative because they lost the election.

We have friends in Melbourne, Australia, that just can’t believe that we don’t have universal health care being that the United States is one of the strongest nations in the world.

Neal had been in the hospital with a nervous condition for over six weeks with splendid  health care without having copays or deductibles. He has a plastic health card that when run through a computer has all his history of health information and is all that doctors, hospitals, pharmacists and eye doctors need.

Now folks, how simple can it get? We wouldn’t have to get a loan or file bankruptcy that would kill the financial structure of all families. People call you congressman and tell them to vote for universal health care reform and if they don’t, be sure to tell them when their election comes up you will know how to vote as well!

Gene Simonton

Adams County resident