Open letter to Roger Marshall:

It was disappointing to read in your recent news release of your intention to spend your time in Washington to “fight” the new leadership and, just as bad, you think that your constituents want you to. Just because you got elected, does not mean that you were given a mandate to fight. After all, the House was lost to the Democrats because of voters’ dissatisfaction with the job that was (or was not) being done before.

As a fiscally conservative Republican, I am not happy with the huge tax cut for corporations and the wealthy, which added over $2 trillion (twelve zeros!) to our national deficit. That’s money we don’t have to spend on things our country really needs. Now you think that $5.7 billion is a good idea to build a wall, of all things. After trillions, billions may sound like peanuts to you, but even $0.7 billion amounts to $700 million, which is still a lot of money. The new tariffs on steel now makes the “wall” or fence, or whatever border even more expensive for us lucky taxpayers.  

Here’s an idea. Instead of spending so much time “proudly” taking photo ops with the factually challenged White House occupant, and fighting your Speaker on everything, focus upon something that has bipartisan support and WORK TOGETHER to get something good done. The recently passed Farm Bill is a good example. While your ads and pronouncements make it appear that this was accomplished single-handedly, the Democrats helped pass it too. It was cooperation and mostly good work.

You are a medical person — how about focusing on fixing the health care system and keeping our hospitals open? Other countries have health care available for everyone. Here in the USA, people are counting the days until their 65th birthday so they can get a needed surgery or procedure that is not available to them because they simply cannot afford it. That is just not right. I am pretty sure you can find some people across the aisle who would be glad to work with you to fix our health-care system so that it works for everyone. You know, I’ll bet $5.7 billion would go quite a ways; certainly $2 trillion would have.  

How about working on reducing the astonishing and outrageous rising costs of pharmaceutical medicines? Sure, research is expensive, but I would rather see a $billion or two be spent to find a cure for cancer or Alzheimer’s than on a wall. Medicines that have always been affordable have become out of reach for millions of people. You are a smart man — find a way. Work with others to find a way.

Finally, a little attitude adjustment on your part would be appreciated. Sure, you have political aspirations, but you might do better work for us there in Washington, if it was not so obvious. A humble, hardworking public servant has a lot of appeal to this voter.

Dee Anne Grummon

Great Bend