Health care reform is going to save the nation a heaping helping of money.
I'm not one to talk turkey about finances - gosh, I even have trouble balancing my checkbook. So I'll let the New York Times do the talking on this one. If you regard that paper as a liberal piece of fish wrap, let me paraphrase for you:
The Congressional Budget office says, "in the first ten years, the health legislation would reduce deficits by $138 billion,and the effect on deficits over the following decade would be much greater — Democrats said $1.2 trillion — although such long term forecasts are more speculative. The savings would come largely from reductions in the growth of Medicare spending, with new fees and tax increases also contributing."
I'm not a rocket scientist, but that sounds like a chunk of change, and a spectacular reason to move ahead with a plan that is fiscally responsible while providing health care access to the neediest.
And folks, that group includes a growing number of Middle Class families dealing with layoffs, downsizing and other financial calamities.
This isn't just about the poor. This is about people like your parents, your in-laws, your cousins, your friends, your co-workers.
Hell, this is about you and me.
House Democrats are poised to vote on this vital health care legislation as soon as Sunday. I live on Cincinnati's East Side, and am regrettably represented by Rep. Jean Schmidt (R). Mean Jean and I do not share a common perspective on what would make Greater Cincinnati even greater, so my hope lies in District 1 Rep. Steve Driehaus (D).
But Driehaus represents the West Side, a long time bastion of conservative thought. I give the guy credit because I think it's amazing he won in the first place. But Driehaus currently says he won't support the legislation, under the thinly veiled reason of how the bill affects the availability of abortions.
This is a total cop-out.
I get that Driehaus likes his new gig in Washington. Who wouldn't? Why would he want to return to his previous line of work (though, I imagine Greater Cincinnati's non-profits would love to have him back).
The fact is, Driehaus has an even bigger and better opportunity on Sunday.
He could leave a lasting legacy that impacts the entire U. S. of A - giving access to health care to small business owners, families who can't afford coverage, people coping with pre-existing conditions and seniors who are struggling with fixed incomes.
A change to our health care system would be a tremendous change for this nation - making us stronger, healthier and our nation's assets more solvent.
Driehaus could take one for the team (potentially) and roll the dice on his reelection in exchange for supporting the greatest opportunity for health care reform in 30 years.
We can only hope.
Click here to contact your legislator, and tell them you want them to pass health care reform on Sunday.
Kate's Random Musings by Kate the Great is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
7 comments:
Driehaus is District 1. Schmidt is District 2.
Oy, thanks for catching my mistake. For some reason, I had Schmidt on the brain...
Great post, Kate. I am "represented" - if you can call it that - by both Senators and a Congressman who are poster children for the extreme right. I am grateful for the men and women of courage outside of my state who I believe will do the right thing, and get this legislation passed. You are absolutely right, this is about all of us. It's about our future, and who we want to be as a country. It's about doing the right thing.
Couldn't have said it any better, Kate. Let's hope that people finally see through the ridiculous politics from the right (death panels to kill grandma, seriously?) and do the right thing.
Oh, and though I'm not represented by Mean Jean (thank God!), you can add terrible driver to her list of traits as well.
Was getting on the on-ramp to 71 one morning a couple months back and this car turned left onto the ramp from the wrong lane, cutting me off and almost taking most of the front part of my car with it. As they zoomed past me, while I was slamming my brakes, I looked up and the tightly-bunned-hair-rawhide-face of too much sun during her runs was unmistakable.
Well, that and she had a "Vote for Schmidt" magnetic car sticker on her driver side door.
I think health care is a good thing but I don't think the smoke and mirrors of this one is good.
The fact that it won't cover everybody, the fact that we are paying taxes into it for 3 yrs before it takes affect, and the fact that it will create 4 million government jobs scares the hell out of me.
It should be done, but it should be done better and not rushed.
I wouldn't worry about being supported by Jean "Viet Nam Vets are Cowards" Schmidt, it's not like these people actually represent us.
Thankfully, it's pretty much a done deal now.
Tony B:
While the exchanges and subsidies don't fully kick in for three years, there are a number of real, tangible benefits that begin more or less immediately. Here's a short list:
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/what-you-get-when-hcr-passes
This is what the liberals at FireDogLake have said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jane-hamsher/fact-sheet-the-truth-abou_b_506026.html
Since you like the New York Times...
The former head of the CBO said that this bill will add over $560 billion (if all goes well) to our already exploded debt...in the first year. 2.5 TRILLION by decade 2. Remember the current CBO has to agree that the Democrats will actually not pass the Doc Fix and raise taxes on Union Cadillac plans...two things they won't do.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/opinion/21holtz-eakin.html
Don't get fooled by the gimmicks.
The bill is super expensive.
You are right here...
"A change to our health care system would be a tremendous change for this nation - making us stronger, healthier and our nation's assets more solvent."
Too bad...this bill...oops...law won't do any of those things.
:)
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