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| President Obama signing ACA into law. |
I have in many different venues expressed my love of country, respect for the law, and ultimate respect for the Office of President of the United States of America. My first Facebook comment was on a post sometime in September. Since then I have commented on posts by others, and many of my own. In each, I have expressed how angry I am because of the manner in which our government conducts business. Briefly, our elected leaders, and yes we are a Democratic Republic (if you do not understand what this means I suggest you do some research) and we place our confidence in the elected officials to represent our wishes and desires and to not substitute their own selfish interests. There was a time when our bicameral Congress members would debate with great enthusiasm and vigor on the floor, then go out for laughs and drinks afterward. They might have had ideological differences but there was respect for the other members and a respect for differing beliefs. Outbursts such as those by Rep. Joe Wilson (R) SC during a joint address by President Obama, and most recently from Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R) TX during a floor speech by Rep. Bart Stupach (D) MI. That era has sadly passed us by. No longer, do our elected officials vote what is best for the country, but rather what their party tells them to vote. There is little to no respect and even disdain for the person if they have a differing view. When each party attempts to “win” we, the American people lose. I believe this past week, we suffered a huge defeat. Additionally, many elected officials ran on a platform of "changing Washington" or claiming they could not be bought. I am sure they all started full of optimism but then reality sets in to get recognition, to be a part of the "in" crowd, and to preserve their jobs, they start voting for what keeps their job instead of what is best for the country. Most know voters do not take the time to read how their elected officials vote and can therefore release press statements acting as if they are fighting for the little guy, which is true if they are the little guy. This is a great reason to support term limits.
In my past posts and more importantly in my years of being a political junkie, I have involved myself in the process. I remember voting for the very first time with my dad shortly after turning 18. I am proud to say I have voted every time there was “something to vote on” since then with one exception in 1999 when I was recuperating from a spinal fusion and in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit. I also served in the United States Marine Corps taking the oath: ”I, (name) do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Through the years, I have continued to pray for my country and its leaders as I am instructed in I Timothy 2:1-4 and proactively informed my city/county commissioners, School Board members, and both state and national representatives of my opinions and positions on various topics. I provide all of this as my political Curriculum Vitae; I believe I have earned the right to speak my mind.
There are some significant problems with the current healthcare system, but I do not believe that we must throw it out and start anew. Many of the problems associated with health care were not addressed. The method by which most Americans receive health care is via their employers. Have you ever wondered why our employers provide us with health insurance but not homeowners or auto insurance? What is special about health insurance? The answer originated during WWII. In the post-WWII era, many industries were beginning to boom and the talent pool was vast, but the companies were limited by the 1942 Stabilization Act which limited the wages they could offer prospective employees. They had to provide some incentive to attract the best talent. The companies chose health insurance, which later legislation and court rulings deemed both legal and provided a tax write-off for companies paying the premiums. Since then most Americans’ health insurance has been tied to their employment.
This new law has many “good” items but seriously falls short of providing the necessary reform we need. Most of the “good” items will become effective within the next 12 months, which will give the populace a “good” feeling and may not be as negative and vocal about the law. These include coverage for children until age 26, removing pre-existing clauses for children (although there are still some loopholes that will exclude some children); no longer will pre-existing illnesses prevent you from obtaining health insurance; and no longer a maximum lifetime benefit.
The “bad” items will start in a year or more (some after the next presidential election) which include: requiring every adult to purchase and maintain health insurance (more on this in a moment); employers with greater than 50 employees will be required to offer health insurance. If they do not they will be fined $2000 per employee. Health insurance companies will have to pay a fee for market percentage. This means if a company is growing and doing well through effective management and is rewarded by market share, it will be “penalized” for its success. The fee is then given to the companies that are not doing as well. This is like the student who is making high “As” for doing his homework, studying, and performing well on tests that are then required to give some of his grades to the underperformers. Or the salesman that works hard, makes new and more sales, and then has to give a percentage of his earnings to the employees that do not work as hard. This is not fair. Finally, there is the “Cadillac” health care tax on those individuals who have purchased a better plan. This tax is then redistributed to individuals who do not have the same level of coverage. Again, this is an attempt to redistribute the wealth.
Speaking of costs, the Congressional Budget Office provided its estimate or “guess” of what the program will cost over the next 10 years. The preliminary budgets have already been determined to be drastically wrong. Cost reductions and “savings” were counted twice, some expenditures were under-capitalized, and in some instances, they had no way of determining cost, so no cost was assigned. This is referenced in the footnotes but only one network is reporting this little tidbit. We have no idea of the costs, but they are far greater than what we can afford. One such cost includes providing health care to the uninsured and underinsured. President Obama in the words of Joe Wilson "lied" when he said illegal aliens would not be covered under his plan. As a "Constitution scholar" and professor he knew that they would have to be covered (even though he wants to say they will not) because of the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. This clause requires the States to provide equal protection to all people in their jurisdiction. Incidentally, the number of uninsured and underinsured has risen in the past several months from a low of 25 million to now just under 50 million. Care to guess why the numbers have increased? Illegal aliens account for nearly 15 million of them. Healthcare costs for these individuals are not included in the CBO “guess.”
I know this is a long note and I will close in a moment, but there a just a few more items I must address. The new law requires all individuals to purchase health care. I do not believe the government can force or compel a person to purchase anything. Yes, all states require you to purchase automobile insurance if you wish to exercise your privilege of driving an automobile on the highway. This is to protect the property of others. Well, to circumvent this legality, they are authorizing the IRS to verify each person has complied because this “cost” is now called a tax, and depending on your income level you will either receive a deduction or pay a fee (Cadillac plans). Within hours of the passage of the bill, the IRS said it would need an additional $10 billion over the next 10 years for enforcement and compliance. Again, this was not in the CBO “guess.” Do you want the IRS involved in your health care?
In my opinion and many other conservatives, the main issues that should have been addressed in any healthcare reform are quite simple and do not require changing the entire system. These include: (1) Tort reform. We need to put an end to these junk lawsuits that contribute to higher healthcare costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it is good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued. (2) Access to insurance plans. Currently, you must purchase health insurance from a provider in the state you reside. Each state has different regulatory costs and this raises the cost of insurance. Let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines. (3) Greater state controls. We need to give the States the tools and the freedom to create their own innovative reforms that lower healthcare costs. (4) Establish health “pools.” Individuals, small businesses, churches, civic organizations, and trade associations should be allowed to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, much in the same manner large corporations and labor unions do. (5) Medicare/Medicaid. Provide greater funding to the States to cover the elderly and low-income families. (6) Pre-existing conditions. These should not preclude a person from obtaining health insurance. There should be an option for an individual to pay a premium to obtain health care. (7) Extension of benefits. Most dependents lose their coverage once they turn 19 or 21; there should be an option for extending these benefits for an additional 5 years or so, but with restrictions. This is basically all we needed to do, but that would not have allowed the Democrats to reinvent the wheel and do so in a manner that would redistribute the wealth.
You have probably noticed the increased rhetoric in the past few months from the President concerning the “evil health insurance companies.” He is saying they are the cause of skyrocketing healthcare costs and make too much money. Would you care to take a guess what their profit percentage averages? Twenty-five percent? Fifteen percent? No, 3.3%, that is it. They are ranked 40th (Fortune magazine reporting). This industry is behind the airlines (38th/3.6%), and Internet service providers (25th/7.2%), and topping the list is Network and Communications Equipment (think AT&T) at 28.8%. I know that profits are determined after all expenses and salaries are paid and one could argue that the senior management is overpaid thus reducing their profit. Check out their pay structure for yourself in their 10k financials. Insurance is not the cost driver here. There are many, but the insurance companies are not the bad guys. However, this administration wants them to be so they can take control of and eventually eliminate them and finally have a single-payer system or universal health that most socialistic countries have.
Many of you who read this will agree with me. Depending on the poll you read, between 51 and 59 percent of Americans were (are) against this law. Some of you will think I am a Limbaugh lunatic or that I have been Hannitized. I assure you I am a competent, educated individual who is capable of researching the facts and arriving at a decision. I urge you to do the same. We are living in dynamic times. This administration is doing all it can to redistribute the wealth and to take over as many companies and industries as it can. It started with the automotive industry, then banking, and now healthcare and it already has its sights set on energy companies. This is by definition socialism. Lenin remarked that socialism is just a transitional phase between Capitalism and Communism. Watch the news; see what is going on. Get involved and be a part of the solution instead of sitting on the sidelines complaining.
In closing, I would urge each of you to watch what happens between the US and Israel. Since 14 MAY 1948, we have been an ally and friend
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| Will these companies still be here in 10 years? |
My opinions and thoughts might not be worth much, but I offer my two cents on this subject. This legislation will cost billions in direct costs and untold billions in indirect costs (fewer full-time employees, lost productivity, interest paid on borrowed money to finance, the devalued dollar as more will be printed), but the largest cost will be to our health care system. We have the best healthcare system in the world, everyone including two-bit despots around the world, who travel here to get well. This legislation will destroy a great country; I believe that to be the ultimate intent of this administration. When this administration starts messing with an industry that represents 1/6 of the economy, education, immigration, and gun control will soon follow. We have got to make this man a one-term president.
