Frustration high with cost of prescription drugs

My brother recently moved to an assisted living community. His failing memory coupled with his COPD made living on his own difficult. I was now responsible for paying his bills.

I was prepared for the significant expenses involved in assisted living communities but shocked at the prices he paid for needed prescription drugs. His inhaler's cost before he met his Medicare Advantage deductible was $600 a month and after meeting his deductible was still $126 a month. There are 16 million Americans with COPD and they too must bear the cost for medicine to help them breathe. Think about that for a minute. To breathe.

There are also 7 million American diabetics that need daily insulin to survive. Insulin was first used to treat diabetes in 1922, 100 years ago If you have insurance, these doses will cost between $330 and $1,000 each month in the U.S. The original patents are long expired.

On May 31st of this year, the House of Representatives passed the Affordable Insulin Now Act which capped insulin copay costs at $35 a month. Our congressman, Rep. Buddy Carter, voted no. He's a pharmacist who knows what a burden the high cost of prescription drugs is to Americans? Yet he chose to side with Big Pharma instead of his neighbors and constituents.

We need a representative who speaks for us. A representative not beholden to Big Pharma or other special interest groups. I urge you to vote for change. I urge you to vote for Wade Herring.

Edward Mahoney, Savannah

Abortion and reproductive rights

are on the midterm ballot

The statement "abortion is a complicated issue" has been uttered by the political right when they tried, unsuccessfully, to overturn Roe v. Wade. The United States Supreme Court, however, did the deed for them.

Now it has become quite simple: Take away a woman's right to autonomy over her uterus and that takes care of the issue. No concern about how the pregnancy occurred, fetus viability, or how a child would be taken care of prenatally and after birth.

Their only concern is that life begins at conception - a woman is merely a vessel to carry the fetus. Rep. Buddy Carter believes in granting personhood at conception. A 2019 law passed in the Georgia Legislature already grants a fetus tax exemptions, child support payments and 14th Amendment rights.

When asked about what services would be available during pregnancy and after birth, Carter claims there are already sufficient services available; no need for others. As stated in a Savannah Morning News story published Sept. 4, Georgia ranks 43rd in maternal and 45th in infant mortality.

Some would like to see women forced to continue pregnancy, even in cases of rape, incest or mother's health. No intervention could be considered after conception. We must continue the fight for women's health rights and vote. Vote in the midterms and vote down ballot for those who understand where freedom really lives.

Cubby Plonchak, Savannah

Constituent disappointed

in Rep. Carter's representation

Having heard very little from Rep. Buddy Carter for a year and a half, I am now receiving semi-weekly screeds from him. I assume he has come to the realization that an election is in the offing.

Carter's position on most matters appears to boil down to GOP good, Democrats bad. This from a man who supported former President Donald Trump's "Big Lie" about the presidential election and who is virtually silent regarding the Jan. 6 attacks on the U.S. Capitol.

His voting record over the last 18 months is pathetic to say the least. We need better representation than he has to offer.

Joseph Paslawski, Tybee Island

Student loan forgiveness not

a solution to high college costs

My two children took on student loan debt to attend Georgia Southern University from which they both graduated in four years. It was their monetary responsibility to pay their loans back. They did not count on the government or anyone else to pay that money back for them. They both worked hard and did what they had to do to pay if off.

Now, with President Joe Biden's handout Plan" people are being rewarded for doing the least amount. Why don't our politicians fix the problem of high college costs? What would be the difference in forgiving this $10,000 to $20,000 now, or lowering the cost of higher education tuition by $10,000 to $20,000?

I am glad this whole thing is providing some people with short-term relief, but what is this going to do for the overall problem? What is the long-term solution? This is only a short-term Band-aid to get voter support for President Biden and Democrats in the coming November elections. By the end of the year the freeze in terms of repayment of loans will end and students will still need to take out student loans.

William Harrison, Savannah