A Quandry of Sorts

Here is my position on Health Care.  I want it fixed.

What does that mean?  Well, I think the following is a good place to start:

1. Tort reform: It is not right that doctors must perform every conceivable test in order to avoid being sued.  I saw a debate a few months back between a lawyer that made millions by suing doctors and a lawyer that represents doctors in those same suits.  The malpractice doctor kept going back to "How much is a life worth?  How much is it worth for a person to be crippled through malpractice?"  Very good arguments, albeit, incomplete. I would have asked back, "How many people have died because people like you drove up health care costs to the point where they are unaffordable?"  The easy answer here is to have a set of standards for various conditions.  Follow those standards and you are not liable.  Don't follow them and you are.
2. Make insurance competitive.  The only reason I can think of for not allowing insurance to be sold across state lines is the same as the rationale drug lords use for shooting others for coming into their area of distribution.  Money.  Competition is bad for the insurance companies so they spend a lot of money to make sure its not there.
3. I like the idea of a government health care option.  There are those that scream "Socialism!"  It's a scary word mostly because it rhymes with communism.  But, let's face it, public schools are socialism. Every time a pot hole is filled, wealth is redistributed.  A person that pays high taxes paid more for the pothole fill than a person that paid low taxes.  And yet, we all get to use the road equally. This is a redistribution of wealth.  Our armed forces, our police officers, even those that work at the DMV are all examples of the government redistribution wealth.  We all pay a different price for the services we all share equally.  The idea that a government option for health care is Socialism is nothing to be afraid of.  My only concern here is that the government will screw it up.  If our Department of Homeland Security is an example of the best we can do, then I may change my stance on letting the government play.
4. Insurance for everyone:  I don't care if you are an illegal alien or too poor to buy insurance.  I am will to use my money  to help you.  I would like to see a system of clinics where anyone can get care.  Maybe they have to wait in line all day but its there.  If there was a box on my tax form to indicate I want some of my taxes to go to such a program, I would do it.
5. Use the internet:  The FCC is rolling out a program for high speed internet that will enable a single doctor to see a greater number of patients - online.  One fear of this is that by seeing them online, they may miss something and be sued. See point one above.
6. Do not force employers to pay for insurance.  This is a lot like forcing employers to raise the minimum wage.  There is not a single economist that believes an artificial minimum wage works.  None.  So, if employers must pay for insurance they can either (1) pay it, incur the additional cost and pass it along to the consumers or (2) pay it, and hire fewer employees since the price of an employee just went up or (3) pay it and lower the wages they pay their employees because they can only afford to pay the employees a certain amount, benefits included.  You might argue that these companies just want to keep costs down to improve their bottom line.  You would be right.  The bottom line means better stock prices, those same stocks that are in your retirement portfolio.  They are trying to not pass on a cost to you.  Employers compete for labor.  Benefit packages are part of that game.  If they want top employees, they sweeten the pot.  This is not a place for the government to play.
7. Keep kids on their parents health plan until the age of 26.  I love this one.  My kids turn 18, leave home and are uninsured.  They are still in school, preparing for their future and have very little chance of getting a part time job that will provide them insurance in the mean time.

All along, I have supported the Democrat's attempts at health care reform.  The last couple of days have made me think I have backed the wrong pig in the race.  Pelosi is resorting to a tactic that is underhanded and not the spirit of intent.  The Deem and Pass tactic is underhanded and simply wrong.  It is a desperate move made by a desperate party.  Furthermore, they are using it to pass what is little more than a 20 lb bag of compromise.

Maybe the GOP has had it right all along.  Let's go back to the beginning.  Let's start with tort reform or some single issue.  Put someone in charge of that single issue.  Let them make a daily report to the American people.  They should be mandated to bring up things like, "The senator from Nebraska, while supporting the idea, will not vote for it unless corn becomes the national breakfast food."  This sort of nonsense has to stop.

In the end, I still think we need to Fire Them All.

Then start anew.

Fire Them All

I saw a survey yesterday that said 59% of Americans believe we should not vote in any current congressman or senator.  Another survey, also yesterday, said only 17% of Americans believe that congress is going a good job.

I would have gone with the majority in both of these cases had anyone bothered to ask me.

This is not about health care.  As far as that issue goes, I am willing to try anything different, even if it turns out to be a bad idea.  We can always go back and fix it.  If we do nothing, then we aren't really even trying.

No, this is about the corruption and cowardice that characterizes our politicians. They take tons of money from lobbyists.  Why would a special interest, time and time again, give money to a congressman or senator if it didn't work?  They wouldn't!  They do this over and over again because it does work.  What does this really mean?  It means that if you have the money, your voice is louder.  Not one-person-one-vote.  It's really one-dollar-one-vote.

Ask your congressman or senator if they have ever taken money from a special interest group.  If the answer is yes, then they are corrupt.  Of course, they will tell you that the money was given with no strings attached and all of that but remember - If it didn't work, special interests wouldn't do it.

As for cowardice, they are often more like deer in your headlights than not.  They know action is needed and feel "I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't."  The result is inaction.



The GOP is stirring up the fear they need for the Democrats to feel the heat.  The GOP is in favor of doing nothing because it makes the other guys look bad.  This improves the GOP's chances next round of elections.  They want the power.  The Democrats have weak leadership.  Sure, Pelosi is a bully but that does not make her a strong leader.  So, we have Democrats that fear change because they may lose the seats that the GOP is after.

All of this can be solved if our elected officials understood that there would be consequences for poor performance.

I say, "Fire them all."  I know that not all of them deserve to be fired but a willingness to clean house will have a lasting effect beyond the next congress.  Fire the good with the bad.  Let them know we have had enough.  Let the new congress be clear on the fact that if they can't do their job, we will take it from them.

Firing them all will take a few years since not everyone is up for reelection at the same time.  That is actually a good thing.  Fire the full batch this time around and send the clear message to those that remain.  If there is no improvement in the next 2 years, fire another round.  In 6 years, they will all be gone and we will have elected representatives that serve us, not themselves.