Another Kerry Letter

The Republican leadership will try to prevent this essential legislation from ever seeing the light of day. Help me gather one million co-signers for the Kids Come First Act, and we'll force them to act or to admit that they just don't care enough to act. Here's why it's so important to do something now:

1/4 of children are not fully up to date on their basic immunizations.
1/3 with chronic asthma do not get a prescription for medications they need.
1/2 of uninsured children have not had a well child visit in the past year.
1 in 6 has delayed or unmet medical needs.
1 in 5 has trouble accessing health care.
1 in 4 does not see a dentist annually.
1 in 3 had no health insurance during 2002 and 2003.
In the Senate, I am working hard to convince my colleagues to co-sponsor this vitally important bill. But, the most important co-sponsors - the ones who can help push this legislation through a Republican Congress and the Bush White House - are the hundreds of thousands of grassroots activists in the johnkerry.com community."

It seems to me that our taxes are paying for Medicaid that covers the children of the truly impoverished children who are citizens of the USA. We have public health clinics that offer sliding scale payment for well baby and child care. Minor illnesses are also treated in the public clinics. If hospital care is needed, there are grants that help or pay for the entire cost.

Those families who are not eligible for Medicaid, need some education in how to establish priorities for their budgets. My family, although low income much of my life, managed to meet our health needs. I cannot feel sorry for the parents who choose to have their liquor, their meals out and vacations. When expensive sneakers, the movies and cable TV seem more important for the parents' quality of life than health care for their children, it is not the taxpayers fault. Help with catastrohic medical bills will show compassion without another entitlement programs merely leadimg to more dependence.