LETTERS


Georgia AFL-CIO president concerned about proposed changes to Medicare

Dear Editor:

The Republicans plan to change Medicare would leave those now under 55 without health insurance in their retirement. This is a poor attempt to balance the budget on the backs of the American people. The Republican plan will make retirees pay much more in out-of-pocket fees and turn the Medicare program into a voucher that won’t pay their current necessities.

Americans have made it clear that they will not sit back while House Republicans end Medicare and raise health care costs for our seniors. This reform will hurt our fragile economic recovery by keeping tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires while forcing our seniors to be at the whims of the private insurance industry. Phasing out out Medicare is not the correct solution to cutting federal spending. Instead of targeting our senior citizens, Congress should focus their attention on the corporations who have never been richer than they are right now.

Every Republican Congressman in Georgia has voted for the newly proposed budget. Georgia must remind their Representatives who they represent. Government should keep its promises to our citizens. Insisting our seniors pay more and more each year for Medicare is a step backwards and wrong for the country. After a lifetime of paying into the system, our seniors deserve peace of mind. The GOP has offered a hazardous plan to the health of our seniors as well as our economy.

Richard Ray
Georgia AFL-CIO
President
Atlanta