Have you been taking the time to read and listen to what Dave Reichert, our 8th District congressional representative, has been contributing to the debate on health care reform?

This takes only a few minutes because Congressman Reichert is only offering scary sound bites by saying things like, “This (legislation) is not choice, not freedom,” small businesses in the district are “afraid, frightened” because “they’ll have to pay an eight percent penalty tax on their business preventing the creation of new jobs,” and so on.

It’s all cherry-picking, fear-mongering, out-of-context comment — which he apparently thinks his constituency is distracted or dumb enough to buy without looking past his pronouncements. He doesn’t bother to explain which small businesses would be required to pay the tax and why under the proposal. He does not detail the categories of small businesses that would be exempt and why nor who among his constituents might benefit.

Reichert also complains because his proposal to promise all Americans the same coverage as the U.S. Congress was dead on arrival. But he doesn’t say why. He just moves on to support the band-aid reform advocated by his party. We should all bear in mind Reichert has enjoyed coverage under public taxpayer supported health-care programs, to my knowledge, for his entire working life.

If every voter in this district would take the time to read objective, thorough, expert analysis of both the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed legislation, my guess is the vast majority who approach the issue in terms of “what’s good for all Americans” would come down determined to see Mr. Reichert voted out of office in the next election!

Dave Olson

North Bend