Up North Progressive

John Moolenar seems to be unhappy with his constituents.

Respectful, civil and dignified discussion of the issues facing our country is a vital part of our republic. I will always engage in civil discourse and respect the policy differences between us on any issue.

Right now, public debate is overheated on many issues, with health care being the most prominent. I have already received online comments and calls to my office wishing for harm to come to me and my family. These comments have no place in public discourse.

As our country debates health care it is important that we all look at the issue honestly, without personal attacks that impugn the integrity and character of our fellow citizens.

Moolenar goes on to insist the Affordable Care Act must be repealed, but it will be replaced with something just like the Affordable Care Act.

We all want a personalized patient-centered system that provides care for Americans, without interfering in the sacred patient-doctor relationship. Already, committees in the House are working toward a replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act that is expected to include coverage for preexisting conditions and allow dependents up to the age of 26 to stay on the plan of their guardian(s).

And he wonders why people are screaming at him.

The majority of Americans do not want their health care taken away. In the years since we’ve become accustomed to the ACA we’ve found that having health plans we can afford, free prevention care, dependents covered until they’re 26, and being female not considered a pre-existing condition are good things we want to keep. Yes, the insurance companies have raised rates, because we’re still relying on a for-profit insurance system designed to benefit CEOs instead of customers.

The only replacement possible for the ACA is single payer health care. This could be achieved by simply expanding Medicare to cover everyone regardless of age.  Unfortunately, the rest of the nation is held hostage by insurance companies and their profits, even to the point of letting people go bankrupt and die trying to pay their medical bills. Americans don’t want to go back to that, but repealing the ACA will do just that. Thanks to Republicans like Moolenar calling the ACA Obamacare, many of their constituents were confused when they realized the ACA and Obamacare were the same thing. Funny, how with the new regime in the White House Moolenar and the rest of his Republican cronies stopped calling it Obamacare.

Moolenar is perfectly fine with this, as long as his rich donors are taken care of; the people who voted for him are a secondary concern. This is becoming increasingly obvious with his public meetings being held at various locations throughout his 15-county district. The events appear to say that John Moolenar will be in person, but constituents attending these events discover that an aide is there instead. The staff member also is very ill-equipped to handle questions from residents of the district. People walk away frustrated with lots of unanswered questions – and venting their frustration on social media.

The next meeting scheduled is February 13, 2017 in Big Rapids. The meeting will take place at the court house from 11:30 to 12:30, but once again Moolenar will not be the one attending. Constituents are getting angry because they want to talk to Moolenar in person. Bring letters of concerns, and tell the aide Moolenar sends in his place he must attend these meetings soon. People are frustrated and stressed by the chaos in Washington D.C. and want real answers. One question that needs to be asked is why haven’t the Republicans come up with a replacement yet when they’ve had six years to get it done? They’ve had plenty of time to pass repeals to Obamacare over 60 times. The Up North Progressive realizes they’ve answered their own question.