I support Kathy Manning because she will protect the Old Age Survivors and Disability Insurance program (OASDI) — the official name for both Social Security and Social Security Disability Insurance — and Medicare. These highly successful programs, enacted by Democrats, are the bedrock medical coverage and income replacement source for both disabled and senior citizens. In Rowan County, one in six people are over 65; one in eight receive disability.

Second, Manning is for affordable healthcare for all Americans. In the past, many insurance companies denied coverage for pre-existing conditions. Bare-bones insurance policies frequently didn’t cover a wide range of conditions. Annual monetary caps prevented the treatment of both acute and chronic conditions. High deductibles ruined Americans who couldn’t afford the out-of-pocket medical and associated expenses. Unexpected medical treatment is a common cause of bankruptcy in America.

Third, I have spoken with Kathy about my experience with the cost of medical care. She understands the experiences of my relatives, friends and neighbors caught in the maze of medical billing and the protocols of progressive care.

Kathy appreciates the fact that co-pays strain already tight budgets. She grasps the pain of prescriptions that are not taken at the prescribed dose. She realizes that travel and time associated with care are overlooked expenses. Kathy values caregivers making wrenching decisions between their career and providing adequate medical care for their loved ones.

Join me in electing Kathy Manning to represent North Carolina’s 13th U.S. congressional district. She will put North Carolina and the Piedmont above party politics. It is time to address America’s challenges — no more bread and circuses, no more smoke and mirrors, no more voodoo economics. Kathy will use commonsense solutions to ensure that SSI, SSDI and Medicare remain solvent now and into the future.

— Michael Stringer

Cleveland