Get on board everyone!

Today, I heard that Senator Feinstein was making public statements to the effect that a health care bill with a "public option" will not make it through the Senate. If this is true it is bullshit. Accordingly, I just composed and emailed the following to MY Senator:

Dear Senator Feinstein:

I have been a long-time supporter of yours going back to seeing how magnificently you handled the horror of the assassination of Harvey Milk and Mayor Moscone.

I am writing because I am very concerned to have heard that you are making public statements saying that the "public option" for health care cannot get enough support to pass through the Senate. This, in spite of the fact that polling shows the 72% of Americans favor it, and a majority says they would accept higher taxes to pay for it.

I have no idea how much money you are receiving from the health insurance industry, or how much you are being influenced by their lobbyists, but I would like to believe that the answer is "zero" on all counts.

You MUST show some courage now and support a robust public option that will compete with the insurance companies, but more importantly, will also provide decent health care to the almost 50 million who have no coverage at all. In fact, with your seniority, prestige, and power, it is your duty to step up to the plate and lead the charge.

I just turned 65 and I am now (as are you) in a single-payer system: Medicare in my case, and an even better system in your case. It seems to work really well, far better than the Blue Cross program I was in before. But my children and grandchildren cannot wait until they are 65! They need (and deserve as a fundamental right) a public option. And, it must be a true public option that is designed to compete head-on with the insurance companies as opposed to some watered-down "co-op" abomination.

Senator, PLEASE maintain my long-standing faith in your courage and wisdom. Rise to the occasion without fear of the insurance companies. Serve us all well at this critical time.

Your long-time constituent,

Tom Wilson

I encourage anyone reading this to send a similar email to his or her own Senators and Congress Persons. If you send it "as is" please say something like, "My friend, Tom Wilson, sent this to Senator Feinstein, and I totally agree with him" or words to that effect. Or, you can edit it to reflect your own thoughts more accurately. At this point we all know that we will never be able to get a "single-payer" bill through, but if we can at least get a single-payer public option passed, it will be the proverbial "foot-in-the-door" for a true single-payer system. (This is why the insurance company's are fighting the public option tooth and nail).

I'm in California where all my representatives are on board, except for Sen. Feinstein, so it's not so critical for me, and I've just done my part on that front. But for those of you in States where your representatives are not on board or are waffling, please take action of some sort to let them know that you DEMAND a bill that has a robust public option component.

Rant over,

Tom