Representative Chris Chocola
100 East Wayne Street, Suite 330
South Bend, IN 46601

Dear Mr. Chocola:

We hope that you and your family and staff are well and secure.

The country will not be more secure until you and the rest of the House truly make it so. This includes timely responses to current disasters.

Today I read in the news that the government is preparing for the "next" big disaster. The story goes on to discuss the way the government is anticipating the next disaster, at least on paper. Most of the discussion relates to the hurricane disasters of 2005. One key thing about those disasters was the failure of early recognitions and action by governmental units.

Well, we don't have to wait for the next disasters. They are already occurring. The "People of the Year" issue of TIME magazine discusses these.

They include continued delay in getting local health systems up and running in the southern states affected by hurricanes; continued delay in getting adequate shelter to the area of the Pakistan earthquakes, ongoing starvation and deaths due to lack of simple medical care and medicines around the world, and the lack of political will to make ending poverty and illness a national goal. The Iraq war is a disaster sucking money from the others.

Once again, like with Katrina, our government is not recognizing these disasters or making them priorities. It is accepting less than what could be done if there were adequate political interest and funding. The causes for many of these poverty and illness disasters have been outlined by experts, as have solutions for many.

What we lack are representatives and a president who will make them priorities. We hope that you will work and vote to make that happen in 2006.

Ellyn Stecker, MD for the
Michiana Peace and Justice Coalition
www.michianapeacejustice.org