Rich should pay fair share

Letter to the Editor,

As a volunteer firefighter and a home-care worker, I take care of the elderly and disabled people in rural communities.

Home-care workers help our seniors live independently in their homes and assist with a variety of daily tasks that most people take for granted, like taking a bath or using the toilet. It’s hard work, and it takes a toll on the body over the years. It’s hard to be a health-care provider for others when we don’t have sufficient health and dental care ourselves. 

Because we provide service to seniors in rural Montana, we often drive long distances to get to our clients homes, and then because of last year’s budget cuts we may end up only working a couple hours before driving to the next home. 

But our hard work saves taxpayers’ money, because we would be paying three times as much if those folks were in a nursing home.

Because we are a rural state, the federal government matches $3 for every dollar the state contributes to the program. Without Medicaid, Montana would be unable to adequately care.

We need a balanced approach for dealing with the national debt, not drastic cuts to crucial programs.  

It’s time the wealthy pay their fair share. It’s not socialism, it’s called being responsible.

— David Coy

De Borgia