Here is my take,

Our President is truly an individual concerned about the well being of the people he serves. For the first time in years we have someone that does see himself as that, " a public servant". He is honest, and open, and can't be trapped, because there is nothing for him to be trapped in. We can see his hands.

As a member of the middle class work force I appreciate that President Obama recognizes that health care cost, insurance cost has exceedingly out run our increase in income. Ten years ago, I paid $120 a month for full family coverage, and it was excellent. I earned less than I do now, and yes, my budget as an only provider in a family of five was stretched, but giving up health care was not something I had to do, to put food on a family table.

Now, I do earn more, but I can not afford the health care provided by the giant company I work for, though ironically it is a health care business, because the premiums have quadrupled, and the coverage is shoddy.

I did pick up personal coverage for one year. I went to a primary provider for high blood pressure. He was dictated to by my insurance coverage, took me off a medication that was working, because they would not cover it, and I was placed on another medication. I had a bad reaction to the new medication, and when I told this doctor, he basically threw up his hands and told me to find someone else. The next year I dropped the coverage. It had done me no good. I still live with untreated hyper tension. That is my personal story.

The other point I applaud is this. We the helpless are at the mercy of modern medicine. W have come to believe that the more tests a hospital/doctor runs, the better for us. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying we should not make use of advanced technology, but it is really overused. An MRI is standard now. Standard for everything. That might not be so bad, if multiple physicians treating a patient were given access to each others diagnostic findings, but if you don't know, that is not the case. I work in a lab. It is not uncommon for three doctors to order the same set of labs on the same patient within a day or two of each other. It is a waste of the technicians time, not to mention an increase in error, and it is a waste of money, the insured's money or the insurance company, who for some reason doesn't ever quibble about it.

You can call it socialized medicine, as the extremists will, or just good business sense as those of us who work for a living do. President Obama has the courage to not back down, and I am grateful to him for that. For the first time I have a President who I believe cares about me. For those of us who are standing alone, without the backing of a family(twist the phrase if you want), he is our brother.

Susan Simonson, Tampa, FL