To: Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-1)
When Paul Ryan called the police on a 67-year-old grandma
I ask Paul Ryan to meet with me, Racine resident Maria Morales, and the other people in my community hurt by his cuts to unemployment insurance, health care, and other programs.
Why is this important?
My name is Maria Morales. I'm a grandmother from Racine, Wisconsin, and I'm a constituent of Rep. Paul Ryan, the new Republican candidate for vice president.
I don't like to complain, but this year has been very difficult for me. I had an appendectomy, and then my doctors told me I have three clogged arteries in my brain. My son has an inoperable cyst in his spinal cord, and my brother is in the hospital too. The health care bills are piling up, and I rely on my unemployment insurance to survive.
That's why I was so concerned when I found out that my representative, Paul Ryan, was leading efforts to cut off unemployment insurance for people like me. He's also cut Medicaid and wants to end Medicare, which would really be devastating.
I first requested a meeting with Paul Ryan more than a year ago to discuss how his policies are hurting people like me. My hope was that he would hear my story and reconsider. At the very least I deserve to have my voice heard. I am still waiting for that meeting.
I called his office and was willing to meet anywhere, for even just a few minutes. I even went to DC to try to meet him there. Later, when I and some other people from my community dropped by his office, his staff called the police.
Eventually I got so fed up that I went to his office and simply refused to leave. I waited for seven days, and still I'm waiting.
During last year's summer recess, which was an entire month long, Rep. Ryan didn't hold a single town hall meeting in his district. But he did meet with high donors numerous times. I think it's wrong that my congressman has time to meet with large funders, but not the people he's hurting in his district.
This December, my jobless benefits will run out. Then I really don't know what I will do, because It's so hard to find a job that will also allow me to maintain my responsibilities to my sick son an brother and the rest of my family. And there are many others in my community with similar situations.
I know Paul Ryan is very busy, but I still hope that he will find time, even a few minutes, to meet with me, either in person or on the phone. If he will not, I think America should know what kind of congressman he has been for the working people of Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin.
I don't like to complain, but this year has been very difficult for me. I had an appendectomy, and then my doctors told me I have three clogged arteries in my brain. My son has an inoperable cyst in his spinal cord, and my brother is in the hospital too. The health care bills are piling up, and I rely on my unemployment insurance to survive.
That's why I was so concerned when I found out that my representative, Paul Ryan, was leading efforts to cut off unemployment insurance for people like me. He's also cut Medicaid and wants to end Medicare, which would really be devastating.
I first requested a meeting with Paul Ryan more than a year ago to discuss how his policies are hurting people like me. My hope was that he would hear my story and reconsider. At the very least I deserve to have my voice heard. I am still waiting for that meeting.
I called his office and was willing to meet anywhere, for even just a few minutes. I even went to DC to try to meet him there. Later, when I and some other people from my community dropped by his office, his staff called the police.
Eventually I got so fed up that I went to his office and simply refused to leave. I waited for seven days, and still I'm waiting.
During last year's summer recess, which was an entire month long, Rep. Ryan didn't hold a single town hall meeting in his district. But he did meet with high donors numerous times. I think it's wrong that my congressman has time to meet with large funders, but not the people he's hurting in his district.
This December, my jobless benefits will run out. Then I really don't know what I will do, because It's so hard to find a job that will also allow me to maintain my responsibilities to my sick son an brother and the rest of my family. And there are many others in my community with similar situations.
I know Paul Ryan is very busy, but I still hope that he will find time, even a few minutes, to meet with me, either in person or on the phone. If he will not, I think America should know what kind of congressman he has been for the working people of Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin.