For the record

I was surprised and disappointed to read in the Bangor Daily News on Dec. 19 the account written by Jack McKay of the meeting he, Pat McCoy and Roxanne Munksgaard had with me on Nov. 28.

One of the several issues we talked about during the meeting, which lasted more than an hour, was Sen. Susan Collins’ support for compromise legislation that would help unemployed workers pay for their health insurance while they were unemployed. I explained that the proposal would provide a 50-percent tax credit for unemployed workers to purchase health insurance under COBRA. The tax credit in the proposal was “advanceable,” meaning that workers would have the money to pay for the insurance before they actually had to pay their income taxes.

In response to detailed questions, I told Mr. McKay that I did not know, in detail, how the process would work, or through what agency the money would get to the workers, and I assured him that I would find out and get back to him. (Another staff member from Sen. Collins’ Washington office and I called Mr. McKay a few days later and answered all the questions he had raised.)

I was particularly taken aback by the Dec. 19 commentary because of the informal and friendly nature of our meeting three weeks earlier. During that meeting, the four of us explored together possible ways in which a worker could keep insurance in force until the first advance payment was received, knowing that government sometimes works slowly! I wondered whether a credit card could be used to bridge the gap until the first payment was received, if there was a gap, and we all agreed that using a credit card would not be wise, given the high interest rates. I did not suggest that credit cards could somehow soften the severe health insurance challenges faced by unemployed workers.

I have worked very hard, on Sen. Collins’ behalf, for unemployed workers in many Maine towns, from Milo and Millinocket, to Lubec and Eastport, to Costigan and Passadumkeag to Dexter and more. I have made many good friends among those workers and it saddens me to think they may have read, and believed, this commentary. Thank you for the opportunity to set the record straight.

Judy Cuddy

State office representative

for Sen. Susan Collins

Bangor