Letter to Senator Lieberman

Just in case you haven't heard, our Dear Leader wants to keep his soak-the-rich surtax on "Cadillac" plans, but his buddies in organized labor are getting a free pass. Inexcusable. So, I had to write Joe.

Dear Senator,

I am reaching out to you today due to my ever-growing trepidation concerning the health care bill. While I have had concerns from the get-go, I had always said that I was going to reserve judgment until I saw what impacts, positive or negative, this legislation was going to have on my family. One facet that has always concerned me, however, was the proposed surtax on "Cadillac plans".

I am not at all against paying taxes. I consider paying taxes a civic duty and an investment in our infrastructure. In fact, I feel that the only way for there to be sustainable health care reform is for everyone to pay their fair share for it. If that were only the case, however.

Today, I read in several news sources that the President now wants to keep the surtax on "Cadillac plans", but union members (who presented the biggest hurdle to this) will be exempted. I find this bargain with organized labor to be very troubling and short-sighted. To be clear, I have one of these "Cadillac plans" and I'm not some corporate big-wig with a mansion in Greenwich. I make $X a year and my wife is a stay-at-home mother. Why should we be punished because my company is generous enough to provide us with a decent health plan?

I understand the populist posturing the President has to do to curry favor with his constituencies and I even understand your Capitol Hill colleagues' motivations, as out of step as they are with mainstream America. But, they are not just soaking the rich; they are punishing middle class Americans like my family, my friends, and my coworkers. They are only either going to cause our employers to cut back on the quality of plans they are willing to provide or they are going to stick us with an extra tax we can ill-afford. I implore you to do everything in your power to make sure this provision never comes to fruition.

Thank you very much for your time and your service.

Sincerely,
Matt LePage
Stamford, CT