Posted by Mary Moody
We’ve heard spin, hyperbole, and promises. Most politicians have an agenda. But the American people want the truth.
Some facts about health care reform as presently proposed by the Obama Administration in March 2010:
It will “only” cost $900+ billion.
It will “reduce the deficit by $130 billion in the first 10 years.
159 government departments and agencies will be involved in administering it.
The IRS will be the enforcer.
Everyone (or is it only CITIZENS?) will be REQUIRED to have health care insurance.
We will pay taxes for the reforms beginning this year.
Most benefits don’t begin until at least 2014.
A majority of Americans oppose the health care bill being considered, would prefer to see the plan scrapped and reform to start over, and fear the government more than they do insurance companies. A huge majority, 76% rate their insurance coverage as good or excellent.
Given these facts, why are Democrats pressuring Congress to pass this bill and pass it now! Pressure so intense, so manipulative that many of the deals being offered border on unethical if not illegal. (See questions and comments about the government’s shutting off water to the California Central Valley and recent announcements about possible votes for health care in exchange for more water. [http://american-conservativevalues.com/blog/
or http://nrcc.org/blog/blogitem.aspx?id=261.] As I heard earlier today—recent dictators Saddam Hussein and Robert Mugabe have coerced citizens of their countries by withholding food and water.
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OK—so let’s “discuss” some of these facts.
It will “only” cost $900+ billion.
Well how will THAT impact our country’s credit rating? Moody’s Investor Services, whose credit-worthiness ratings impact interest rates the federal government must pay on treasury notes, has said that maintaining our AAA credit rating “… will invariably require fiscal adjustments of a magnitude that, in some cases, will test social cohesion.” [quoted: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/16/business/global/16rating.html]
THAT sobering warning was based on current law—not even factoring in the impact of passing this new health care bill !!
And even if it didn’t cause us long-term, major problems with our credit worthiness, government estimates of entitlement programs are notoriously off (and always under-estimated).
The proposed system is already implemented in Massachusetts. David Axelrod has referred to the MA health care system as the “pilot program” for the proposed federal health care reform. Tim Cahill, State Treasure of MA related that the universal health care system instituted in MA 4 yrs ago was SUPPOSED to accomplished, and was said it WOULD accomplish, all the things the current federal proposed legislation is supposed to do. And it has not worked.
It hasn’t brought down costs, and in fact, he says their STATE would have gone bankrupt if the US government had not been overly generous and propped up that system with federal stimulus dollars. He said the program continues to increase costs to individuals and the state, and their budget deficit grows.
He warns, based on the actual experience of running this “pilot Program” of health care in MA, that that if this health care reform bill passes it will bankrupt the US in 4 years.
It will “reduce the deficit by $130 billion in the first 10 years.
But that’s not counting the $208 billion price tag for the so-called Doctor Fix, the separate legislation that will increase Medicare reimbursement to physicians. YES, that IS a health care cost, but by putting it in a separate bill, Democrats can say the Health Care Reform bill will reduce the deficit. More fuzzy math. More fuzzy TRUTH!
159 government departments and agencies will be involved in administering it.
Oh yes, more government bureaucrats—THAT will reduce cost.
Dennis Cauchon reported in the Dec. 11, 2009 on-line edition of USAToday that
“The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data.
Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession’s first 18 months — and that’s before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.
Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time — in pay and hiring — during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector.” He added that not only were federal government employees’ rate of pay rising faster, the “average federal worker’s pay to $71,206, compared with $40,331 in the private sector.” [http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2009-12-10-federal-pay-salaries_N.htm]
So how does that factor into SAVING money in health care insurance?
The IRS will be the enforcer.
Every month the IRS will be tasked with checking that 300 million+ people have government-approved health insurance, and will have power to fine you $2,200 or up to 2% of your income if you don’t. (Yea! 16,500 new IRS employees. MORE of those highly paid fed employees.) The IRS will also be able to share your personal information with the Dept. of Health & Human Services.
Plus, the IRS has a track record. Do we want MORE of their intrusion into our lives with their fantastic record customer service, fair treatment, and ensuring compliance? ABC News reported that nearly 100,000 civilian federal employees owe the IRS $962 million in back taxes yet the IRS isn’t collecting it. So is it only PRIVATE CITIZENS they harass?
[http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Tax/100000-federal-employees-owe-irs-back-taxes/story?id=10125860&page= 1]
Everyone (or is it only CITIZENS?) will be REQUIRED to have health care insurance.
The only requirement for this mandate is that one is alive. Since when does the federal government have legitimate power to force us to buy something just because we are alive?
Yes, governments require us to have licenses to drive or do any number of jobs, but we always have a choice of whether or not we want to engage in that activity.
The Bill uses questionable accounting methods.
We will pay taxes for the reforms beginning this year.
Most benefits don’t begin until at least 2014.
The bill uses “fuzzy” bookkeeping (in the real world, it would be illegal) by applying one pool of money to meet two different costs. Even the CBO—which must score the bill it’s given even if the bill is impossible, illegal, or unethical—says the proposed reductions in cost are incorrect BECAUSE of this accounting trick.
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This health care bill infringes on our rights and freedoms as American individuals. It transfers too much power to the federal government. It will add to the crushing debt of this country. And make no mistake:
This health care bill is just a first step. Pelosi, Harkin, even President Obama himself as far back as 2007 have been telling us they want—and intend to get—a single-payer system. But that will take transition step to achieve. THIS BILL IS THAT STEP. We Americans must wake up, stand up, and protect our rights from usurpation by the state. And many, MANY will pay a price if we do not.
Our rights and our country are at stake.
Even our flag seems to be weeping.
