North Dakota’s Ice Berg

To the Editor:

I try to teach my eleven-year-old that as Americans we all share common values, and we all need to share in both difficult and prosperous times.  America is a country where we can dream big, but we should never turn our back on a fallen comrade.

I was appalled when I saw our only elected person in the U.S. House of Representatives vote FOR the supposed “Path to Prosperity” put forward by Rep. Paul Ryan. A quick overview of the bill makes it apparent that only the incredibly wealthy will prosper, and for the majority of Americans it is actually a “Path to Poverty.”

While America’s millionaires and billionaires pay the lowest tax rate in 80 years, Congress is voting to slash critical services like food stamps, Meals on Wheels, Head Start, heating assistance, critical health services and pell grants for college students that generally keep our country on a forward trajectory. It’s immoral and un-American.

Most frightening of all is that our Congressman Rick Berg actually voted to effectively END MEDICARE and replace it with a coupon/voucher program!  How many North Dakotans know of a FOR PROFIT insurance company out there that is scrambling to get a few more elderly customers with health conditions on their rolls?  Why on earth would ANYONE think this was a good idea, unless (of course) their personal wealth insulated them from dealing with the astronomical cost of healthcare?

They say their plan would not affect people over 55 years of age, yet it has no protections for those with chronic conditions or poor health in general to simply find themselves unable to access a doctor-because all the doctors are only taking patients at higher reimbursement rates.

As for people such as myself, who have been paying into programs for over 30 years and are not over 55—The message is pretty simple…Sorry, here is you coupon if it doesn’t cover your costs- too bad! After all, Rick Berg needs a 10% tax cut and BP, Exxon, Bank of America, General Electric, and various other massive corporations just don’t want to pay ANY taxes so they can make a few more billion or trillion dollars.

I personally think it is immoral to suggest that a person’s access to decent healthcare as an American should be dependent on WHAT THEY EARN!  Some of the most important people in shaping our society in a positive manner are at the lower end of the earning spectrum.  These are the teachers, the nuns, the firemen, the police officers, and the military. 

Do we really want a society that allows those that teach our children, or that we depend on to keep us safe as we sleep at night, to be further subjected to class warfare?  Do we want to live in a society where if you can gamble on derivatives, figure out how to manipulate the market, or have such a lack of a moral compass you could take candy from a baby to be the beneficiaries of EVERYTHING?

I want to continue to tell my daughter that North Dakota is a Christian and caring state that looks out for our elderly and our most vulnerable citizens—We are not only great North Dakotans, but we are also great Americans.  The citizens of North Dakota need to step up and let Congressman Berg know that we do not appreciate his attempt to pad his pockets at the expense of our senior and vulnerable population.

-Sally A. Stutlien
Fargo