U.S. Rep. Ron Kind responded to a question from a listener on a local radio show by stating his "boss" is not House Speaker Nancy Pelosi but rather the people of western Wisconsin.

I beg to differ, because I attended his town hall meeting in Tomah earlier this year, the best-attended of his career. In that meeting of more than 500 people, clearly seven to one were not in favor of a government-run health care option. So it certainly seems like he is either conforming to the wishes of the speaker or, more troubling, voting against the wishes of western Wisconsin, since he believes he knows what is best for us.

We need health care reform. Eliminate insurance provisions like exclusion of pre-existing conditions and the ability to drop coverage for those who become ill. Mandate effective tort reform. Allow insurance companies to compete across state lines, thereby introducing competition and lowering cost. Change Medicare reimbursement practices to a more equitable system. Strengthen health care spending accounts to help families cope with basic health care needs. These are the types of health care changes western Wisconsin will support, not the 2,000-page attack on our civil liberties that the congressman and speaker support that is currently making its way through the U.S. House of Representatives.