This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, you have stated that those who receive any assistance by getting on the government dole "will take every dime they can" (The Tribune, May 9). This statement shows just how out of touch you are with reality. In Utah, those who sign up for Medicaid stay on the program for an average of nine months. That is hardly "taking every dime."
These "dimes" allow for people to control health care problems.
We are a healthier nation when we all have health care coverage. That is, coverage that we can actually afford. Do we want our store cashiers, laundry workers, landscapers, waiters and child-care providers working with untreated contagious diseases or life-threatening chronic disease? The "dimes" used for health care support a better economy and a healthier community.
Sen. Hatch, you display a lack of compassion, lack of respect and a lack of basic knowledge about the reality of life for a huge number of Americans.
You have reached a new low level of leadership for your constituents.
Kathleen Kaufman RN
Millcreek