Letter from Virginia Kennedy
Policies Must Uplift Everyone
Recent proposals to slash Medicaid funding while simultaneously advancing tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations raise serious concerns about our nation’s priorities. Medicaid is a lifeline for millions of low-income families, including children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities, providing access to essential healthcare services that many would otherwise go without. Here in Otsego County more than one in every five of our friends and neighbors receives vital Medicaid services. Curtailing these services to fund tax breaks for those who need them least is not only morally reprehensible but also economically shortsighted.
Medicaid plays a critical role in ensuring that vulnerable populations can lead healthy, productive lives. Severe cuts to the program would force states to reduce coverage, limit services, or impose stricter eligibility requirements, leaving countless Americans without access to care. The ripple effects would be devastating: untreated illnesses, increased emergency room visits and a heavier burden on already financially strained healthcare systems.
Meanwhile, the proposed tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations are unlikely to deliver the promised economic benefits. History has shown that such policies disproportionately favor the already affluent, exacerbating income inequality without significantly boosting economic growth or job creation. Instead of investing in the well-being of all Americans, these tax cuts prioritize the interests of a privileged few.
If we are to build a stronger, more equitable society, we must prioritize policies that uplift everyone—not just those at the top. Cutting Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthy is a misguided approach that undermines the health and stability of our communities. I urge our leaders to reconsider these proposals and focus on solutions that ensure access to healthcare for all while promoting fair and responsible fiscal policies.
Virginia Kennedy
Leader, CooperstownOneonta Indivisible
