EDITOR,

It’s been a long, ugly road to get health care reform passed. I think many of us have forgotten that it wasn’t long ago when we were all clamoring for change.

The presidential campaign of 2008 was highly charged, as people wanted to fix our broken health care system. As one of the newly unemployed in 2008, I could not afford health insurance, and when I was working, it was a tough challenge for employer and employee alike.

Fast forward to 2009, and now people are scared to death. We are bombarded with messages about how awful the new program will be. Change is frightening, but to have done nothing would have been worse. We can’t improve anything so broken without change, and in our hearts we know that.

I thank Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, for his favorable vote for reform. We both believe our country can have health care reform and pay for it. There are many countries that take care of all their citizens, so it’s hard to believe the U.S. can’t do it as well — or even better. 

There will be problems. Something this large is bound to have loopholes and mud holes. The program will need to be tweaked and refined until we get it right in the years ahead.

Let’s hang tough and not let all the negative, fear-filled media messages weaken our resolve to create a better health care system. Courage and common sense from our citizens and our political leaders will see this through.