You know, I have been thinking the past few days about several different subjects I wanted to talk about here. There are so many things running through my mind I may jumble some thoughts together here so bear with me.
This healthcare reform debate is confusing at best. On one hand we have the Demoncrats squawking about how dire our healthcare situation is and how many people are not insured. On the other hand we have the Repugnicans fanning the flames of fear by squawking about how this reform bill will create "death panels" to choose which citizens live and which die. For all I have heard I decided to try and make sense of it myself and this is what I found.
BOTH sides of the debate are right and wrong and both sides are lying and telling the truth.
Let's start with the Dems, shall we? Yes, it is true there are many citizens in our country that have no health insurance and the reasons are widely varied; some had coverage but lost their jobs in the recent economic meltdown and subsequently lost their coverage. Yes there are those who are working at minimum wage jobs or the like that do not offer health coverage. I think it is commendable the Dems wish to help as many as they can BUT we have to look at the other side of the coin. Part of the problem with healthcare is the sheer number of illegal immigrants who are overloading our emergency rooms...these people are NOT legal citizens of this country yet they are overwhelming our healthcare system. Another part of the problem is we have a disproportionate number of citizens who have never done an honest day's work in their lives yet they expect to be taken care of by the government. There are also those who dropped out of school, have no education to speak of, and work at minimum wage jobs because that is all they can get. These people are the greatest burdens on our country's health and welfare system. Another problem I foresee with this healthcare reform is this: they are grossly underestimating the sheer number of people who will flock to a government option and we will simply run out of money.
So now let's look at the Reps and see what they merit. As far as I can tell, they are telling the truth that this healthcare reform plan will indeed greatly increase the deficit. That's about it for where they are right and telling truth. The argument that reform will create "death panels" is a bald-faced lie. The provision we are talking about is doctors will be reimbursed for providing COUNSELING on end-of-life care and this COUNSELING is VOLUNTARY. So basically what it does is gives Grandma and Grandpa the FREEDOM to ask for COUNSELING from a doctor without having to pay for it. Wow, it provides increased FREEDOM and CHOICES, something the Reps supposedly stand for! So far I haven't heard or seen anything from the right that looks like a viable alternative...only their bashing of the Dems' plan. In fact just about the only thing I agree with the Reps on this plan is the need for tort reform and reasonable limits on malpractice awards.
So now, let's look at what I see is going on with this reform plan. While I think the Dems have a noble purpose in mind and have good intentions, I think they are grossly and tragically underestimating the impact this program will have. It's really not that hard to see; all you have to do is look at the digital transition converter box coupon program and cash for clunkers; both of these programs are failures because Congress grossly underestimated the response to these programs and RAN OUT OF MONEY.
What I think the Dems are missing is there is a huge number of deadbeats in this country who will take advantage of any entitlement program (i.e.- welfare, food stamps, healthcare) and this will cause a burden too great for our economy to sustain. All people...yes, ALL...will jump at a perceived "something for nothing" offer if it looks promising enough; if you don't believe me, look at how many people are STILL falling prey to Nigerian e-mail scams.
There is also the thought that companies in the US are hobbled because they pay through the nose to provide healthcare coverage for their employees; the result is US companies are not as competitive as their rivals in other countries. I am not sure if I agree 100% with that thought but I WILL say I believe that people who do not hold a job at all, have never held a job, or only hold minimum wage jobs, OR are in this country illegally are the biggest burden of all.
My proposed solution is to fix the education system first, get people EDUCATED and TRAINED to do more than minimum wage jobs...save the minimum wage jobs for teenagers looking for extra cash...then work WITH companies to SHARE the cost of healthcare for employees...and finally, CUT OFF the illegals in this country...they are not citizens so why should they be eligible for healthcare on our dime? Please note that I only advocate cutting off ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, not immigrants who legitimately and legally become citizens of this country. If we don't provide an incentive for our "working poor" to improve themselves we will never get out of this mess...why can't everybody see that?
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As with most of us, I have certainly been following the Health Care "Debate" and have to agree that there are just too many misleading statements or outright lies from both sides. What scares me more than anything is a statement from Rep. Conyers a few days ago wherin he stated he did not read bills because he didn't have time and with this one, he would need to have a couple of lawyers present to tell him hat it all means. Now that, good people, is just scary to think that our representatives would so blindly vote (and probably becaue party leaders told them to) for a bill with no knowledge of nor apparent concern for the possible consequences.
ReplyDeleteWhile I have no doubt taht it would be a good thing for everyone to have access to quality health care at a resonable cost, there are just too many, as Bulldog has pointed out, that either are not leagally entitled to said care (as in illegal immigrants) who are already getting more and better care from our system than those of us who pay our own way, and a huge groiup of people who do not, do not want to, or will not work and contribute to the society that is forced by law to feed them.
Bulldog states here that we need to reform the educational system. Well, I just retired from a career of teaching and I can say that the best reform would be to get government out of the process and let teachers do their jobs. No Child's Behind left has about destroyed what could have been a pretty good system where I was.
And about minimum wage....remember when Congress said $1.00 and hour was going to provide for a livable wage? Well...neither it nor any subsequent increase in said minimum wage has done that and has further contributed to diminishing the value of my paycheck and everyone elses each time an increase was foisted upon us. Cost of living for all of did increase as did the tax base from which Congress cold pass more stupid pork projects.
The Republicants say we will not hve enough money if we pass this health care plan.....that hasn't stopped goverenment inthe past...they just print more of it and let the rest of us suffer the inflationary consequences.