Has anybody looked beyond health care reform?
Should a health care reform bill pass - a bill close to what President Obama spoke about on Wednesday night - what will be next?
With cap and trade looming, the government's involvement in the banking industry and some segments of the insurance sector - then throw in the auto industry, where does the involvement end?
Is life as we know it destined to become an insolvent mess like the United States Post Office?
If health care reform is shoved through in partisan fashion, what will be next?
How about auto insurance for all Americans? Does every resident in this country have a RIGHT to automobile insurance?
How about the right to a free college education for all Americans. Is the government going to mandate that ALL high school graduates get money for college?
How about the right to food?
Housing?
Furniture?
Appliances?
Air conditioning?
Automobiles?
Tires?
Gasoline?
Electricity?
You may think this is an attempt at humor. Sadly, the concerns are legitimate.
Do we want this type of government interference?
More importantly, how in the world do we pay for this type of change?
Right now, every person in this country - ALL OF US - are on the hook for over $40,000 on our debt. That's the amount of money YOUR elected officials have spent OVER what they were authorized to spend. That's what you owe in addition to what you pay Uncle Sam annually.
The government does not run things efficiently. They never have. They operate in the realm of pork-filled policy which balloons the cost of everything they "improve."
The regulation and supervision of health care reform, bailout of large banks, GM and Chrysler - all of the things our government is now involved in takes a huge number of employees. Guess who pays for these employees? YOU AND I!
Like Obama, I also think we should make sure all Americans have health care. The difference is, I think the waste should be eliminated from both the public and private sector before taking on added expense.
Let's get those 30 million Americans covered using common sense and belt-tightening. Let's do it by streamlining what works in the current system and removing or improving what doesn't.
Let's get some measures of tort reform in the bill. If hospitals and doctors were not burdened by the billions it takes to protect them from frivolous lawsuits, there is probably enough money right there to insure millions.
I always thought America was a place to dream big and work your butt off to make those dreams come true. Where is the incentive to accomplish a dream when the government takes the ball out of your hands.
Like most of you, I was taught to work hard and try and accomplish goals.
Today, the only guarantee you have on this planet are air and sun. Everything else you'd better be prepared to work for.
Sadly, I would have like to have written a trusted parent or family member was also a guarantee, but that is no longer the case for many.
Look, unless you believe the government should care for you from the cradle to the grave, you'd better pay attention to what out Congress is working on and how it will be paid for.
Copyright 2009 by Christopher Blackburn
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1 comment:
You make some good points, but I take serious issue with the way you start out - the sort of "slippery slope" predictions. No one in the legislature is talking about socialized medicine (unfortunately, in my view - but the point is it's irrelevant to the actual debate taking place). Even if the debate was over socialized medicine, furthermore, your slippery slope down to socialized furniture and tires is way over the top. It's akin to saying we shouldn't outlaw rape because - GASP - pretty soon we'll be outlawing sex outright.
In other words, the claim that everyone has the right to healthcare does not imply anything other than exactly that.
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