Who’s really playing politics?
To the editor:
Rep. Alex Willette and Sen. Roger Sherman recently used columns in the Presque Isle Star-Herald to chastise Democrats for playing politics. In the process they both reveal their own propensities for partisan politics.
They both use terms like “ramming through” to vilify Democrats. Rep. Willette focuses most of his anger on Rep. Bob Saucier for voting for hospital repayment and Medicaid expansion. Rep. Saucier was a Clean Elections candidate and is obligated to represent all of the people in his district. I am grateful to him for working hard to fulfill that obligation.
Willette and Sherman claim that there is no natural connection to paying hospitals and Medicaid expansion and attempt to make a connection between paying hospitals and the release of bonds for infrastructure. Expanding health insurance to the working poor would help prevent future hospital debt and allow the insured to get treatment when it is less expensive. It would reduce the amount of debt hospitals must write off for treating people who have no insurance and can’t afford to pay for treatment. Need for medical treatment will not go away just because Medicaid is not expanded.
There is no honest connection between hospital debt and releasing bonds to repair infrastructure. That is a condition attached by the Republican administration and it can be removed at any time. As Rep. Willette’s constituent, I ask him to please spend his time and energies on doing the work of the people rather than wasting energy on personal and political attacks.
Shelly Mountain
Mapleton
