I must admit that I AM BAFFLED IN THE EXTREME about the hullabaloo over Healthcare.
According to many reports, none ever disputed or denied, roughly 10% [or 30 million Americans] were not covered and needed to be.
Now then, if that was what the exercise was all about the Government surely knew who these unfortunate souls were, in which areas they resided and what had to be done to supply them with healthcare.
Several news agencies, professions that care and many politicians agreed that all that needed to be done was for Government to erect hospitals and daycare clinics, stock and staff them and put transport systems in place for serious cases in rural America to have them transferred to the closest advance treatment centre.
I WAS EVEN TOLD THAT IF OBAMACARE ANNOUNCED THEIR PLANS TO DO EXACTLY THAT IT WOULD HAVE ENJOYED THE SUPPORT OF THE ENTIRE REPUBLICAN PARTY, and that this would have been achieved a year ago at a fraction of the cost of the Bill that the President signed a few days ago.
There would have been zero pork for politicians or special interests or excessive profits by the racketeers in lobbies, or for the large pharmaceuticals.
Surely, this could have handled by every State, local Government in every region or City Councils in conjunction with and making use of local Entrepreneurial skills in every single place right across the land. America is blessed with a Federal Government system; why not have a Federal Healthcare Plan?
What went wrong? Or am I just plain stupid?
Jaksonian Philosophy 
March 25, 2010 at 4:48 am |
So you’re basically saying the government should have a) built hospitals and clinics b)staffed and stocked them c)transfer serious cases to government advanced treatment centers.
Are you kidding me? Republicans talk about the moderate health care reform that just passed as “Government take over of healthcare” and “bureaucrats between you and your doctor” and “death panels”. Can you imagine the total freak out that would happen when the government started building their own hospitals and hiring their own staff.. especially if this happened in RURAL Conservative areas??
Also the uninsured are everywhere in this country.. not just in certain areas.
Btw, this health care bill is pretty similar to what passed in Massachusetts a few years ago by Conservative Republican Mitt Romney. And still Republicans decided they would totally and completely oppose anything and everything democrats proposed.. EVEN THEIR OWN IDEAS. Democrats spent months negotiating and compromising with Repubs.. offering to include things like tort reform in the health care bill and Repubs said “No way, not going to vote for it”
Republicans chose to follow a scorched earth policy to please their radical conservative base voters in order to get a chance to win more seats in Congress in November. They cynically chose short term political gain over improving the lives of millions of Americans.
March 25, 2010 at 9:12 am |
Mark
I apologize if I created the misunderstanding by not describing my views in full.
My intention with the Post was to generate debate and I did not want to make the Post too long and put people off from reading it.
Allow me please to jump to your third paragraph first to clear that up. Of course people who need healthcare are all over. My point is that each town or community should know better than anyone, including any government, who is in need of care, and what type of care, in their community.
By erecting hospitals and clinics I did not mean that government must actually build the physical structures; much the same as when I say government must build roads, I mean that they control taxes and must provide the funding for the contractor [private enterprise] that will build the roads or the hospitals.
Then they must get out of it and let the healthcare institutions take care of the ill. Obviously Moscow TN won’t need a large hospital, but they may need a day care centre with a qualified nurse. If a Moscow TN patient needs attention for a more serious or even critical illness, there must be an ambulance or other means of transport to a higher level of treatment.
I don’t trust any political party with my health. Some politicians may be less bad than some others but they remain politicians.
Thank you for your comment. Let us continue the debate.
March 28, 2010 at 10:53 am |
Why is it that Republicans oppose Obamacare? We can’t afford it for one and two, Obamacare is about pilfering the pockets of Americans and our treasury dry, not about the people.
There is no denying that Mitt Romney, Republican is the daddy of Mass Care. Further, this is really not about Democrats v Republicans, at least it should not be.
To Romney’s credit, even he admits that Mass Care went from success to a total failure in a matter of years. The people of Massachusetts pay the highest in the nation.
Mass Care is bankrupting the state of Massachusetts.
Not to beat a dead horse, but the Democrats did very little “negotiating” with Republicans. Having followed so-called “negotations” on C-Span for a year, I watched Democrats time after time vote down and even shout down Republican amendments.
March 28, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Thanks Lady BD
I find it ironic that the Obamedia guys like Time are gleefully shouting “Victory” when the polls show such a high level of discontent amongst public opinion.
March 25, 2010 at 10:14 pm |
Mark Says: …………………
The republicans are bright enough to simply say, “we can’t afford it”
All we are getting from the democrats is a chance for people to be forced to buy worthless, expensive policies, while the rest of us chip in to pay for the ones who can’t afford to pay. The very same ones we are already paying for one way or another.
The democrats are just as much in bed with the insurance industry as the republicans.
March 25, 2010 at 10:22 pm |
Thanks cheechdog
People will probably figure it out that they have been had when it is way too late. I fail to understand how so many people still have faith in politicians. It just beats me.
March 27, 2010 at 1:05 pm |
It’s just politics as usual. Healthcare was pushed by the Democrats, Hence the Republicans are against it. My duaghter and her family are on Medicade because construction has slowed to the point (lack of work) that they were unable to pay for family health insurance. I’m retired and able to pay for my $932.00 Blue Cross monthly premium from my State of Florida retirement income. As my savings are dwindling, I’m going to have to back to work when the economy improves. I am thankful that Obama pushed for healthcare reform. When you look back, where would many be without a safety net? What the Republicans can’t admit is that a healthy workforces is more productive. Too expensive? Where did the money come from to fund two wars? A recent Harris Poll showed 14% of the voting believes Obama is the AntiChrist. Most of these are Republicans .
LiveOakFred
March 27, 2010 at 2:45 pm |
Thank you Fred Niemczenia
Most of the problems of the World are caused by politics today; in fact, that is the problem. If we can remove the politician from healthcare, religion, abortion, you name it, and let the people run the country they [the people] will sort it out.
America has the best Federal Government system in the World but they allowed Washington to take it over. I don’t trust any of them but find it a bit of a laugh that Obama promised to change Washington; instead he fell in love with it and lapped it up the moment he got there, and doubled it in size.
March 27, 2010 at 10:46 pm |
Fred wrote, ” I’m retired and able to pay for my $932.00 Blue Cross monthly premium from my State of Florida retirement income”.
Fred, I heard Obama say over and over, that insurance rats would be going down. Don’t you believe him?
March 28, 2010 at 12:15 am |
Hi cheechdog
I don’t know whether you have read the other comments and it will also be interesting to read the related Time articles.
This monster bill was created for one reason and only one; to save the President’s ailing Presidency. I think he and the voters are in for some nasty shocks as the truth unfolds.
March 28, 2010 at 10:58 am
Ike you wrote, “This monster bill was created for one reason and only one; to save the President’s ailing Presidency. I think he and the voters are in for some nasty shocks as the truth unfolds.”
I agree. From day one, this flawed nightmare has ALWAYS been about Obama’s legacy financially and historically ONLY. Since Obama signed the bill into legislation, associates who swore by this man just days before are numb from the realization of sticker shock.
March 28, 2010 at 12:31 pm
Lady BD
Healthcare, abortion, race, religion … you name it, should not be political issues in the first place. Perhaps voters will learn from the current dilemma and avoid the same mistakes in the future.
March 28, 2010 at 2:46 am |
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-424468
Health Care Bill Part 2: A Plan to Help the 25 Million Left Behind
How do we explain to our children that we tried for 100 years to get universal health care and the bill signed by President Obama on 3/23/10 still leaves 15 to 25 million without health insurance. In America money rules. We have stooped so low that we can spend billion$ to keep financial and manufacturing corporations and foreign countries alive but we cannot do the same or our friends, neighbors, and relatives. Corporations can’t feel pain, they don’t leave loved ones, they don’t serve in the military, they can’t show compassion, and they usually avoid taxes and can write off their bad debts.
Here is a proposal that will save the Federal government close to $50 billion per year enough to pay for the public option with only an executive order. Most office space is very expensive yet white collar workers only use it 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. This amounts to only 30% efficiency which is completely unacceptable in today’s economic and ecological environment. We can no longer afford to let all white-collar workers that still have jobs work banker’s hours when we can work two shifts per day in government and private industry and cut our overhead costs in half. This simple paradigm shifts solves three problems: It jumpstarts economy and fights poverty, cuts pollution, reduces budget deficits.
March 28, 2010 at 3:13 am |
Thanks whitecollargreenspaceguy
I saw your comment in the Post and someone shot you down. May I ask you to read my reply on the comment by Mark because I agree with you?
If the people were running the country they would look at all possibilities including your suggestion and many others.
But we have a bunch of arrogant politicians who are hopelessly out of touch with the people [and have only their own plans and agendas that they don’t share with We the People] and they are all helping each other to become richer and richer.
That is what you are up against, but you have already said that. The polling booths in November seem to be the only way to tell them to start listening to the people.
March 28, 2010 at 4:15 am |
Ike, Bureaucrats and the status quo can come up with a thousand reasons not to do this. But now that we are in a depression and millions of professional and white collar workers are laid off it would be one way to hire a lot off them back. (Has anyone done an analysis for the money we are losing as a nation because millions of workers are not working and we spent a tremendous amount of money to educate them and train them on the job and there was also an environmental impact. They may quickly lose the skills we have invested in. This is a tragic waste of a precious national resource.) Many of the current workers are crushed under terrible backlogs and would welcome the helps we could get if we cut the overhead in half for each employee. Many professionals work shifts that are different from 9 to 5. I know of many large offices that are open from 6 am to 6 pm and employees can flex in and out. It seems that about 2/3’s come in around 6 and leave early and the others come late and stay to 6. All of the unemployed workers would work any shifts they were given and those currently working would rather have their shifts changed than be laid off, furloughed, or have their benefits cut. We would also afford to give employees paid lunch hours. We can’t afford to use all of our buildings at 30% efficiancy.
March 28, 2010 at 9:58 am |
Thank you once more, whitecollargreenspaceguy
And if you allow the American Federal system which is essentially decentralizing of power to run healthcare you will create opportunities for education, training and employment right down through State to County and local Community level.
They talk about adding thousands of regulators appointed by Washington. That is where the corruption starts. Regulation should be from State level down to Counties and Communities. Add your suggestion to it … Voila.
But alas … that will put the President and his thieving hordes out of a job…
Please feel free to comment or reply to others who are participating here.
March 28, 2010 at 11:19 am
To regulate and oversee the mandate of Obamacare that every American must purchase Obamacare or face penalties, the federal government will use its sheriff and loan shark agency, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
The IRS has a nasty reputation and dare I say is the most hated and often dreaded federal agency in the country.
As bad as unemployment is in this country, we do not need an additional 17,000 IRS agents policing our pocketbooks, bank accounts, retirement plans, IRS, stock portfolios and paychecks.
Ike I have been there on several occasions with the IRS, dealing with them is worse than a opthalmic migraine.
I mentioned in an earlier post associates of mine, Obama supporters, once the IRS’ involvement was mentioned, it became a game changer.
Since Obama has been in office, he has done very little about job creation. Last year to prove the stimulus plan was working, he mentioned infrastructure jobs and work on our highways. Obama even did a photo op along the I-95 corridor to prove his point. However, omitted by Obama and the media was the fact that the infrastructure work in his photo had been in progress along the I-95 route for several years no thanks to an Obama presidency.
Unemployment is 9.7% (gov’s preferred figures) and the underemployment rate is 19.9% (the real unemployment number).
So Obama does nothing about job creation until his healthcare billi is passed and then he comes up with 17,000 federal job openings. Now call me crazy, but what exactly is that supposed to do for a 19.9% unemployment rate?
The IRS will bleed us.
March 28, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Lady BD
This one takes the cake for irony. “Change Washington” was His Election slogan. Indeed he has changed it but not in the way that he promised. Doubling the size of Government is hardly the change that you want when it should have been halved.
Obama enjoys Washington because it provides him with a shelter from public scrutiny. Having the voter paying for another horde of government vultures in cozy jobs is His personal security.
March 28, 2010 at 3:15 pm |
I agree that the IRS are not the proper agents to handle health care reform as they could be worse than the HMO vultures. However, with the savings under my plan ther should less need to tax or fine individuals and businesseas. Any tax needed should be a universal tax like Social Security (SSA) that is shared by the workers and employers. Our country has low SSA taxes compared to most countries. The best agents to implement the health care bill would be SSA or HHS/CMS (Medicare/Medicaid). Perhaps with some hybrid with state agencies. I think it is impractical to expect states to implement theses novel, complex legislation on their own when they are crushed under budget shortfalls and more susceptible to local politics. SSA took over the Aid for the Aged, Disabled, and Blind from all of the states in 1974 and have a customer sevice oriented approach as well as improving quality and fraud control. The states make medical decisions for SSA disability claims which is one example of hybrid admnistration.
SSA already has 1200 field offices throughout the US that could be utilized to administer the new health care plan. By using 2 shifts of workers per day, they could take care of SSA business for the first 8 hours and health care for the last 8 hours. This would save billions of dollars in start up cost and cut the lead time by 3 or 4 years. It takes the states and the feds 36 to 48 months to build out new space. This would also spread the creation of new jobs throughout all communites across the country. SSA operates with an administrative expense hovering around 1%. This is probably lowest % of any government or orgnanization in modern history.
March 28, 2010 at 3:39 pm |
Thank you again, whitecollargreenspaceguy
I can see you feel strongly about your point and that is good.
However, when I suggest that States and local communities should handle the matter I should perhaps have explained that I did not mean that they should carry the financial burden. Federal Government collect taxes and should provide the funding but States, counties and local communities should administer it because they know what goes on at grass-roots level.
It will be a lot easier and cheaper to do it that way and it will block another drain on taxpayer’s money going to and disappearing in the wrong pockets.
Otherwise your system should receive serious consideration and should be part of the overall plan.
March 28, 2010 at 8:24 pm |
Thanks, Ike.
The local communities could administer like they do ffod stamps and Medicaid. We must make sure that they are fully funded with no state matcing money needed because right now most Medicaid workers are swamped and are on the verge of burhn out in most states.
March 28, 2010 at 9:55 pm |
And thank you one more time whitecollargreenspaceguy.
I looked at you notes again after my previous reply and meant to write to you again anyway. What you say would work as well, or even better I was going to say. But the main point here is. No alternatives should be rejected as they did to you in the main Post. The topic needs to be discussed by the people and the people should be involved in the final choice. The politicos have messed it up enough already and cannot be allowed to run whatever the final system is decided to be.
March 28, 2010 at 9:06 pm |
“This monster bill was created for one reason and only one; to save the President’s ailing Presidency. I think he and the voters are in for some nasty shocks as the truth unfolds”.
I believe it’s an attempt to sieze control of the lives of all US citizens.
Once they can control your health care it’s all over for doing anything that might be considered a risk.
Goodbye fat foods, skiiing, motorcycles, smoking, swimming, boxing, football, getting a suntan, doughnuts, etc etc.
March 28, 2010 at 9:59 pm |
Thanks cheechdog
That’s the point. We the People by now need protection against the politicians, and if government can’t provide that, the politicians have got to be replaced by a government that will listen to the people.