| Mr. President: | | | | industry do it, AT&T will have no choice but to do |
| I know that you are a very busy man so I will | | | | it also." |
| try to keep my questions about health care | | | | Thus, a few quick questions for you: |
| reform and the recently passed legislation as | | | | 1) Were you just naive when you made the |
| short and simple as possible. | | | | comments that we could all keep our current |
| - I could ask you why you think this is a good | | | | health care insurance, not realizing the simple fact |
| piece of legislation even though I truly believe that | | | | that companies are in business to make money |
| it will be a failure and will come very close to | | | | and if this bill makes it easier for them to make |
| bankrupting the country. The basis for my | | | | more money by not insuring their workforce, that |
| conclusion has nothing to do with political | | | | is what they will do? Or were you being |
| partisanship (in fact, I have never voted for a | | | | disingenuous, knowing that this would happen and |
| Republican for national office in my life.) From my | | | | deliberately misinforming the country to help get |
| perspective, "Obama Care" never effectively | | | | your health care reform bill passed? Naive or |
| addressed the root causes of our escalating | | | | disingenuous, in either case you will be making |
| health care costs: Americans eat too much of the | | | | millions of American voters unhappy in November |
| wrong kinds of food, they exercise far too little, | | | | and in 2012 when we are forced out of our |
| they are overweight, they smoke too much, and | | | | current health care coverage and will blame you |
| they are getting older. This legislation does not | | | | for either ignorance or arrogance in this situation. |
| address these causes, it just raises taxes and | | | | 2) I am 57 years old and my wife is 56 years old |
| moves money around within the bureaucracy. I | | | | and if Mr. Stephenson does decide to terminate |
| could ask you about this but I will not. | | | | AT&T's health care coverage for employees and |
| - I could ask you why you have not stepped | | | | retirees, where do you suggest that my wife and |
| forward and denounced those in your party that | | | | I get coverage? What insurance company is going |
| have likened Americans like myself, i.e. those that | | | | to want to pick us up, and millions of other older |
| have legitimate and honest concerns about this | | | | Americans who lost their coverage, at our ages |
| health care reform bill, to the racists who fought | | | | even though we are both healthy and taking |
| against the civil rights movement from the 1960s. | | | | personal responsibility for our continued good |
| I thought that we lived in a free country where | | | | health? |
| citizens could freely address their elected | | | | 3) If we are forced out onto the market for |
| representatives without being slurred in the most | | | | health care insurance coverage, our new |
| debasing way possible, just for having a different | | | | coverage is likely going to be much more |
| opinion. Your lack of fortitude to oppose those | | | | expensive. Our annual health care costs will go |
| Democrats who frequently use the term "racist" | | | | from a maximum of $1,200 each to a minimum |
| to malign myself and those Americans expressing | | | | of several thousand dollars each. Is this how you |
| their honest opposition, cheapens the bravery and | | | | planned to reduce health care costs for middle |
| contributions of those from long ago that fought | | | | class America? Is so, then you need to explain |
| actual racism. I could ask you about this but I will | | | | the math to me. Maximum of $1,200 to a |
| not. | | | | minimum of several thousand dollars, does not |
| - I could ask you why you felt it necessary to | | | | make sense out here in the real world. How does |
| pass this legislation by the back door called | | | | this reduce the escalating health care costs for |
| reconciliation. This is a major, major issue in the | | | | the 90% of Americans that already had health |
| country that will affect every American for | | | | care insurance prior to the passage of this bill? |
| decades to come. Sneaking it in the back door, | | | | Thus, I am not going to ask you about why you |
| without using the traditional, time honored method | | | | and the rest of Congress did not address the |
| of passing laws in his country, belittles the | | | | root causes of high health care costs in your |
| approach and makes it look like it was forced | | | | legislating process. I am not going to ask why you |
| through without the full weight of the democratic | | | | have sat back and been silent while those |
| process behind it. I could ask you about this but I | | | | Americans with legitimate and honest dissent |
| will not. | | | | against this bill have been likened to racists by |
| Here is what I will ask you about. But first, some | | | | members of your party. I thought you |
| background facts: | | | | represented all Americans, not just those that |
| - Let me reiterate that both my wife and myself | | | | agreed with your policies. I will not ask you about |
| have never voted for a Republican for national | | | | why you did not have the courage and guts to |
| office in our lives. | | | | pass this legislation the right way, through the |
| - We both spent several decades of our lives | | | | front door like every other piece of legislation, but |
| working hard for AT&T, retiring several years | | | | instead snuck it through the back door of |
| ago, secure in our thinking that AT&T's promise | | | | reconciliation. |
| of health care benefits and coverage for our long | | | | However, I will ask you or your staff to contact |
| years of service was a good bet. | | | | me and explain where and how I can get health |
| - We both try to eat well, we exercise at our | | | | care coverage at my age if AT&T and the rest |
| local YMCA on an almost daily basis, neither of us | | | | of corporate America decides it is a better |
| smoke, and we rarely drink. In other words, we | | | | economic choice to pay a government fine than |
| take personal responsibility for our health and our | | | | to cover their employees and retirees with health |
| health care. | | | | insurance. I will ask you to explain whether you |
| One reason for our personal responsibility | | | | were naive or disingenuous when explaining that |
| behavior is that we are on a high deductible | | | | we would be able to keep our current health |
| insurance plan with AT&T. We are each | | | | insurance coverage. And finally, please explain how |
| responsible for the first $1,200 of our annual | | | | paying no more than $1,200 a year under my |
| health care costs before we get any insurance | | | | current coverage (with many years paying |
| coverage at all. However, for this personal | | | | nothing for coverage during healthy years) is a |
| responsibility, we also pay nothing in annual | | | | better deal then finding new coverage at my age |
| premiums. | | | | and paying several thousand dollars a year for the |
| - During the debate leading up to the passage of | | | | privilege. |
| health care reform, you reiterated more than | | | | Although I have written to the White House |
| once that those of us that currently had health | | | | many times, I have never received any answer |
| care coverage would be able to keep it. However, | | | | to my questions on a wide variety of topics even |
| in a recent article in Fortune magazine, the CEO | | | | though you promised to have the most open and |
| of AT&T, Randall Stephenson, was interviewed | | | | responsive administration of all time. That has not |
| (several pages of the article are attached). | | | | happened yet. However, in this case I do require, |
| Towards the end of the interview, he was | | | | in fact I demand specific answers to my three |
| explicitly asked whether AT&T would consider | | | | questions above. For your political sake I hope to |
| dropping health care insurance coverage for its | | | | receive those answers before early November |
| employees and retirees. His response made it | | | | and certainly before 2012. |
| clear that this was a very viable option for two | | | | Thank you for your time, |
| reasons. First, from a business profitability | | | | Walter "Bruno" Korschek |
| perspective, under the new health care reform | | | | [Follow up note: a month after sending this to the |
| law, "you're better off paying the government a | | | | White House, no answers to the questions have |
| fine and dropping health care coverage for your | | | | been received or even a simple confirmation that |
| employees", improving AT&Ts bottom line. | | | | this letter was received has been forthcoming |
| Second, he talks about "economic gravity" which | | | | from the Obama adminstration. |
| appears to be code words for "if others in his | | | | |