Wednesday, March 24, 2010

The Devil Made me Do it

I wasn't going to do it, honest. Blog about the Health Care Reform bill, that is, but these opinions just keep rattling around in my head interfering with an otherwise normal day of writing.

This reform scares me as much as the one proposed by the Clinton's, primarily because like so many other people, I don't think the federal government constitutionally has the right to enact such a law.

Granted the system as it operates needs to be reformed to stop the continued rise of health care costs, but there has to be a better way.

The price tag for this bill is staggering. Not only in what it will cost to implement, but what it cost in campaigning to pass it. Added to that will be the millions, perhaps billions, spent to defend it in court.

Hardly had the announcement of the bills passage been made when reports started flooding news outlets about state lawmakers who are lining up to challenge its constitutionality and wage an outside-the-Beltway war against it in the courts.

So now the government is going to spend millions to defend a bill that is going to cost billions and somehow that is good?

The other issue I have with the bill is the pork attached to it, pork that was given in exchange for votes. That is something Obama promised would not happen on his watch, and yet he was doing much of the dealing. I'm sure his defense is "that's the way business is done in Washington" and that is true. But he promised it wouldn't be business as usual in Washington if he was elected.

This nonsense we call politics will never change unless some brave politicos stop moving that line they will not cross until we can no longer see it.

What about you? Do you think the outcome was worth the process?

4 comments:

Helen said...

No, it won't be worth the cost. The cost I'm talking about is what it's done to the people. I, for one, am so sick of both parties that I've decided getting elected corrupts every politician. Come November I will be voting out every incumbent, regardless of the party. And it has nothing to do with I (or they) am for or against the health bill.

Helen
Straight From Hel

Unknown said...

The pork is especially distressing, but the intrusion of the govt into our lives will be unprecedented. I have abreakdown of the actual line items and paragraphs of the bill that are incredibly insane. The govt will have real time access to ALL your bank accounts and financial instruments, and will be able to remove funds at their discretion to finance your health care. Cancer care will be rationed, and will be determined by age. The govt will be able to remove you from your personal health plan and force you to sign up on theirs. And let us not forget that all members of congress and their families are exempt from participating in the program.

Maryannwrites said...

David, I was not aware of those line items. One that I heard about yesterday is that the drug companies will be able to keep the brand name drugs in the marketplace without generic drug competition for up to 12 years. Currently, most drugs are kept in the brand name category for only a year before the generic becomes available. That will mean that many of the $4.00 prescriptions that can be acquired at some stores may not be as widely available in the future.

Lillie Ammann said...

I'm afraid this is going to have dire consequences for everyone, including future generations. We can only hope the law will be found unconstitutional.