Pat Toomey Vs. Joe Sestak: How Many Philadelphian Families like Mine Will Continue to Suffer?

A Contributor's Perspective: The Impending Philadelphian Crisis of the Upcoming Senate 2010 Elections

JC Torpey
Mr. Joe Sestak, running against Pat Toomey in the upcoming 2010 Senate Elections, has come under fire for numerous issues. Mr. Sestak has consistently votes "Aye" on most Health Care Reform Bills and others such as Wall Street Reform, Mortgage Lending and Predatory Lending Practices Reform and countless other Bills that can help America get out of its financial crisis, according to his voting history as reported by GovTrack.US.

Pat Toomey openly opposed the Health Care Reform Act of 2010, and opposed Wall Street Reform among other bills that Sestak voted to pass. PoliticsPA.com reveals that Mr. Toomey has changed the bio on his website covering the fact that he worked with and supports big business and Wall Street bankers while most middle class Philadelphian families will suffer. Considering the upcoming Senate 2010 elections between Toomey and Sestak could sway the way of the Republican (according to recent polls stating Toomey is nine points ahead), let me tell you why I am affected by these issues...

There is a fine line between poor and not poor enough and it is a line that many families within my adopted state of Pennsylvania (I grew up on Long Island, NY) fall in between: too much for Welfare, too little to buy food or see a doctor. I fear that if Mr. Toomey is elected instead of Sestak in the upcoming 2010 Senate Elections, his single voice would be just strong enough that any future Health Care Bills and other bills may not pass; Bills that could substantially help the impoverished in Philadelphia and America.

My Health Care Story

Reform has not come fast enough as my husband fell ill on June 5, 2010. We could not afford to take him to the doctor as our rent was due, bills past due and our refrigerator was empty. We made the decision to buy food rather than see the doctor. This proved one of the biggest mistakes we have ever made and it is the same "mistake" made all too often by families all across Philadelphia. This is also the second time in as many years it happened to us, as my husband's brother passed away February of 2008 when we could not afford to take him to the doctor. He died in our home a few days later; a healthy 46-year old man struck down by the American health care system.

My husband was "finally" sick enough to go to the hospital and while they did see him, they sent him home with a prescription knowing he could not pay for it. He finally got so sick that he fell unconscious and was rushed by ambulance to a different hospital that operated on him within the hour. He later passed through two other hospitals continuing to get sicker until finally landing in one that did not care about his lack of to pay the bills. Almost three months later, he is home and lucky for him, we qualified for an in-house prescription program that pays for his $1,000 a day medication for six months. After that, who knows? He still has no health care...

What I do know is I do not make enough for us to eat, my electric remains unpaid, and my husband cannot work and things are even worse. I have become a full time nurse in addition to a full time freelancer who cannot go to work out of the home because there is no one to take care of my husband.

Whatever Happened to Main Street?

People such as Mr. Toomey vote against the only chance America has for a better economy. They have built this world "of the rich, by the rich and for the rich" for Americans. Consistently opposing reform and hiding ties with Wall Street-the bankers that made him millions-is simply something that cannot continue.

I do know this... If Pat Toomey is elected in the upcoming Senate 2010 elections, his will be another voice telling Philadelphians, my husband, and me that we have no right to health care, no right to pick ourselves up out of the financial hole "they" have dug for us and no right to live the "American Dream."

References:

"Congressman Toomey Distorts His Record to Hide His Wall Street Past," JoeSestak.com

"As Pat Toomey Visits Harrisburg Today, Will He Explain His Record of Fighting for Wall Street over Pennsylvania Families?" PoliticsPA

"Pat Toomey Bio," Toomey for Senate

"Pat Toomey: From Wall Street to Capitol Hill," Derivatives Strategy

"Poll: Toomey up Nine Points," PA2010

"Pat Toomey Voting History," GovTrack

"Joe Sestak Voting History," GovTrack

Published by JC Torpey - Featured Contributor in Technology

JC Torpey started writing at a young age and is affiliated with many online publishing websites. JC's expertise includes network security, PC health and the Internet. Her specialized writing areas include we...   View profile

  • Toomey consistentily opposes any Bill that would reform Wall Street and Health Care.
  • Sestak votes for the people of Pennsylvania-not against them.
  • The crisis looming in Philadelphia will only get worse should Toomey be elected; here's why.
While Toomey worked his way up the ranks in Wall Street, Philadelphian families have suffered.

5 Comments

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  • Tony Payne 9/9/2010

    Good reporting. Everyone should have affordable healthcare. My wife has been sick all summer. 6 weeks ago she saw the doctor (National Health Service in the UK - Free), who made her an appointment for an x-ray at the hospital. It took over 2 weeks to get the appointment details, which was still 10 days away, then she was told after the x-ray to wait 10 days before seeing the doctor to get the results. By this time, her whole 6 week summer break from school was over, and she is feeling worse now than she did a month ago. We did literally nothing all summer, and she has been in the house for 2 weeks as of today, apart from me driving her to the post office on Saturday (she sat in the car) and to the doctor's on Tuesday.

  • leroy coffie 9/7/2010

    I agree with Mike. I don't agree with your political views, but I enjoy your articles and have to work three jobs to help provide for my family. We all suffer while rich politicians keep getting richer. Allowing them to control us won't make any of us less poor. We will just be people without money and controlled by our government.

  • Orchiolum 9/4/2010

    I won't vote for anyone who intends to overturn health care reform, obstruct scientific discovery, or dangles like a puppet from the corporate money string. Hope your situation improves.

  • Jillian McCoy 9/2/2010

    Well-written. Those of us who make up the "working poor" get the short end far too often, though stabilizing our section of the economy would work wonders in getting our country back on track. I'm sorry to hear about your husband's illness, I hope that his health will improve and the bills will become easier to meet.

  • Mike Powers 8/31/2010

    Excellent article, JC... I hope and pray that your husband returns to good health and that things will get better for you. As far as the political race goes, it certainly sounds like Mr. Sestak is the better candidate.

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