Letter - Congressional Freebies: California Sens. Boxer and Feinstein? What Did They Say?

by Karl Keller

Issue 19, VIEW Oct. 2009: Let’s cut through all the talk, town halls, addresses to Congress, and talking heads!

Let’s all agree with the proposed health care reform legislation, whatever its details, on one very simple condition: that all US citizens (including the President, Vice President and Members of the Administration, Members of Congress and staff, Judges and staff, and all employees of the US Federal government) receive without exception exactly the same benefits.

Conversely, we should not support any proposal that sets up any different or special provisions for elected officials, appointees, or government employees. The inclusion of all US citizens will insure that we do not further perpetuate benefits for “the ruling class” that are different from those for “the rest of us”.

“The Senator has not issued a position paper on that question”

This country was founded on the concept that we are all created equal in terms of each person’s ability to access medicine, education, justice and all other societal benefits. If we are all of equal opportunity, and if medical care is to be a right that includes everyone, there can be no logical basis for separate benefits for any class among us. I’m highly suspicious of the legislation now in process.

Several times I’ve called the offices of Senator [Barbara] Boxer and Senator [Diane] Feinstein to ask whether members of Congress and staff are included in the proposed legislation. The Senators’ staffs have refused to answer that simple question, saying variously (a) “The Senator has not issued a position paper on that question”, (b) “You will have to wait until the final bill is passed”, (c) “I (the staff member) am included in the benefits assigned to members of Congress”, or (d) “We don’t know”.

From their non-answers on the largest issue of the day, I can only conclude that there must be special provisions for Congress, but our Senators do not want to admit that fact.

What other facts are they hiding?

Sincerely, Karl Keller, Camarillo

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