U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop’s May 12th letter to the editor stated there were a number of inaccuracies in my letter to the editor on May 7.

It is true that I stated Rep. Bishop voted against the House version of the Health Care bill. If he said he voted for the bill, I assume he knows how he voted but it is highly suspect that he had read and knew what was in the Senate bill before he voted for it. Pelosi had put out the word “you need to vote on the bill to find out what is in it.” I truly believe that Rep. Bishop is a loyal subject to his leaders while demonstrating to the contrary to the majority of his constituents.

Having read several articles, along with Rep. Bishop’s “Congressional Report-Spring 2010,” I have concluded that his “sales pitch” is like the “Purple Kool-Aid.” Rep. Bishop has reiterated time and time again about the good taste of the “Kool-Aid” but never seems to mention the poisonous effects that will result once the “Kool-Aid” is consumed.

First, let me talk about how the health care law guts Medicare to help pay for a new entitlement program. Rep. Bishop talks about how bad the Medicare Advantage program was as justification for cutting it. Medicare Advantage is a law passed by Congress. Congress has oversight responsibility regardless of which party is in the majority when the law is passed. If the Medicare Advantage law allowed “excessive profits by private insurance companies and promoted inefficiencies among hospitals and doctors and that the program was full of waste, abuse and fraud,” then who’s fault was it to allow the misuse of taxpayers’ money for over a decade? Not the people that had and depended on Medicare Advantage. Not the taxpayer.

If Congress knew about all the problems in the Medicare Advantage law that Rep. Bishop reported in his letter to the editor, why were those issues not reformed rather than destroying the entire program?

The law could have been amended in the same process as it was passed—reconciliation. Bipartisan support to certain health care reforms have always been present, including most of the good tasting “Kool-Aid” issues Rep. Bishop keeps serving us.

Rep. Bishop is a self-proclaimed Blue Dog that missed the PAYGO Law under the health care law. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) just recently reported that the health care law will cost an additional $115 billion, bringing the total cost to more than a trillion dollars. The CBO director stated that the primary reason that the additional $115 billion increase to the health care bill wasn’t reported before was because the Democrats had pressured him to get his score in so they could vote on the bill. The director of CBO also stated that there were other items in the new law that could not be scored because a dollar amount has not yet been assigned to them. These items will further extend the cost of the health care law. Based on what the CBO reported, I stand by my statement that the health care law was “rammed through.”

Below are some of the consequences of the poison in the “Kool-Aid” that just can not be explained away:

1. Unfunded Medicaid mandates on the states, which will result in increased state taxes or reduction of services provided by the states.

2. Mandate that individuals purchase insurance from private insurance companies or be fined. Currently under litigation by 20 states as being unconstitutional.

3. Increase in insurance premiums for health care.

4. Creating a new entitlement program at the expense of Medicare.

5. No tort reforms to help reduce malpractice insurance for doctors.

6. Medicare/Medicaid doctor payments not included in the cost of the health care program.

7. Taxpayers’ money to be used to pay for abortions on demand. The health care law does not prohibit using public funds for abortions. Abortions will be ruled as a medical procedure and covered under the law.

8. IRS budget is being increased from $12 million to $22 million. This allows for increasing 16,000 new IRS agents to collect fines from companies and individuals.

President Obama stated before he was elected that he wanted a single-payer health care program but it could only be accomplished in steps. The new health care law that was rammed through is the first step.

The new law is going to cost far more than we can afford and will result in the loss of thousands of jobs. The courts may rule in favor of the states that the law is unconstitutional, or least that part where half of the total cost is expected to come from. Parts of the new law needs to be repealed and replaced with real health care reform. The time has come to replace those congressmen that refuse to listen to the people.

Billy SmithBainbridge, Ga.