What an arrogant...

[misanthrope]

...I belong to a support group for a bunch of folks with a debilitating pulmonary condition. One of our members wrote her congressman regarding the new Medicare coverage and the help she needs just to be able to breath.

The response she received from him was riling. She sent the response to the rest of us and asked what we thought.

Here is the congressman's letter:

Dear Ms. XXXXX:

Thank you for your recent letter. I always enjoy receiving mail from my fellow North Floridians on all matters of interest and concern.

The basic function of the federal budget process is supposed to be about identifying national priorities and ensuring those priorities are funded in a fiscally responsible manner. In my view, our nation should work to ensure that federal budgets strengthen our nation and promote economic growth.

Unfortunately, this year's budget reconciliation package does not put our nation on the right track. I strongly believe that in a time of war we need to make shared sacrifices in order to meet our nation's priorities. While this budget reduces federal spending by $42 billion it also reduces revenue by at least $56 billion. Adding at least $14 billion to the nation's massive $312 billion deficit is clearly a step in the wrong direction. That is why I could not support this legislation when it was presented to the House of Representatives.

Currently, Congress is at a stalemate on this issue. I will be carefully monitoring its progress and the programs that are affected by the decisions in both the House and the Senate. Thank you again for writing. Please continue to keep me informed regarding any other issue on which I can be of assistance. Additionally, I encourage you to visit my website www.house.gov/boyd for further topical issues and information.

Sincerely,

Allen Boyd
Member of Congress
------------

My advice to her was:

What hits a politician where it hurts -- i.e., gets some kind of response -- is to threaten their re-election. They don't care about you, they care about keeping their seat at the feed trough.

Perhaps you should civilly inform this congressman that you will be making the particulars of your case and his callous response available to the media, any opponent that he has in the upcoming primaries and general election, the AARP and any other coalition for older Americans (because they not only care greatly about issues such as this, but also vote in higher-than-average numbers).

Make it sound as if your mind is made up in that regard and the wheels are already rolling. If he thinks you're not sure thus far, he will merely try to talk you out of it while actually doing as little as he can. Make him believe he has a lot to lose.

Don't turn into a raving lunatic, but be resolute that you are unhappy and are going to do whatever it takes to let his electorate know how he treated someone in dire need.

I wish you the best of luck as I love to see the powerful and arrogant humbled.


Any further advice from anyone here? I will certainly forward it along to her.

[boobooday]

1. Okay, sick people!

You sacrifice some health care for our war, now! Don't be selfish! Support our troops! You could give it up for a month or so, couldn't you? For the boys overseas and all? Freedom isn't free!

Now watch this drive.

[liberalhistorian]

2. That is

un-freaking-believable! She should take it right to the media, right now, without informing him that that is what she will do. You should ALL go to the local newspaper with his response, that way they can't ignore all of you.

[Straight Shooter]

3. I see absolutely no attention given to her personal situation.

Very patronizing response. Apathetic and callous.

It sounds like the standard blah-blah-blah. Perhaps she could submit her letter and the response as a letter to the editor of whichever newspaper would be likely to publish it.

[Democrats_win]

4. OMFG! This is terrible.

[vademocrat]

5. Furthermore, sick people,

you have to sacrifice so the "essential" tax cuts for the wealthy can remain - can't ask our biggest donors to sacrifice now can we?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Great suggestions-here's another

say she will be taking his reply to his opponant in the upcoming election. and telling said opponant her story. This would be especially effective if he is likely to have a primary challenge, but I'd tend to take it to the Democrats to use in the general election.

[rzemanfl]

7. Their position is that if you need home oxygen for more than

36 months and can't pay for it, then you should die.

Call the St. Petersburg Times with this story. They can use it as part of a story on the 36 months and then you are on your own plan.

[Orangepeel]

8. Eh, I wouldn't be outraged. A a shame his office sent a form letter

instead of a more personal response (IMO, Boyd's not the brightest bulb in the party).

His office should have sent your friend a response that highlighted his "no" vote was because of the cuts, instead of because of the deficit (which I'm sure was his canned response to people in his district complaining about his voting with Pelosi).

(she sent a real letter, right? if this is a response to an email, then IMO a canned response is fine).

Or am I misunderstanding the problem?