Tom Dullinger, St. Joseph
I know we will never agree about politics, but I do enjoy reading your opinion page in the Newsleader. The last one I read on March 17 (“Forget iPhone; get a piggy bank”) upset me more than most do.
Here is my story. I have worked very hard all my life to earn a living and now 40 years later have enough money to be considered rich by people such as you. I never got an allowance and have never given my six children an allowance. I still use a flip phone; I have a 2005 Dodge Stratus. When my children were growing up, they didn’t expect a present was coming when I came home. I don’t go to the doctor for anything trivial because I don’t want to spend money foolishly and I have a high deductible. I use everything in a home health-care kit and I’ve always had one in the bathroom cabinet.
Because of the Andersons, my insurance (BCBS) dropped out, and they were charging me $1,200 a month for premiums. Then when we quoted another insurance company we could go with, they quoted $2,200 a month for premiums. Because I couldn’t justify that expense, we went to Samaritan Ministries (a group of Christians who pray and pay for each others’ needs). Since then, the government has given a 25-percent discount on individual insurance (which I help pay for but don’t use). They took away my deduction on HSA (sucks to be me), and I don’t get my deduction on premiums because Samaritan Ministries is not insurance (too bad).
The one part of your story I agree with is that life isn’t fair.