My Representative is Paul Broun. [link] Needless to say, I have not bothered to write to him. The man is a nutbucket. And, oddly, a doctor.

Mine said "We have the best healthcare in the world." How fifties.

Techinically, we might have the best medical professionals and procedures, but that's not what this is all about. This is about getting access to those same professionals and procedures. Which we suck at, even when people ARE covered through work.

Mine is called "Doc", but I don't think he's a doctor. I should have known better than to write to a politician who sounds like he belongs on Bonanza.

There was also something in the letter about how we should give people the opportunity to get health care through their job if they're not already covered.

Ack, I really want to have a health care system where employers don't have to be in the health insurance business. Just imagine if entrepreneurs didn't have to worry about getting health care or provide health care for employees. What a load that would be off people who wanted to go into business for themselves.

Techinically, we might have the best medical professionals and procedures, but that's not what this is all about.

We can have the best or the worst in the industrialized world if you get to choose the metric.

My rep is kooky, but she's my kind of kooky:

Enacting comprehensive, quality health care reform is one of my highest priorities. I have been a long time supporter and cosponsor of Representative John Conyers’ (D-MI) bill to provide single payer health care, H.R. 676, the United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act.

...

I want you to know that I will fight for health care reform, including a robust public option for all Americans. The keystone of this plan’s success will be a strong public health insurance option.

Ask your rep if he/she is going to support the provision that is designed to ensure that health insurance companies get 35 cents of every dollar in premiums as profit. That's at least 10 cents more than Las Vegas casinos are limited to!! I first heard about it on MSNBC last night (can't remember if it was Countdown or Rachel, though).

I wrote back, told him not to spout Republican talking points at me, pointed out that bureaucrats already decide what doctors I can see and what treatments I can afford, and told him not to send me another form letter. And never to expect my vote.

health insurance companies get 35 cents of every dollar in premiums as profit.

That sounds suspiciously high. Where did they get that number?

Someone stop me before I post again. The Facebook troll is DRIVING ME UP A FUCKING WALL. And nothing is going to change this guy's mind - he's just repeating shit Glen Beck's said with no facts to back up any of it.

10 more minutes until my internet access is taken away by my commute. I can ignore him that long.