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Hello Fellow Democrats,
Sadly, it looks like the BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL will pass the Senate sometime today. It will then go back to the House for final approval and then to Donnie for signature. The Senate made some changes to the version handed to them from the House of Representatives. Those changes are more devastating than the original version. If the House makes their own changes, then the bill goes to a conference committee to reconcile the differences.
This bill will affect all of us in one way or another, especially those on Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. Republicans have been gunning for Social Security for decades and it looks like they are really going to do it this time. I have been paying into the system for years, and I am no spring chicken. I have been drawing benefits for a few years now, as have many of you. This is MY money, and I want MY money. They say the system will go bankrupt in 2034, who knows what the reality of that is. I am all for raising the retirement age and raising the limits for paying into the system. What’s the big deal about that? Oh wait, that means wealthier individuals will have to pay more money. And that is what this whole damn thing is about – tax cuts for the wealthy!
I read that Jeff Bezos of Amazon fame just spent $20 million on his wedding in Venice, Italy. He is now honeymooning on his $200 million yacht. Folks, these are numbers that I cannot even wrap my head around. If he can afford that kind of wedding, why is he not willing to pay his fair share of taxes? He has so much money that paying taxes should not be a worry for him, why does he even care how much his taxes are?
Those of us that rely on Social Security for daily expenses and rely on Medicaid or Medicare for health care will be hit the hardest. They say, “get a job!” Well, I have a job, and I am still paying into the system, but many people do not have the ability to get a job. What will happen to the 80-year-old man with Alzheimer's in a nursing home being paid for by Medicaid. What will happen to him? My mother and my husband’s father were both in nursing homes paid by Medicaid. If Medicaid had not been there for us, life would have been very complicated. I am grateful that the system was there for our families.
I am sorry to say that the future does not look bright for most of us, which is what these wealthy individuals want. They do not care about us, Empathy has now been declared a sin! All we can do is keep making phone calls to our representatives and protest, keep making our voices heard.
We have another opportunity to make our voices heard on Friday, July 4th, Independence Day. Ronnie Ray has volunteered to walk a couple of donkeys in the Moriarty 4th of July Parade, and I will be there to walk with him. I hope some of you will come out to do the same. If you do not want to walk, you could ride a bike or a scooter, or how about a hover board or follow behind us in your vehicle that you decorated with banners. The parade route down Historical Route 66 is about a mile, maybe just over a mile. It would do my heart good if you put your sneakers on, grabbed your hat and walked or cycled with us. Remember our democracy is at stake, our livelihoods are at stake. Come on out and support democracy, it will do your heart good too!
Stand Up! Push Back! Continue the Fight!
Myra
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