Letter to Tester and Baucus
Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester:
While I greatly appreciate your concerns and efforts at job generation in Montana, I have some reservations about tactics.
My own personal philosophy is that Montana's principal industry is tourism, which necessitates the preservation of Montana as the "Last Best Place," which in turn requires the protection of wildlife and their habitat since that is why tourists come here. Job generation should never be in conflict with that philosophy.
While no one who wants to work should be denied a job anywhere in America, it certainly does not require damaging our environment.
On the pending health care reform legislation in the Senate, the public option looks like it might be killed, so Sen. Harry Reid needs to act fast to save it. A small number of conservative Democrats and all Republicans are threatening to block health-care reform if the rest of the liberal and progressive (moderate) Democratic Caucus doesn't agree to weaken or entirely drop the public option.
This minority coalition of conservatives could cut out the heart of health reform, which is supported by a large majority of Democrats and independents. The news that I am hearing is that to appease the conservatives, a weak compromise will be adopted. I don't agree with this. Everyone is entitled to have affordable insurance.
"Everyone" certainly includes women, with their special, unique health issues that differ from those of men. Men have no business dictating health issues to women here in America. That controlling mentality is reserved for the Taliban in Arab countries. Women should be able to decide what happens to their own bodies, just like they finally received the right to smoke in public, drive cars and vote in elections. It is about time.
As Senate Majority Leader, Reid can apply pressure in a number of ways: Call for a vote to force conservative Democrats to stand up publicly with Republicans and "Big Insurance" to filibuster health-care reform; or strip them of their committee chairmanships and committee seats; or opt to pass health-care reform through what is called the 'reconciliation process," which would allow him to pass the bill with a simple majority vote. I would favor that.
Sen. Reid has demonstrated that he is willing to fight for the public option. In this final showdown, you both need to stand by his side stronger than ever. Sen. Reid needs to know at this crucial time that you've got his back. I encourage you both to have the courage to do so.
I am now on Medicare, but I had to survive 16 years without being able to afford medical and dental insurance. That, after being a patriot since 1965 and working on top-secret projects for my country, only to have my country turn its back on me. No one deserves to be denied medical and dental insurance in this country because of a corrupt insurance industry.
As to the Energy Bill, the legislation adopted by the House favors a cap-and-trade system that would issue permits for greenhouse gas emissions, gradually lowering the amount of emissions allowed over time, and then companies could buy and sell permits to each other to meet their needs, and according to many projections would not add to the federal deficit.
The only problem with this solution is that it's too slow-moving over time to do much good in a timely enough fashion. Global warming is already here. Many new jobs could be created by employing new scientific/technological solutions to global climate change begging for funding. If only the greedy, corrupt lobbyists for the existing energy producing industries could be defeated.
I believe I can live to be 120 years old, provided that I can find a job to supplement my meager Social Security benefits, have adequate Medicare benefits, and have an environment worthy of the enjoyment of living. If only corrupt politicians could be voted out of office.
Bill Baum lives in Coram.