Many opposing the passage of healthcare reform are so misinformed one cannot believe we are speaking about the same bill. They believe this is a government takeover of healthcare or a budget buster. Others oppose because of more sinister reasons because of characterizations by Right Wing Radio and FoxNews that somehow the bill is medical welfare for minorities, lazy people, and the poor.
The reality is that while I would prefer a single payer system or at least a system with a public option, the President and Congress went with only private insurance. It is mutually exclusive that a private only insurance bill could possibly be characterized as a government takeover.
Fiscal responsibility by both citizens and government is the way this bill is funded. All able bodied Americans (singly or through employer) must purchase healthcare or pay a fine. After all, unless we change the laws and our morals to check someone in a random accident or medical emergency for the ability to pay before we render service, everyone must be covered as a member of a civilized society.
Many people stay in their dead end job because they cannot get a job and they dare not start a business because they can only get affordable health insurance from an employer. This bill allows everyone to be entrepreneurial as everyone can purchase affordable insurance affording one to spread their wings into what has always made America great, the ability to be your own boss.
As insurance tried to squeeze more profits out of their paying customers they rescinded policies, refuse to ensure people with pre-existing conditions, or simply denied coverage for drugs and procedures deemed necessary by doctors. This bill prevents this form of medical discrimination. It removes the insurance company bureaucrat from getting between you and your doctor.
Middleclass Americans pay social security & Medicare taxes on just about all their income. As one income increases social security taxes are capped. Capital gains and other passive income generally have a much lower tax rate that the working man’s tax rate. This bill taxes more of these other forms of passive income justifiably. After-all, why should a working man’s income garnered through wages have to pay much higher percentages of their income than those with inherited and other form of passive income?
Republicans are objecting to this bill on grounds that it costs too much, busts the budget, and is a government takeover of American healthcare ignoring the results of the CBO that states this bill enacted is paid for and generates a surplus. The reality is Republicans do not have any credibility relative to fiscal responsibility. After all, Republicans passed a prescription drug program that was unpaid, Republicans passed 2 tax cuts that were unpaid, and the Republicans continued funding two wars while cutting taxes adding over 3 trillion dollars to our deficit. They simply ignored the CBO or any sense of fiscal responsibility.
History and past behavior is indicative. It must be noted that the last semblance of fiscal responsibility that led to a budget surplus was under a democratic president who passed a budget that received no Republican support in the house. As Republicans regained power our surpluses became obscene deficits.
The reality is Republicans were in control of our government for approximately a decade and did absolutely nothing to assist Americans in attaining universal healthcare or affordable healthcare. Why would we take the risk and follow anything proposed by a party that has never had the interest of American Healthcare as one of their major policies?
Now that the bill is law, Americans will be able to see the truth outside the prism of misinformation by the GOP and judge it for themselves. I am confident they will like it going forward and will work towards electing those that will improve on it to further support a humane and fiscally responsible healthcare system. You cannot be moral, you cannot be truthful, you cannot be empathetic and not support this bill. Of course one could decide to remain misinformed, but as with the law, ignorance is no excuse.
President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid, Congress people, & Senators, Job well done. History is on your side.