Leave Medicare alone

Dear Editor:

Two weeks ago, Paul Ryan was booed before an AARP audience in New Orleans when he continued his never-ending attacks on the way Medicare is now and how it needs to be reformed. There is no need for reform in the Medicare program.

With each bi-monthly pay check I get, there is a little stub attached which tells how much the government is taking out of my check for Medicare, as well as for Social Security and state disability and other programs. Your pay check has the same stub or attachment too. Just look at it. So as long as you and I and millions of other working people are paying in to the system, there is no need to fix it or change it. We American workers pay as we go for the programs that will help us or protect us when we are no longer able to perform our duties, or retire.

The Medicare program went into affect in 1965 when Lyndon Johnson was president For 47 years, and through eight presidents, it has remained intact and helps millions of older Americans with their healthcare problems, prescriptions and routine doctor appointments.

No need to fix or change something that is not broken.

So Mr. Ryan and his running mate need to leave Medicare alone and stop promoting their voucher/vulture ideas. Mr. Ryan should be more concerned about what he is going to do when he loses both contests on Nov. 6 -- his quest for the vice presidency, plus his seat in Wisconsin's first Congressional district (which under Wisconsin law he can run for at the same time). If he wants to have any chance of at least keeping his House seat, he needs to stop offending the working people and the elderly people of this country -- and leave Medicare alone.

Sincerely

David Shipp,

Castro Valley, Calif.