Nebraskans by an large have been hearty folk. Used to tilling the land and managing livestock, the obtained the reputation as being able to always make the best of practically any situation. Using common sense and practical innovation, we (including us transplants) have sought to extend our ability to succeed, not on the backs of our neighbors, but instead by helping our neighbors when they needed it most.
This cycle has repeated for decades throughout the history of the state. Until now.
Ben Nelson thinks he is doing the right thing by voting for his sweetheart deal which caps the state's medicaid expenses. He has even spoke in the well of the Senate about how this wasn't suppose to be for Nebraska alone, but a, "fair deal" for every state. Such a statement is logically impossible to be true or otherwise implemented. If every state's costs for Medicaid were capped, the federal government would be forced to pick up an accelerating cost for these services given the number of people to be added, plus the overall relatively aging population cycle which includes the baby boom generation.
How can a reasonable person honestly believe that the government will either be able to make the savings appear out of medicare at the levels projected, or otherwise be able to hold costs so the so-called bending downward of the cost curve will come to fruition? Even in the face of staggering unemployment and massive recessionary pressures, the federal government sent a budget bill to the president that includes a 12% increase in spending over the previous year. 12 Percent?!
Since being laid off last year, I have been forced to live on less than 25% of my prior salary. I haven't added a penny to my debt load, because I can't just vote myself an increase in my credit limits as the Congress did a week or so ago. The average Joe on Mainstreet as the liberals like to refer to us has had to make tough choices, including losing their homes under mounting financial pressures to survive. The federal government buys more paper and ink to make more 20 dollar bills to send to the Chinese and any other country dumb enough to buy our debt.
Here is another item to consider. Bernanke, who heads the fed is holding interest rates at .... free lending levels. Government treasury bills do pay some interest and so the government is facing a deficit expansion as we fail to collect interest on money we lend to banks, but pay interest to those who hold bonds. This money will certainly have to be recaptured, but it will be done on the backs of the average Joes in the middle of America.
Everyone knows that healthcare needs to be reformed. Insurance companies connive and create excuses to delay payments and refuse coverage based on a wide variety of unconnected issues. Complicated paperwork leads to confusion and delay and sometimes refusal because it isn't caught within policy time limits. Insurance reform should concentrate on simplifying paperwork so that items are straight forward and congressional action needs to be put into place that requires insurance companies to properly validate and provide significant opportunity to correct errors or omissions whenever possible.
Insurance fraud and junk lawsuits need to be punishable financially and legally. Illegal aliens should not be able to be covered at tax payer rates. Legal aliens should be able to participate if they are paying taxes as part of their green card or other guest worker programs. Health care shouldn't mean that you have to allocate 10 percent of your salary each year to pay high cost deductibles you have to meet before you even get coverage. Unless you have a major illness or are having children, you will almost never meet a 3-5,000 deductible.
It is my sincere hope that everyone in Nebraska will contact Senator Ben Nelson and demand in the strongest possible language that he vote against this Health Care bill. and that he take a position on creating a new bill that will apply the common sense approach Nebraskans are known for and put a truly bipartisan approach to solving a real problem without picking the pockets of the American Tax Payer.
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