President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress illustrates once again the incredible gift he has for public speaking. His choice of subject matter and rhetoric leave something to be desired, especially if one properly evaluates what wasn't said.
Democrats in general have always been good at tugging the heart strings of the American people. After all, who doesn't want to be humane to those in need. The charitable streak in our country is very large and the US is one of the most charitable countries in the world. Obama is effective in perpetuating this philosophy of helping the least of us. What he cannot do is explain away the costs associated with his plan and if it passes, this nation will begin its long slide into obscurity in the pages of history.
The President's plan seeks to provide coverage for the estimated 47 million people who are without it presently. Of those planned to be covered, 9.6 million are illegal aliens, and nearly 22 million are people who choose not to buy insurance because they are young and in relatively good health. the CBO estimates that the need for health care for those who cannot truly afford it is under 10 million people. A lot of people to be certain, but you don't rework 16 percent of your total economy for less than ten percent of the population.
Obama claims that most of the 900 billion the program will cost will be made from reducing waste in the current government programs and that it will not cost another dime from the tax payer. The balance of the costs will be borne exclusively by the participants. The math on this simply doesn't work out.
CBO numbers indicate that a surplus will be realized in the first two years of the program, but that deficits begin in year three through year 10. The plan also does not pay any significant costs for the first two years and therefore is able to save money. Once claims start paying out, the drain on the reserves will be similar to what we see today in the social security system. The CBO estimates that the rate of deficit in the President's plan accelerates in the second 10 years to levels that will dwarf the current problems.
Several points in the President's speech were problematic, aside from the math. Statements about not covering illegals can be made true by providing amnesty and instant citizenship status. Then 10 million more "new" Americans can accelerate the drain on resources and he still would be technically correct. Joe Wilson from South Carolina was even moved against decorum saying, "You lie" when the President commented on illegals. Wilson has since apologized and the Whitehouse has accepted.
Under the President's plan, every person would be required to buy insurance just as in car insurance rules. Waivers could be obtained for those who can prove financial hardship, but it represents an additional burden on those who are not presently covered and who are in low risk groups.
The other point of contention is the suggestion of buying insurance across state lines. This raises an important issue in the rights of states to regulate internal commerce and historically state run agencies, against the right of the federal government to regulate commerce between the several states. If a law is created which usurps this right of states to control insurance through regulation internally, then it will certainly result in a Supreme Court challenge.
My take on it is a common sense approach. reform the legal processes to penalize those who bring frivolous lawsuits. End the practice of allowing lawyers to advertise for ambulance chasing services such as Frank Azar and the Johnson Law Group. Make them pay when they lose a lawsuit that is judged to have been frivolous. Go after doctors, hospitals and insurance companies who harm patients through negligence or profit motives. Publish lists of hospital and doctor rankings by locality and let the market dictate who should have a job in health care. Draft a bill which phases in the various elements of healthcare reform in a way that first seeks to reduce the fraud and waste in the existing system and use those savings to build on providing for those who need care the most, and add others as additional savings can be realized.
This is unlikely to result in the kind of change that will demonstrate real benefit and cost containment. If the President and his Congress get their way, private insurance will have a finite lifetime and the government plans will eventually take things over for everyone. The governments inability to manage the processes it already has monopolies on will lead to greater taxes for every citizen and the loss of that wealth will perpetuate the decline of the US as a superpower with the ability to maintain its own defense and prosperity.
No society lasts forever, but if you want yours to last a while longer, I urge you to stridently oppose this plan and any other expansion of the Government. Urge your lawmakers such as Adrian Smith and your Senators to return this country to the principles that our founders believed in: Freedom from tyranny and government oppression, excessive taxation and laws that say only the government knows what's best for you. My friends, that is called fascism when you have no role outside the service to the government and frankly, the founders would be appalled to see a new English government here on the ground they bled and died for.
Do the right thing.
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