Letter to the Editor: On political correctness?

To the Editor:

Now that we have been nearly locked up (or is that locked down?) by election year politics, let’s think about what’s being stolen from us. Every political sound bite targets opponents and sites more potential threats.

Even among our local candidates there are people that we think are trustworthy walking a very fine line between what is ethical and/or legal. However, in the next few months all the candidates will be walking around among us at numerous benefits, humanitarian events, religious gatherings, making speeches, strutting down parade routes, knocking on doors, etc.

As a concerned voter and advocate for our disabled and disenfranchised Iowans, I am not able to just stand aside and watch folks in need of health care handcuffed, sentenced or adjudicated because of Governor Branstad’s decision to privatize health care. Now our Governor wants to close the two remaining Iowa state extended care mental health hospitals?

We have thousands of fellow Iowans needing health care services not able to understand or access the new privatized health care system.  Providers are not getting paid for the services so desperately needed, especially the smaller more individualized providers in our rural areas.

If there is any purposed cost savings in the Governor’s privatization of health care, it is not to Iowa’s taxpayers. We are literally, and figuratively, being pick-pocketed by politically created bureaucracies and now the managed care companies (MCOs).

Folks, the reality is there are 99 counties in this state that will end up being responsible for an increasing number of extended hospitalizations and incarcerations as a result of our previous elections. Unfortunately, now our former locally managed support systems have been stolen out from under our noses and we will end up biting the bullet.

Please, become educated on our candidates and vote wisely.

Temporarily released on my own recognizance,

Ann Gallagher
“Catfish Annie”
Lansing