Disappointed by Foster vote

Late on Nov. 7, Speaker Nancy Pelosi brought her trillion dollar health care "reform" bill to a vote in the U.S. House-and it passed by a mere two votes. One of the "yes" votes for this harmful legislation was cast by our own Rep. Bill Foster. As a small-business owner I couldn't be more disappointed with his vote.

Instead of listening to small businesses like me who are asking for reforms that lower costs, the House passed a bill that will actually make things worse-and more expensive. That "yes" was a yes to billions in new

taxes, a yes to government-run health care, a yes to new regulations on small businesses. And that was a "yes" that will impose new costs that could wipe out state name jobs and only further raise unemployment levels, which is already at its highest levels in 26 years.

We should call the Congressman and tell him that he should have said "no" to Washington and "yes" to small business. Punishing small employers with mandates, taxes and a new government-run program paid for on the backs of small businesses, will not fix our broken health care system.

With health care legislation coming up in the Senate, we must remain vocal to ensure our leaders know that devastating new mandates and higher health care costs is not reform small businesses will support now or at the ballot box next election.

Mike Tilkian

Elgin