My name is Chris DeHaven, and I own a shop called Dixie Signs in Pelham, Alabama.
I'm a lifelong Republican, and I opposed health care reform when Bill Clinton proposed it in the nineties. But in the fifteen years since, I've watched the premiums I pay for my employees increase tenfold, and seen our coverage get worse. So now, I'm working hard to make sure we pass real health reform that reins in the rising costs.
But when I talk to my customers and friends, I realize that a lot of folks don't understand the full costs of health care. People who get coverage through their employer may not see that growing costs eat into wages, make it less likely that their boss will hire new workers, or drive some stores and factories into bankruptcy.
Small business owners like you and I know the price we pay for a broken system -- and it's up to us to build even more support for reform by spreading the word. So today, I'm writing a letter to the editor of my local paper, the Birmingham News. I hope you can join me by writing a letter to your local newspaper, too.
Please send a letter to the editor of your local paper -- use your personal story to explain why you support the President's call for reform.
And Organizing for America's website makes it simple to do. They'll provide background info on how the President's plan helps small businesses that you can combine with your own story about how we need reform. You can even submit your letter online to newspapers near you.
I'm sure you know as well as I do how badly small businesses need Congress to pass real reform. Right now, small businesses pay 18 percent more than larger businesses for the same health insurance plan. And a report from the Business Roundtable released this month determined that if nothing is done, annual health care costs per employee will increase by 166 percent to nearly $29,000 over the next decade.
Lawmakers and the public know that we're the engine of our economy -- and they'll listen to us if we speak out. But with the critical decisions being made this week in Washington, we don't have much time to do it. Can you write a letter to the editor today?
http://my.barackobama.com/BusinessLetters
Thanks,
Chris DeHaven
Organizing for America Volunteer
