Dear Senator Kohl

Dear Senator Kohl,

Thank you very much for your response to my letter regarding health care reform. I'm especially concerned, though, about one thing you said.

"However, a public plan should not undermine current health providers or rely on government subsidies to function, and it should garner bipartisan support."

Since we're not talking about a single-payer health care system, I don't see how a public plan could possibly "undermine the current health providers." If the public plan is an addition to the private plans, the private plans are free to carry on as they have been.

I'm very frustrated with politicians who are more concerned about the well-being of corporations than people. Please, do not give a single thought to the well-being of the "current health providers." The system has worked to their great advantage and at the expense of ordinary people for far too long.

As for bipartisan support, please, do not insist that our health care reform be something the Republicans can get behind. They had their chance and they blew it. The American people did not elect President Obama and so many Democrats in Congress so that you could make nice with the party we voted against.

The Republicans have no intention of supporting any kind of health care reform whatsoever. Please do not make this desperately needed reform contingent on their cooperation when the Democrats have a 60-seat majority in the Senate and a 70-seat majority in the House. If real health care reform with a public option fails, it will be the fault of no one but the Democrats.

Most sincerely,

Mary Ray Worley