Minnehaha Dems agree: Rep Herseth-Sandlin should vote YES tonight

November 6, 2009
                                                        PO Box 1272
                                                        Sioux Falls, SD 57101

Honorable Stephanie Herseth Sandlin
326 East 8th Street, Suite 108

Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57103

Dear Representative Herseth Sandlin,

The Central Committee of the Minnehaha County Democratic Party has directed its Executive Board to write you and encourage you to voice your strong support for the current Health Care legislation before the House of Representatives. We share your concern about the 90,000 South Dakotans without health insurance and the many more who fear their insurance may not provide adequate coverage, who may lose their insurance if they lose their job, or who can not obtain affordable insurance at all because they have a pre-existing condition.

We believe the solution is a public plan of health care, the so called " Public Option".

We note the Central Committee of the South Dakota Democratic Party, the Central Committees of other County Parties, Pennington, Meade, and Codington among them, and the Sioux Falls Democratic Forum, whose August letter to you forms the basis of this letter, have all expressed support for a stronger " Public Option " than provided in the current House bill. We stand with them and we urge you, as our Congresswoman and as a leader in the "Blue Dog Caucus", to support a stronger 'Public Option" as the current Health Care bill progresses through the House and the Senate.

We watch the campaign mounted by the insurance and medical industry as they spend millions of dollars on lobbyists and advertising designed to deceive the public and pressure elected officials such as yourself. We express pride in you as our Congresswoman for your defense of the progressive agenda this fall against the fear and emotion stirred up by the special interests at venues such as Dakota Fest in Mitchell. And we want you to know we have your back as you do what is best for South Dakota and expand the opportunity of affordable Health Care to all our citizens.

Our current health insurance system leaves 50 million Americans uninsured, bankrupts many, and forces some to choose between food and medicine. Its ever increasing costs make it more and more difficult for businesses, large and small, to afford health insurance for their employees. We spend nearly twice as much on health care as any other nation yet we rank in the middle of industrialized countries on measures of overall health and medical outcomes.

Our nation can not afford the status quo. We can not afford business as usual.

Americans and South Dakotans have waited decades for affordable, quality health care.

Never have we been so close to comprehensive health care reform.

The time to act is now.

Thank you,

Sheldon Osborn
Chair, Minnehaha County Democratic Party

Matt Parker
Vice Chair

Mike Rifen
Treasurer

Ann Wilson
Secretary

Lisa Engels
Committeewoman and Region 1 Representative to the State Party E-Board