I submitted the article below to the Kingwood Observer about two weeks ago. There is a new editor so I was concerned that the article would not be printed.Moreover my last few articles received a lot of push back from the readers and I was concerned that said push back would be used to suppress articles that are generally in contrast to the changing majority opinion in this area.
Suffice it to say that when I opened the paper this 
morning I was shocked to see my article. I strongly believe that newspapers should foment dialogue and promote truth. Newspapers should not be used as propaganda rags by activists or politicians. They should be used to provide verifiable information and opinions derived from said information so that readers have the best information from which to decide on issues that have material impact on them.
I applaud the new editor at the Kingwood Observer, David Taylor for allowing information on all sides to be presented. If all editors of newspapers across the nation resist cooption, I am sure America would be better informed.
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Awesome. You explained the issues succinctly. I wish that they would have printed this in the Spring Observer. Our paper has given up printing letters to the editor. This needed to be said– I’ll try to respond.
Thanks Teresa. Remember, we are now the media as most are not informing but simple rags for the corporate structure. Share the link with your friends and family in emails and share on FaceBook.
Bravo!
Mr. Willies. I enjoyed you editorial. If I may, I’d like to share an interesting pod cast, (it’s only 20 minutes) regarding the subject of insurance and free-market medical care. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Regards, Jeff
It is extremely important that you do not mix the delivery of healthcare and the payment of healthcare. My statement of having multiple insurance companies is mathematically absolute. You cannot deliver more money with less money for healthcare. You cannot have an efficient healthcare system with a bastardized risk pool. That is simply a mathematical fact as well.
There is reason to having profit in the development of healthcare products. Innovation is accelerated with profits.
Until we stop worshiping free markets as solution to everything we will fail as a nation. Markets and capitalism does not understand humanity. We must seperate that which is controlled by markets and that which is controlled specifically by we the people. It is the only humane and moral option.
On another note. The podcast is really anecdotal nonsense that will only work for those who have not seen a real effective single payer system in action. I have left your link for others to listen. Those who listen must understand that it is propaganda and one must question the values of anyone spreading this nonsense.
Jeff,
I did not mean to imply you were guilty for the podcast. I am reserving that critique for those who actually develop the propaganda. These things are develop to personalize so others would find its tenet plausible. The whole system breaks down if one gets a chronic disease. Then gues who would have the finances to pay. There was nothing innovative in the podcast. It did solve one problem, insurance companies are no longer in charge:)
Jeff, Despite the isolated and condition-specific success claimed in the podcast, the “magic of the market” has no place in the provision of critical life services. For what will you “bid” in this “free market” for your mother’s insulin? For a Kidney? It often appears health providers are actively trying to find out. But a more compassionate society and supportive “capitalistic” model would allow people to enter the work/business market, to innovate and compete openly. without worrying about leaving their job and healthcare behind nor the associated high cost of private coverage. It’s stifling, and perhaps the greatest hinderance to independent entrepreneurialism.
And as Jeff illustrates, it is immoral. Those who would leave the attainability of our collective human health to the “magic of the market” or who feel the “market is smart enough” to prioritize our health… are clearly blind ideologues. And I use no hyperboles here, sir. For WHO CANNOT SEE the plethora and currently poxing examples to the contrary? Enron. Tyco. Worldcom. FPA. WorldCom. Shears Lerhman. BOA. Bernie Maddoff.
No. I don’t want CEO’s in charge of choosing between their profit and the health of a nation. The market just isn’t that smart, Jeff. And there’s no such thing as “magic”.
Mr. White,
Thank you for your response.
Jeff
Sorry, I failed to give you the link. Here it is:
http://www.lewrockwell.com/lewrockwell-show/2012/05/08/276-free-market-medical-care/
You’re right, we do have problems in this country with respect to healthcare delivery, the costs associated with same, as well as the insurers. It is an immoral system that will only get worse as time goes on.
Because our elected officials are for sale to the highest bidders, we STILL have problems & I doubt that Obamacare will solve them, but it’s a step in the right direction -albeit a baby step, for the same reasons I mentioned.
One main problem is, the insurance industry has made it SOOOO profitable to gouge policyholders year after year. They are the jackboot on the necks of everyone involved in this equation & must be removed so that we can get back to affordable healthcare delivery.
Just about 3 weeks ago, I was injured & sought medical attention in the emergency room at a local hospital. I was the first person in the door, but sat for almost 3 hours while at least 15 other walk-ins were called ahead of me. I finally got into triage, where I sat longer, was X-rayed (even though I didn’t need it as I was seeking treatment for three lacerations), then finally attended to.
8 hours & 21 stitches later, the bill presented to my insurance company was almost $3400! I called the hospital & said, “I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but $3400??! For 3 lacerations??”
Of course, some of the things I mention here have nothing to do with the cost of care, or the collusion with insurance to gouge the patient, but this one visit is indicative of just a few issues we face in our country.
Mr. Willies,
Thank you for your response.
Jeff
Glad they published this. But it brings up a problem we have to address. Nationally there is little media – TV, radio, newspapers – presenting the truth of progressive politics. And in Texas, we have a particularly nasty problem with newspapers: They are dominated and controlled by their advertisers. There are responsible writers who have submitted articles to Texas papers only to have them turned down as “too controversial” and there are editors who have had to “find a new job” after publishing those articles. Inevitably, if you trace it back you find that advertisers organized a boycott of those papers to discipline them for not adhering to the corporate line. What’s the solution? I wish I knew. This is not democracy anymore, it’s corporatocracy.
You are the solution. We are the solution. We must keep the Internet open and communicatie with our neighbors. In the long run they will trust us more than the cooked media.