President's Speech: Local Reaction
By: Nadia Bashir
Updated: September 10, 2009
Tom Braun is a 30-year veteran of the Ft. Wayne Dana Plant. Now he advocates for other retirees as a member of the board for the United Steelworkers Dana Corporation Retirees Health Care Trust. The board oversees funds for health care coverage for about 5400 Dana retirees in three states.
Braun hopes to see a public option because he believes it will help to keep health-care costs down for everyone which in turn effects insurance premiums. Braun says retirees face a higher cost-of-living and higher health care costs all while living on a fixed income. Braun believes the public option would help to keep private companies competitive and help the entire system to run more efficiently.
U.S. Representative Mark Souder disagrees. Souder watched the Presidents speech in-person in Washington, D.C. tonight. Souder believes health care should remain in the private sector. However he does support some reform to the system such as tort-reform for malpractice suits.
Currently the bill has only been voted on by three committees in the House. Souder says if the Presidents plan does have a public option by the time it reaches the floor for a vote, he will vote no.
Braun hopes whatever Washington, D.C. decides will be in the best interest of the people.
