Day 100...Dear Mr. President... Today would have been my Father's 96th Birthday.

Day 100

Dear Mr. President,

This is my 100^th letter and I wanted it to be something special, so I thought I tell you how the government has helped my family over the years.

This is September 30^th, and if my father had lived he would have been 96 today, but he’s been gone for 46 years… he died of a massive heart attack at the age 50. It seems almost inconceivable that he’s been dead almost as long as he lived, and I’ve already lived 15 years longer than he did.

When my dad died I still had three siblings living at home with my mom. Although I was only 20 at the time, I was on my own with two children of my own. My three siblings that were still at home were 13, 8, and 3 years of age. Thankfully my mother was able to collect Social Security for herself and the 3 kids. Although my mother was almost 50 at the time, she was able to get a job that included health care for her and the kids… I don’t believe that would not be possible in today’s economic climate. Even though they had to move to a smaller house, my mom was able to get the younger kids is a state daycare program, which today would not be possible either.

It was Social Security that allowed my brothers and sisters to go to college and make a life for themselves, in spite of losing their father at such a young ages. I don’t know what would have happened to my family without Social Security, but I am truly grateful it was there for them.

On Day 2 of my LTTP’s (letters to the President) I told you about my brother Charlie passing away at age 57. Charlie lived 7 years longer than my father, and like my father, Charlie had high blood pressure. Charlie had been out of work for almost two years and was uninsured when he died. He was however, able to get his blood pressure medicine through Planned Parenthood at no cost to him. All they ever asked was a donation when and if he could make one, just to defray the cost of the medication. Without the help of Planned Parenthood Charlie would most likely have died even sooner than his 57 years and we are grateful for those extra years.

My husband and I are currently collecting Social Security and we are both on Medicare, which I must say is a wonderful program, for which we are both extremely grateful, since we are both cancer survivors.

I am just one person… this is just one family, and all of these “Government Programs” that have helped us survive are the very same programs that the Republicans would do away with. We quite simply can’t afford to let that happen. We are counting on you to fight for us and for our families… for we represent millions of other families all over the country.

So for my Father, on what would have been his 96^th birthday, I implore you to please keep fighting…. for America and Americans.

Most Respectfully,

Marcia Reimers

Your Gadfly Granny