Is healthcare reform “the right thing to do”?
March 18th 2010 09:55 pm
According to President Obama, “I’m confident it [the healthcare bill] will pass because it’s the right thing to do.” I agree with him; reforming America’s healthcare system is necessary. But when our president has not read the bill in its entirety, when congressmen are bribed with special deals for their states (or just a ride on Air Force One), and when the vote is one of the closest ones in American history, you have to ask: isn’t there a better way to change our system?
Of course there are philosophical differences among people. I believe, however, if the bill contained substantive content written in a straightforward manner, that a much higher percentage of the Congress, the Senate, and Americans would be in favor of it. Rasmussen polls show that 53% of Americans oppose the health care plan proposed by President Obama and the Congressional Democrats, and 57% of voters believe it will hurt the economy. These numbers are consistent with a recent Fox News poll that finds 55% oppose the current bill, 35% support it, and 10% don’t know. I have to give Obama, Pelosi, and Reid some credit; they certainly don’t govern by the polls, but in this case, they should.
Although I am fortunate enough to have medical insurance, I have been an uninsured American. In fact, I spent my twenties without health insurance despite having a serious thyroid condition that required one hospitalization, a radiation treatment, quarterly checkups, and daily medication. I didn’t qualify for Medi-Cal, but I received significant discounts by going to a Los Angeles County clinic in downtown LA. I usually spent half a day there between my doctor’s appointment and waiting for my prescription to be filled. I’m not even counting the time I spent two weeks prior to my appointment when I would give blood for my thyroid tests. I typically had to take the day off work—unpaid of course—just to go to the doctor. So I’ve been there, and yeah, it sucks.
However, every time I hear about this current healthcare bill, my stomach twists in knots. Think about it this way: imagine if a candidate didn’t have quite enough votes to get elected so he decided to use some dirty tactics (e.g., closing the polls early, turning voters away) that were technically legal, albeit unethical, to ensure he became president. Oh wait … that already happened. This healthcare bill is no different from Bush’s 2000 election. Even if you are one of the ten people who has read the bill and you agree with everything in it, the process matters.
Just last month, Pres. Obama commented that the healthcare debate was “an ugly process” but now he embraces it because “it’s the right thing to do.” This week, he assured Bret Baier that, “By the time the vote has taken place, not only will I know what’s in it [fixed bill] you’ll know what’s in it.” Wow, I feel better now. Obama makes it clear that the proposed healthcare legislation does not solve current structural problems such as Medicare’s $36.3 trillion (current and future) debt—a number the president agrees is accurate. Despite that staggering figure, Obama smiles and says he has proposed a fiscal commission to fix that problem. He uses terms such as “deficit-neutral” when he describes the healthcare bill even though Richard Foster, chief actuary of Medicare, disagrees with the president’s accounting methods. The president doesn’t like to talk about the estimated 17 million Americans who would not be covered by this sweeping healthcare legislation or how expensive it will be for the uninsured to buy coverage. Obama has one goal: pass this bill, no matter what the consequences are.
Mr. President, you promised to work across party lines, and you vowed not to sign a bill that adds “one dime” to our deficit. Don’t put our country deeper in debt because you are determined to do the “right thing” the wrong way. When you say that a yes vote is for health care reform and that a no vote indicates support for the status quo, you not only sound like a high school bully pushing the weaker kids around, you are also completely inaccurate. Just to be clear … a message to our elected representatives:
- Voting no means you cannot be cajoled, bribed, or pushed around by anybody, not even the president of the United States.
- Voting no means you realize that this bill is not the right one for Americans and that this process does not represent the will of the people.
- Voting no means you listened to the voters who elected you and even the ones who did not.
According to Rasmussen, a majority of voters want the president and Congress to scrap this bill and start over. We differ about the specifics, but we all want healthcare reform. Next time, Mr. President, when you decide to do “the right thing” do it the right way.
AWW — XoXo
I would like to point out that there have already been two votes on health care reform. The House and Senate both voted and both passed health care reform bills. That already happened. The majority has already spoken. What we’re dealing with now is merely reconciling those two bills, which is what always happens at this point. That is the normal process.
So, if we want to talk about a problem with the process, then we have to talk about the GOP. They have very publicly declared, that if they can, they will NEVER allow a vote to reconcile these bills. Never. Ever. Period. Does that make sense to anyone? I understand if you want to vote no on something, that’s fine, but to not allow ANYONE to vote? How does that represent our freedom? How does that allow our voices to be heard? Let me answer. It doesn’t.
I think when Obama says passing this bill is the “right thing to do” maybe he means it’s right because there has already been a vote. Twice. And the bills passed. Twice.
A certain political party would do well to remember that.
Andrew on 19 Mar 2010 at 1:46 pm #
[...] According to Rasmussen, a majority of voters want the president and Congress to scrap this bill and start over. We differ about the specifics, but we all want healthcare reform. Next time, Mr. President, when you decide to do âthe right …Next Page [...]
Andrea Wilson Woods’ Blog is Healthcare Reform the Right Thing … on 20 Mar 2010 at 1:19 am #
One of the problems is that people see only the estimated direct cost of HCR – they do not factor in the cost of not passing it. Consider the cost of treating the uninsured in taxpayer supported clinics, hospitals, etc. Add in the productivity lost because the insured are too ill to work and cannot afford to see a doctor. Think of the advantage of a happy and prosperous population versus a group of 36M people who are pessimistic because they realize that personal disaster is dependant upon not slipping on a patch of ice while they are job hunting.
While looking at the polls, consider the fact that we have been barraged by the GOP’s venomous “just say no” attitude – “if we beat him on this, he’s done.” They are not voting against HCR – they are voting against a man who is not in their party.
Third, Obama is right when he says, “It’s the right thing to do.”
Glenn on 21 Mar 2010 at 12:46 pm #