Lynn Coleman Gardner – 2/28/05

This page was last updated on March 2, 2005.

The rich and the rest of us; Lynn Coleman Gardner; Beaver County Times; February 28, 2005.

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“I still for the life of me can’t figure out how President Bush got into office for another four years.

“I’m about to write to him. Not that he’ll read it or even care for that matter, but for me, it will bring some peace. It’s a long story, but I’ll just cut some corners and get to the nitty gritty of it.”

[RWC] What is it with people who feel a need to demonize President Bush?

Since Ms. Gardner is upset with President Bush, I assume the “special program” to which she refers below is some kind of government program. Unfortunately, Ms. Gardner was not specific so I could be wrong.

“I’m on specific medications that have been covered through a special program due to my low income. Please, make no mistake. I’m not looking for handouts, and I’m not on welfare.”

[RWC] Ms. Gardner wrote she’s “not looking for handouts,” but the “special program due to [her] low income” is a handout.

“However, recently I had to apply for another year to get my medications covered and was told my income was too high to get another year’s coverage.”

[RWC] Government programs like that described by Ms. Gardner are run by the states, not the federal government. Even for Medicaid, the states administer the program and determine eligibility requirements.

If Ms. Gardner wants to complain that she’s not getting enough of someone else’s hard-earned paycheck, she should write to Gov. Rendell, not President Bush.

“Excuse me. What are you supposed to do when your income is $963 a month and your medication costs are close to $500 a month? I’m so glad and grateful there’s a God because I finally got things worked out for another year!”

[RWC] At the risk of sounding mean, why does Ms. Gardner believe it’s government’s responsibility to help pay for her medication?

“Why is it that the rich gotta get richer? If you get $10 million, that’s not enough. You want $100 million. Explain to me where the middle ground comes. And what about those people who are lesser than the middle ground financially? I’ll see if Bush replies to my letter.”

[RWC] I don’t see Ms. Gardner’s problem. As long as you’re willing to earn it legally, what’s wrong with wanting more? It appears Ms. Gardner believes the earnings of the “rich” should be redistributed to everyone else.

“It’s a shame he’s cutting veterans benefits and all sorts of other issues. He has no conscience. Look at the soldiers being killed by the hundreds in Iraq.”

[RWC] I don’t know where Ms. Gardner gets her information, but the budget appropriation for veteran benefits has gone up in all five budgets President Bush has presented.

· VA funding is now higher than at any point in the past ten years, and it’s going up twice as fast under President Bush as under President Clinton.¹

· Funding for veterans in the first four Bush budgets increased 37.6%. If President Bush gets what he proposed for the 2006 budget, the total increase will be 40.6%. That’s 40.6% in five years compared to 31.6% during Clinton’s eight years.

· The number of veterans receiving health benefits went up 25 percent under President Bush’s budgets through 2004.¹ No, it’s not because of the Iraq War.

“He [President Bush] has no conscience?” More demonizing.

Though 1,640 soldiers have died in Afghanistan and Iraq as of March 1, 2005, they are not “being killed by the hundreds.”

“God is the source of my strength and keeps me walking with my head up over troubled waters.”

1. Special Report – Political Grapevine; Brit Hume; Fox News Channel; February 23, 2004.