The Oregon Public Broadcasting interview on Feb. 26 of Oregon U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz featured a repeated question: “Who is scaring folks?” Instead of blaming Democrats, attention should be on the misinformation spread by GOP members — especially regarding Medicaid and tax policy — misleading and harming Oregonians.The claim that Medicaid primarily benefits those not working is false. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation:

• 64% of adults on Medicaid are employed.
• 28% are caregivers, students, or have disabilities.
• Only 8% are unemployed for other reasons.

Many Medicaid recipients work in industries like health care, retail and food service, where employer-sponsored insurance is rare. The idea that Medicaid is a handout is simply wrong.

The argument that letting President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts expire would be devastating ignores reality. Those cuts primarily benefited corporations and the wealthy. Individual tax cuts were always set to expire in 2025, and the proposed increase for most would be just 2%, with many still benefiting from deductions. The real issue isn’t middle-class Americans — it’s shielding the richest from paying their fair share.

Extending these tax cuts would add $3.5 trillion to the deficit while GOP lawmakers push Medicaid cuts that harm working Oregonians. How is that fiscally responsible? How does that serve constituents?

It’s time to stop misleading the public. Medicaid supports working families, and tax policy should prioritize fairness, not giveaways to the ultra-rich. Bentz should reconsider his stance and truly represent those who elected him.

Mike Davidson

Stanfield