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Health-care reform is about people, in final analysis
Health-care reform is about people, in final analysis
EDITOR:
The current, often explosive debate over health-care reform seems both sad and comical. It’s sad because lost in all the vitriolic rhetoric is the fact we’re talking about people, by many estimates, about 40 million people, approximately 19 percent of our population. The elderly, the poor and the wealthy are pretty much accounted for in our health-care system. These people are, essentially, working class people who live daily with a very dangerous ax hanging precariously over their heads and the heads of their families. Having, along with my family in a time now past, lived in that very situation for a decade I can assure you that, to them, this is no purely academic argument.
It’s comical because opponents of health care reform are crying that we’re moving too fast. This is a problem first articulated during the Truman administration. Only in the annals of American politics could 60-plus years be declared a “rush”.
This issue has nothing to do with fairness, choice or rationing. A system that slams the door in the face of 40 million people is already patently unfair. Those locked out of the system have no choice except to pray a lot and hope for the best. We are already rationing by telling 40 million people that there is not enough for them.
Unfortunately what we currently have areleaders of the right and leaders of the left, each having dug in their heels with a “my way or no way” attitude. What we desperately need are national leaders who realize that we need each other to pull together to get this problem fixed. People who deliberately try to polarize people into different camps who don’t like, or even hate each other are neither leaders nor patriots. They are simply obstructionists determined to maintain the status quo, ostensibly for their own advantage.
Will extending health-care benefits to those 40 million mean that I have fewer benefits, higher premiums or higher taxes? Most likely, yes. Am I willing to go that route? Absolutely, but I can’t speak for others. Pastor Chuck Swindoll once observed that only God’s Word and people are eternal. What should that do to our priorities? God convinced me years ago that I am, indeed, “my brother’s keeper.” Government can’t and shouldn’t mandate concern for others. Insurance companies, however, operate under state and federal laws, which makes it unrealistic to think that this will be done apart from government oversight.
What we have observed in the Tea Parties, Town Hall meetings ,etc., is a textbook case of how not to get things done. What we need are leaders who know how to get people to pull together to actually accomplish something. May God grant us such leaders before we devour ourselves.
MIKE HALCHUCK
Canfield
Keep fees out of politics
EDITOR:
Watching Judge Belinky on the news the other night attempt to justify his expenditure for pencils was unbelievable. He seemed to think that using our fees was OK.
If it is true that he — and other officeholders — use part of the fees and charges we pay for such purposes, I am frankly appalled. If this is not illegal, it should be. Such a use amounts to an involuntary political contribution, perhaps to someone we would not support if we were asked.
If Judge Belinky, and, he says, other officeholders, want to promote themselves and their re-election, they should do it with funds raised out in the open, not skimmed off the fees we are required to pay.
MARILEE R. HIRD
Youngstown
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Comments
If this health care reform is such a great improvement, why are our elected officials unwilling to switch to it? It stinks thats why. You use a 40 million uninsured number. How many of those are illegal aliens? It's been said that right wingers lie about this health care reform. No specifics as usual
you can defend against specifics. Stop drinking kool aid and get informed. Remember this is the president who promised to reduce the national debt by one half by the end of his first term. How's that going? Those on social security are facing no increase in income, how about all government paid employees? No chance. Enjoy your change, I hope it doesn't bankrupt your finances as it has your intelligence.
Mike,
The number of uninsured is very close to 10 million, not the 40 million used by media and supporters of health care reform. Conveniently lumped in that number are illegal aliens, working adults opting not to pay for health insurance provided by their employer, and people who qualify for Medicaid though they are too lazy to enroll. Do you due diligence before trying to sell your stance.
Granted there are roughly 10 Million truly unisured Americans, and I do support some type of program to provide them with health care coverage. That can be done without completely overhauling the current system.
This is a political power grab by the left. They are creating a block of voters, who rely completely on the government to keep themselves in power(health care, welfare, food stamps, etc). If you do not see that, then maybe you should continue to support the Pelosis, Reids, & Obamas of this world. If this bill provided VIP health care, ask your representatives why they are expempt for the first 5 years?
What happened to the old virtues of this country? Hard work, dedication, and motivation are the pillars this nation was built, not laziness and mediocrity!!
Regards,
PS
We have the best health care in the world. It's because of capitalism. Socialism never works as well anywhere else in the world. Yes, a few nations have a longer lifespan but that's because of cultural differences like diet, etc. Norway has a good national health plan but they pay 60% income tax. Canadians are flooding Michigan for American health care. If Cuba has a better health care plan than America (Michael Moore in Sicko), why do Cubans risk being shot by their compassionate communist government or drowning at sea as they attempt to reach our shores in a '55 Buick?
Mike,
I agree with you, that health reform is for the people and that is what is getting lost in all of the protests. The people that talk about the uninsured being illegal aliens are trying to muddy 2 issues at the expense of people needing health insurance. Also from what I understand right now health care costs are high due to the fact that currently all uninsured receive treatment in emergency rooms at the ultimate expense of the taxpayers. So, please lets not muddy the health insurance reform by bringing in the cost of illegal aliens, that is already a part of the current high cost of health care. It seems to me that for some reason there is a lot of underlying seething anger of individuals out there that view the passage of health reform as somehow in thier minds validating President Obama, and it appears that they don't want him to be validated (for whatever their reasons might be) at the expense of helping their fellow countrymen in obtaining health care. Kind of a shame I think.
Kellie....Your comment about the protesters and teabaggers protest are really about Obama is 100% accurate.. He gets no credit for the direction of the stock market and housing market after inheriting the Bush economy. He gets no credit for restoring Americas good name and leadership in the world. He gets no credit for plans to reform a clearly broken health care system in this country.
The neocons keep calling it Obama care and he isn't writing any part of the bill. Congress is coming up with different scenarios that will form the final plan. Representatives are going to their districts for discussion with their constituents and a hand full of idiots and Fix Noise influence people to stupid to look past their own prejudices, what ever they are, to help all Americans. These people would step in front of a train rather than support anything Obama did to help the country. "Kind of a shame", true that.
Obama is spending a lot more money than Bush, of course Bush is no conservative. Obama has been appointing "Czars", America doesn't need one "Czar" let alone 30+. Who's going to pay for all the Bamster's insane, uncontrolable spending? The illegals, the rich, the middle class, the welfare receipients, the Social Security Receipients? National health insurance is a Trojan Horse to drastically raise your taxes, invade you privacy (taxes records, medical records, political philosophy). National health insurance is for the lazy, the stupid, the immoral and cowards. Will the elected politicians be included with the rest of us. Would drunken, woman murder, adulterous, socialist, want his obese, bloated carcass to be in the fold. Check out the UK's socialist health care system.
Universal Health care works so wonderfully in other parts of the world. You have baby in England being born on sidewalks and in hospital hallways. You have a guy that goes into get his appendix out, has surgery, and two weeks later he is back with a ruptured appendix. You have life saving cancer drug with held, because they are not approved by the bureaucrats. Thanks, but no thanks.
Obama said there will not be rationing. Question, if you suddenly by your numbers add 40 million people into the medical roles, where are you going to get the doctors to cover them. Especially when the plans call for reducing medicare payments. The best and brightest just might decide to go and do something more lucrative as opposed to becoming doctors. Medical school is expensive, and takes a while to complete. There needs to be incentive for people to want to become doctors.
Women in the UK have a much lower survival rate than American women. I know about their women having babies in hospital elevators, rest rooms, and in hall ways. That's what the America hating socialists (Kennedy, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Dodd, CNN, NBC, MSNCC, ABC, and CBS want for all Americans. If you fellow traveler useful idiots want national health care, go for it, you pay for, you live and die with it, but leave the rest of us who value our freedoms alone.
Mike, you are right. I'm glad there is someone out their who can think about our obligations as Christians.
(ProAmerican my cousins live in the UK and in the Republic of Ireland. Your description is way off.)
Education, That's not what reliable sources are reporting. Get informed.
Women delivering babies in hospital hall ways, rest room, elevators. A man's appendix burst after surgeons "removed" it weeks earlier, lol. Elderly woman lying in her own waste for days after her hip implant is re-scheduled again and again. Another elderly woman drinking water from a flower base in her room because no one tended to her. Patients dying in ambulances in emergency room parking lots or it emergency rooms waiting for treatment. It's called stacking. I don't know who your relatives are in the UK, they must be members of the royal family, very rich, or officials in the Labor Party.
Okay, now you are getting really ridiculous.
Not that it matters, because the Health Reform Bill is nothing like the system in the UK.
But seriously, what is your source, and why do you think it is more valid than reports from real people who live in the U.K.?
Education_Voter,
Make sure to utilize the link below for ProAmerican's source, and after scanning the article, read some of the warm & fuzzy comments by "Real British citizens." Those folks are enthusiastic about the government plan!!
As for Christian Obligations, I totally agree. I fully support paying more in taxes if need be to provide health insurance to people currently not covered. I will take it one step further, and I am willing to toss a few bucks toward the soon to be bankrupt Medicaid and Medicare systems as well. However, there is one catch, regarding our Christian Obligations and tax dollars.
This is a two way street, and the Americans who are now in Government Care, Medicare, Medicaid must take a monthly drug and urine test. This will make sure none of these folks are using drugs, smoking, eating bad food, or drinking alcohol. If we are honestly looking to lower costs in a Government provided system, this strategy provides a proactive way to reach our goal.
For instance, if an unmarried individual tests positive for a STD, they are kicked out of the system. That is pre-marrital sex which we have the Christian Obligation to prevent!!
If a person is going to be dependent upon others(taxpayers) for services rendered through government programs, then they should have to live by certain standards. No drinking alcohol, illegal narcotics, gambling, premarrital sex, smoking or consuming unhealthy foods. I do not think this is such an unreasonable request for dependents, plus we will make America healthier.
This gives the users of these systems movtivation to break free of the system and go get their own private market health care if they do not want to live within the Christian Standards of the government plan. Afterall, our Christian and Chief said we need to be our "brother's keeper." By the way is he choosing to be Christian or Muslim this week? I cannot keep track?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/artic...
Regards,
PS
I think it is absolutely necessary to reform our health care system. It is long overdue. Can anyone name a country in the Western World who has some form of governed health care, that forces people to declare bankruptcy because they are stuck with hospital bills they can't pay? I not only work in the health care system, but I am also one of the working people who is without health insurance and I am not an illegal. My husband and I had insurance up until 6 weeks ago, when his employer decided to raise the premiums 300%. Is it ok for insurance companies to decide what operation I can have, is it ok that the insurance company can decide whether or not I should get insurance at all? I for one support health care reform, because doing nothing at this point is not an option anymore.
The Bamster's health care IS like the UK plan! If the Bamster is such a good Christian, why is his brother living in a 5'8' hut in Kenya and earning $12.00 a year? Medicare and Medicaid are broke. So is Social Security. Private insurance plans are much superior. Truth mean nothing to socialists. Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, Mao and Castro proved frequently. The truth is, women in the UK are having babies in elevators, rest rooms, etc. The elderly are denied organ transplants, joint implants and lay in their own waste for day, drinking water from flower vases. Dying in ambulances waiting to be admitted into hospitals and also dying in emergency waiting rooms. Socialism is suffering, neglect and a total loss of humanatary care. I give you the facts, deny them at your own peril.
thepotstirrer.....You should change your user name to "thepotthatcalledthekettleblack". Your one of the nut jobs lined up with the "it's socialism, it's socialism" crowd and you just laid out your plan on how everyone in America is supposed to conduct their lives, how to think and what to believe.
You and your idiot friends are the ones that want to control peoples lives and take freedom from Americans. You people need to check yourselves before you start telling other people how to live.
We are the one taking freedom away? Ezekiel Emmanuel wants forced abortions. He also believes the Hipocratic Oath is outdated; doctors should be less concerned about the patient and more concerned about society. He wants to withhold medical care for the elderly. For the benefit of society? Exekiel is one on the Bamster's Czars. Over 30 now. America doesn't need one Czar. They were brutal dictators! We don't need the Bamster and socialism either. How old are you? Maybe Ezekiel will give you a pain pill instead of an organ transpland, joint implant, etc. Of course we have to do what's good for society. Agree? Who wants to control peoples' thought? I don't want to take over the internet or shut down talk radio. I don't tell people how to live; you want to tell people how to die. Why don't you socialists replace the outdated Hipocratic Oath with the Hipocritic Oath?
Cambridge,
By all means champ, we live in a free country. You can eat, drink, smoke, or bang anything you want until your heart is content. However, if your health care would be provided by the government, why should taxpayers provide hard earned dollars for those slackers that do not take care of themselves?
Have you ever been in a super market when someone pays for all their groceries with food stamps, then whips out a wad of cash for a carton of cigarettes? Great use of taxpayer dollars!!
I will give you credit on the play on words.
PS