Making CWA Voices Heard on Capitol Hill

The following are excerpts of personal letters that CWA members wrote to their U.S. senators in late September about why we need real health care reform. They are reprinted with permission of each member.

"It is unfair to tax health insurance. The downfall of this economy is not the fault of wage earners but the greed of the Bush administration and CEOs who swindled America. Do not punish me or the person next door or the union worker for someone else's greed."

— Feliz Trevino, Bandon, Ore., CWA Local 9421

"I am a retired Verizon employee. During 42 years of service, I was an active member of the Federation of Telephone Workers of Pennsylvania/CWA. I cannot sit idly by and watch our hard-earned health benefits be under attack by the ill-conceived Senate Finance Committee bill."

— Rober Schaum, Deptford, N.J., CWA Local 13000

"Why would you tax employers that are providing health care? Tax the ones who are not providing it."

— Michael Oakes, Farmington, N.M, CWA Local 7001

"I am retired but not yet eligible for Social Security or Medicare. My health care costs have skyrocketed. If a plan passes that forces my former employer to pay taxes on my health benefits, I fear I could lose them altogether and end up with nothing. Please don't let this happen! I support a diabetic and am on medication myself. We can barely make ends meet as it is."

— Brenda Horner, Enumclaw, Wash., CWA Local 7800

"I am outraged by the proposal to tax health care plans. I work for Verizon and I have one of those so-called 'Cadillac' plans. However, I have paid over $1,500 in co-pays this year for my family. If you tax health care plans, Verizon will simply make cuts to lower the costs to drop below the tax limit. Then my out-of-pockets costs will be even higher. This plan will kill the middle class."

— Joseph Mayhew, Pawling, N.Y., CWA Local 1103

"I worked for a long time before retiring to ensure that my future health needs would be provided for. Now that I am at an age where I will be needing my health care, I don't want to see it taken away from me. But that's exactly what could happen if you tax employers like mine who are doing the decent thing by providing benefits."

— Barbara Davis, Clarksburg, W.Va., CWA Local 2011

"Why on earth would you tax health care? If you are indeed attempting to reform health care so that every man, woman and child can afford it, why would you increase the cost by taxing it? Please vote "No" on this ludicrous proposal."

— Gerald Potter, Holt, Mich., CWA Local 4040

"Americans were promised health care reform, not the 'Insurance Industry Profit Enhancement and Security Act,' which is exactly what the Senate Finance Committee bill is."

— Craig Dameron, Auburn, Wash., CWA Local 7800

Your Senators Need to Hear from You

With a disastrous proposal to tax health care plans being talked about in the Senate, it's crunch time on health care. Your senators will be voting soon, so make your voice heard — now.

Your senators will be voting soon on health care reform. Write a short, personal letter that is specific about what action you want your senators to take. Make sure to include your full address so that they know you live in their state.

Send your letter to:

The Honorable [your senator's name]
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510