Fast Track to Economic Health
It appears we’re very likely to incur another $861 billion in committed entitlements to cover healthcare reform. When the dust settles, we will have indulged our social consciences to the extent that we officially establish health care as a right instead of a privilege. Actually, it may not be all that bad in the long run.
After all, we’ve already committed to huge amounts of debt that can encumber our kids, and theirs, for a long time. This would be a little more for a good cause.
My point here is that the role of the conservative has never been to simply throw roadblocks in the way of progress, as the liberal establishment would have us believe. Rather it’s role is important and two-fold: protector and facilitator!
As protector, that side of the aisle has always been the side to turn to for national security. That will not change.
As facilitator, it supports business, commerce, and production—ultimately the only source of funds to cover all of our national expense. There’s simply no other place to get it. So the sooner the left makes peace with the guys on the right who can pay for all their good works, the better off we’ll all be!
In return for accepting healthcare reform (and with it a public option that can prevent the insurance business from devouring so much of both the providers’ and the patients’ dollars) the conservative side of the aisle should demand legislation that will enhance business’s ability to provide the funds to pay that debt, that will foster entrepreneurialism, and free up funds for investment in job-producing enterprise.
That would seem a win-win situation that might just bring us back to economic health faster than anything else could.
What do you think?
Do you REALLY think we will solve our debt problem by plunging deeper into debt?
Or do you think the government will simply print more money and repay the debt with highly inflated dollars?
That seems to be the politically correct method that penalizes people whom save and rewards people whom spent it all.
Last night PBS’s Frontline did a survey of the healthcare systems around the world that seemed to deliver better care and much less cost.
Very different philosophy on healthcare. I’m interested in how we’ll entice young people to enter these professions with very low pay and very high levels of responsibility and liability.
Of course, if you are a poor doctor, malpractice really has no teeth.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/
@Gary Simms
“Do you REALLY think we will solve our debt problem by plunging
deeper into debt?”
Of course not! It’s a no-brainer that the deeper in debt we become, the harder it will be to extricate ourselves and the longer it will take to do so. But, those intent on digging our hole deeper won the election and are in power. We’ve already dug a hole for our grandkids.
I’m suggesting only that, given the facts of life, we might as well get something for our loss and offer to cooperate more in return for concessions on their part that will help us provide the means to dig us out when it’s our turn.
A good example is the fact that credit is being grossly misapplied. The bailout funds are still being used, when at all, to give people things they shouldn’t have because they’re not capable of earning them. And it’s not being granted in cases where the funds are used by small business to generate money and provide jobs and tax revenue. In the long run, changing that situation will do more for our recovery than worrying about the funds going to health care.
Your comments are always welcome, Gary. And always cogent. Why not tune in tomorrow evening to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ellis-traub. We can discuss these issues “on the air,” in person, and, maybe stimulate some input from others out there.
I’ll try to tune in this Thursday 11/19/2009.
Here’s an interesting site that calculates each state’s “moocher” ratio!
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1130/opinions-william-baldwin-side-lines.html
The article mentions the current equivilent of the Revolutionary War will be done with U-Haul trailers rather than rifles. VBG
Our problem is we have a large number of individuals contributing nothing to the nation, but consuming resources.
We need for our fiscal decisions to affect every single taxpayer so they will have some skin in the game. Otherwise people will just vote for free everything as long as they don’t have to pay for it.
One of the local ads for Govenor of Illinois features the opponent making a statement that we need to raise the taxes on someone making $14,000 per year. It’s implied that this is just not right.
The proposed tax increase is from 3% to 5%. That’s an additional $280 for that individual.
That’s fair. An additional 2% to me is a whole lot more than that.
Alternatively, we could cut spending in Illinois. Slash 10% of the top of every program and we save 10%. Cut worthless programs and we’ll save a lot more.
Have you heard about Illinois new proposal limiting politcal offices to two terms? One term in political office and one term in prison.
And we think our leaders will solve our problems?