A D V E R T I S E M E N T
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Have you ever purchased a house, car, furniture or jewelry without knowing the price?
On Saturday, Nov. 11, the geniuses in the House of Representatives went behind closed doors without knowing the cost, and voted for the taxpayers to cough up more of our income to pay for the massive “Health Care for America Act.” I guess it’s easy to spend other people’s money, on other people. Our senators, congressmen, their families and staffers along with the unions will not be required to enroll in the plan they think we should have.
This bill is the mother of all entitlement programs. Not only will government control our wealth, but they will also control our health. We will be told which doctors we must go to, how many and what type of RX’s we will be allowed, what hospitals and treatments we can have depending on our gender, life expectancy and cost of care. The IRS will be in charge of making sure you pay your co-pay. (automatic debit mandatory). Health care will continue to be politicized and used as a scare tactic just like Social Security has been.
When is the last time you remember the government keeping its promises? Or watching what it spends? Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, post office all broke. Not to mention Fannie and Freddie. When was the last time you went to the post office, DMV or city hall and felt like you were a valued customer?
With all of the corruption, lying, adultery, stealing, tax evasion, abuse of power and arrogance beyond belief, do we really want our politicians in charge of creating and maintaining another massive government bureaucracy to dictate to us what kind of medical care we get? We will lose quantity and quality of care. Won’t this create a huge number of government jobs with medical benefits, retirement and paid holidays?
Think PERS. Once this rationing occurs, there will be no turning back. Our doctors and healthcare professionals will be government employees. (The ones that stay in practice that is.) It’s not the responsibility of government to administer a national health care program, or for that matter a national housing program, national welfare plan, national Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security plan. Or a bail out plan, a high level of agricultural prosperity, distribution of atomic energy, settling labor union management disputes, supervisory control over all major energy resources. Can you not feel the tyranny and control in every aspect of your life?
Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans really care anymore. They know that by the time we realize what happened to America they will be retired and living a very comfortable life with the proceeds from a fully funded government pension and access to the finest health care taxpayers money can buy.
Sheri MacDowell is a resident of Lake Oswego.
Raymond,
I realize you hate corporations because you think they rip you off. How exactly have you been 'ripped off' by a corporation? Don't investors (including union pension funds and government retirement accounts) willingly invest in 'evil' corporations?
Of course they do becuase businesses, not unions, governments, or charities produce a profit that they can benefit from.
Many health care providing ventures are not-for profits, many insurance companies are as well. Blue Cross operates all over the country in most cases as a non-profit. Are these institutions evil as well?
After you're done name calling and spewing hate, perhaps you could engage in rational discussions.
By the way, if you're worried about corruption I would suggest you look into the tax evasion of Tim Gietner, Barney Frank and Charles Rangle to start!
(email verified)
Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 06:41 PM
Thank you Sheri!!! The so-called health care bill is not about health care problems, except that it creates many. It is mainly about new taxes and a government crackdown on individual liberty to facilitate wealth redistribution.
(email verified)
Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 06:41 PM
Get your facts straight, Mr. Madigan. If the health care system was so poorly thought of by other countries, why would those who can afford the trip and the care come to America? Our cancer rates are lower because our treatment and testing is better than anywhere.
It is not the job of the government to provide basic needs of the people. What are you suggesting? After health care, does the government then need to provide food and housing? Those are certainly basic needs. Besides, can you really believe the government is capable of taking care of everyone's health? You just have to look at the recent situation regarding the H1N1 vaccination. The vaccinations are scarce and prisoners are getting the vaccinations before law abiding citizens. The government can not seem to regulate anything without creating waste.
The greed of insurance companies does not even compare to the greed, incompetence, and corruption of our politicians. Again, you only have to look at the recent information that has come to light regarding the stimulus money. $6.4 billion has gone to 440 phantom districts across the nation. Where did that money go? You actually trust this government to spend our money? Insurance companies and Hospitals should be made to explain why their rates increase every year. Let's start with that rather than throwing it all out and expecting the government to run something as important as our health care and as large as 1/6 of our economy. Let's demand the government to clean up the fraud in Medicade before trusting them with more of our money during these recessionary times.
Lastly, is it possible for you, Mr. Madigan to debate these issues with facts rather than emotions and name calling? Really? Red necks, greed mungers? You forgot racist!
Great article Sherri!
(email verified)
Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 07:08 PM
My husband has read and studied all of the House Healthcare bill. Sheri McDowell represents it accurately. No one is saying we shouldn't take steps to make the best healthcare in the world more accessible and affordable and competitive. But there are many ways to accomplish that such as allowing health insurance to be purchased across state lines like auto insurance is, giving tax credits for health insurance and the one the politicians won't touch--tort reform, which does more to drive up the cost of health care than any other factor.
What would you think of your neighbor if he told you that he was broke and the roof on his house was leaking, and then he tore down his house and borrowed money to build a new one? You would think he was foolish, at best. You would ask, "Why didn't you just get the roof repaired?" Well, that is exactly what our government is doing with their health care overhaul! Only they haven't even fixed the problem--there will still be millions of people uninsured!
If the people who supposedly represent us put their minds to it, they could come up with effective, free market solutions that would not bankrupt our country and rob us of our freedom of choice. But the sad truth is that because our representatives are career politicians (something the founding fathers never envisioned when they crafted the Constitution, they are completely disconnected from the real life you and I lead. The laws and taxes they pass do not apply to them. They no longer represent us, nor do they listen to us. They have contempt for us and think we're stupid, but they'll find out pretty soon that they are wrong.
The solution: Clean house next November and elect people who will approach problems the way you and I do in our own lives.
(email verified)
Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 09:48 PM
This outlines the purpose of this ridiculously cumber-
some proposition better than any other I have seen or
heard to date.
I only wish our representatives could see (or even care) the future ramifications of such broad legislation.
I like Carol's solution of cleaning house (and senate)
next November.
(email verified)
Fri, Nov 20, 2009 at 11:52 PM
Sheri: We are also Or 912er's. I loved your article and would love your email address.
to: Raymond Madigan: We are not addressing the health reform situation. Your president only wants to take over our system and ruin our country. Isn't that obvious yet. If Obama is making deals with the pharmaceutical companies and tort reform lawyers to protect them, where is the reform. The insurance companies are forced to pay for those who don't have insurance and go to the hospitals. Who do you think pays for that. We who are responsible and have insurance. If you really want reform, take care of the people who need it now and put them on medicare. The rest of us don't want a Obama/ socialism takeover. This is all crap and you know it. Go live in another country and then stay there if you don't like it.
I recommend you learn more about capitalism and how this country works. Bailouts are a mistake and so is the stimulus plan. How about Obama getting Americans back to work and getting the banks to make loans. He stopped all of that. Makes me wonder what you do for a living. The government just spends all of our money with no accountability. You sound like an anti-American.
Do you know how much Obama spends bribing the Congress to vote for this horrible plan? Do you know how much he just throws away to others that support him to ruin our economy. Have you read Michele Malkin's "Culture of Corruption?" Do you know anything about Saul Alinsky and see how much his agenda is Obama's agenda. I suggest you get educated, because you are the reason Obama is in office. Gale Gipson
(email verified)
Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 12:05 PM
Raymond, be careful about criticizing those "greedy corporations" that you claim are "ripping us off" many of the small businesses including mine that employ fewer than 50 employees (which by the way happen to employ most Americans) are formed as either chapter S-corps or LLC's. My guess is that you are hypocrit and are employed or have been employed in the past by one of those "evil corporations". A couple of old proverbs to remember: "Go home from the dance with the one who brought you", and "Don't bite the hand that feeds you"
(email verified)
Sat, Nov 21, 2009 at 01:32 PM
Many of the comments have it right! I'd just like to point out to Mr. Madigan:
Among many reasons, the main reason Obama was elected was to END THE WAR (the lesser reasons being to institute several unconstitutional pieces of crap, without the aide of a constitutional amendment). Hmmm, seems the war hasn't ended (there is no end in sight) AND the unconstitutional crap has sped up exponentially (just as expected). I was not so stupid as to believe that Obama would actually deliver any real hope for change. On the campaign trail, he never once articulated a real action-point by action-point plan to institute "change". Instead, he spoke in general platitudes about some very broken things and said we're going to 'change' it (but, how?, was always the question in my mind). And, before you accuse me of being a re-thug-lican, I also wasn't stupid enough to vote for McLame either. He, just like Obama, are just a continuation on the same unconstitutional path as the predecessors of the last 70+ years. One of many in that group whom abhor national sovereignty and are quite desirous of a one world government / one world currency.
Don't you mean that the US spends the most per capita on health care (more than any other industrialized country). Did you know that's because we have far greater health outcomes? Look at cancer survival rates in the US vs. other countries. By "expensive", did you mean that we are keeping too many people alive for too long after what used to be a death-sentence diagnosis?
I'm guessing that you think it's a good idea to blow up 80+% of people's health care, for the benefit of about 12%, while understanding that about 8% will still be uninsured, this "solution" will drive insurance costs higher and cost shifting to those with private insurance will be greater... and that there wasn't any better solution than the horse manure in the House and Senate? Wouldn't it have been easier to extend Medicaid? Oh, wait, that government program's been unsustainable for years -- so we need to switch Everyone to an unsustainable government program. Using class warfare and telling us that the rich should pay for our health care. Weird thing is, the burden to be borne by "the rich" are actually middle and upper middle class folks.
Why do many Canadians and other citizens from industrialized countries (with socialized medicine) come here for care?
By the way, in America, it is not the job of the federal government to ensure our citizens have health care. The US constitution (art. I, sec. 8) has delegated specific, enumerated powers to the federal government. I don't see "health insurance", "health care", "hospital", "doctor", etc. listed anywhere there.
"Greedy" corporations have to compete with non-profits. 60-70% of health insurers are NON-PROFIT. Greedy corporations would be out of business if they were really that much higher than the non-profits (a primary-school-level Finance/Economics concept).
I think you need to brush up on some history, Mr. Madigan. It was in 1973 that the United States congress brought the virtual HMO mandate upon we the people (that's the "mega hospital systems", to you). The federal and state governments are the ones who brought us Medicare and Medicaid, which has caused a big cost shifting to the rest of us. We the people have endured this mess for far too long. We already know what the federal government will do to further screw-up health care -- think 1973 + 36 years = huge mess -- now multiply the mess times 5 (if the current legislation gets passed by the Senate and signed into law). There are real problems with cost and access with our health care system, none of which is really addressed by current legislation. What about tort reform? Have you considered that the current employer provided insurance situation has a whole lot to do with tax policy? Do you think insurance premiums and other health care costs would be lower if we actually protected our shores / borders and a whole lot less free-loading "undocumented workers" were here (not using our emergency rooms as free regular doctor's office visits)? How about if we move away from a third party payer system and empower the people (aka the free market) to determine what they will or will not pay for? These pieces of legislation have the backing of one of the most dishonest greedy corporate groups: Big Pharma. Why do you think Big Pharma would want this legislation to pass?
Mr. Madigan, it's MONGERS, not mungers. Name calling aside, the only change I see is an increase in speed. There has been a greater hurry to further the divide between the principles that founded our great country and where we're headed --> some form of collectivism.
(email verified)
Mon, Nov 23, 2009 at 02:13 PM
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Re: ‘Mother of all entitlement programs’ passes the House
Oh please! The US has the most expensive health car system in the world and a large number of our citizens cannot afford adequate health care. The US system is very poorly regarded by other countries whose governments realize that it is the job of government to ensure that these basic needs of their citizens are met.
What do think the future of this country will be if we do not address the current health care situation? You are so afraid of your own government but happy to be dictated to by self interested corporations. Shame on you!
It is time for the government to regulate the greedy corporations who rip us off constantly. We allow the mega hospital systems to dictate the cost of health care to the insurance companies who then hit us with high premiums. I want the government to step in and regulate these people.
You accuse the government of "corruption, lying, adultery, stealing, tax evasion, abuse of power and arrogance beyond belief". I would turn that around and put that onto the hospitals and insurance companies.
President Obama was elected to affect changes on health care and the environment. The red necks and greed mungers lost. Get with the program. Change is here.
"Raymond Madigan"
(email verified)
Thu, Nov 19, 2009 at 12:54 AM