Proud of Nelson

Dear Editor,

Growing up in McCook made me who I am today and I'm very proud of my Republican River Valley roots. I'm equally proud of our Senator, Ben Nelson. He has done his job trying to find common ground and solutions to make way for health care reform.

Proposed reform measures will save my company thousands by giving me access to larger risk pools. That puts money back into my business so I can invest in equipment and hire people to run it.

That is a fact.

My 28 employees will realize premium savings as well leaving them with more money in their pockets to spend in our community. That is a fact.

Reform will close the prescription donut hole and will ensure that no senior has to pay anything to receive recommended preventative services that will keep them healthier. Sorry -- it's there -- Fact

Reform will make health care available to millions of Americans that currently turn to emergency rooms for primary care many cannot afford saving taxpayers billions in subsidies to hospitals and providers to recoup losses as well as lowering healthcare costs overall. That, my friends, is a fact.

People are free to believe that this is a socialist conspiracy or an attempt to kill old people or any of the other distractions perpetrated by the insurance industry and the politicians on their payroll to kill this effort. People are entitled to believe the earth is flat as far as I'm concerned.

What people are not entitled to is their own set of facts.

This is an issue that should not be a partisan football held up by misrepresentations, outright lies and irresponsible sound bites.

It is too important to let this effort die for the sake of corporate interests and political gamesmanship. But it seems that is the case.

Meanwhile, instead of working to find solutions, the Nebraska Republican Party has decided to mock Senator Nelson on the streets of McCook seeing only the opportunity for political gain at the cost of progress. No solutions, only derision.

I would hope that people would shun the contempt and remind their Republican elected representatives to find a solution if they have one better than what has been tendered.

The truth is none of the Republican elected members of Nebraska's congressional delegation has lifted a finger to find a real solution to the double-digit increases in premiums businesses face every year. Instead, like good little soldiers, they refuse to stray from the talking points slid under their door by their party bosses and the insurance industry that keeps them in power.

I've always been proud to be from McCook and I'm proud to share that characteristic with Ben Nelson.

He deserves our thanks and our support as he does the heavy lifting we send people to Washington to do -- we don't elect people to hold down the furniture in their offices. We need to let them know that regardless of party, we want solutions to the problems we face -- not loyalty to political dogma.

Rick Poore

(sorry ma)

Class of '72

Lincoln