There he goes again
Dear Editor,
In his latest misinformed diatribe, Mr. Dick Trail takes issue with Senator Nelson's vote for health care reform. The fact is that Senator Nelson voted to reduce a $57-billion-a-year hidden tax on insured Americans from the costs of the uninsured. He voted to begin closing the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage gap -- known as the donut hole -- which has saved 17,291 Nebraskans more than $10.2 million already this year. He voted to allow as many as 7,600 Nebraskans under age 26 to stay on their parents' insurance plans rather than being kicked off them in a tough job market.
The repeated claims and insinuations by Mr. Trail and others that health care reform represented a government takeover of health care couldn't be further than the truth. Senator Nelson fought against a government takeover of private insurance with a public option, and fought for state health insurance exchanges that offer consumers easy access to transparent private-market plans. Facts like these are why what the Pulitzer Prize winning website PolitiFact.com named "government takeover of health care," its 2010 Lie of the Year.
Mr. Trail says he hates unfunded mandates; so does Senator Nelson. His work to reduce the underfunded mandate of health care reform's Medicaid expansion for all states was a good-faith effort that resulted in an equal deal for all states and a reduction in the collective cost to states.
Regarding the McCook airport, Mr. Trail has a burr in his saddle about the wildlife fence around the airport to keep deer off the runway and avoid terrible accidents. Thanks to Senator Nelson, the final cost for the fence, that was ordered by the federal government, was reduced significantly.
Mr. Trail should also be fair here. Just because the citizens of McCook chose to name the airport after Senator Nelson, he doesn't own it and it is hitting below the belt to suggest that Senator Nelson pay for it.
I will continue to read Mr. Trail's column but each time I do I will be prepared to shake my head in disbelief and utter those four famous words by Ronald Reagan, "there he goes again."
Sincerely,
Jim Fagin
Deputy Director of Communications
U.S. Senator Ben Nelson
Omaha, Nebraska