American with a much better solution-
Wait a minute, as one who does not want bigger government I could careless how great they make this healthcare takeover sound - i am not buying what they are selling. Medicare is going broke, social security is also going broke, yet the government wants to start providing insurance for "everybody"?
Basically what this is going to look like is an expansion of Medicare - which is a bankrupt program. How are they going to expand coverage for millions of people for less money, and keep costs from rising without rationing care? This is not possible, and coming from the Obama administration it is not to be believed. Not only that, but why should we be required to pay for this?
Furthermore, it is the government that caused the problems with health care in the first place. It is government that has placed obstacles on insurance companies being able to provide insurance across state lines ( there are some states that have one provider that writes like 90% of the policies = no competition, and therefore, increased costs). This is a result of government meddling - from the HMOs, to the so-called "managed care." once government gets involved in the private sector you get fannie mae and freddie mac.
No, i am not interested in bigger government, and I do not support any take over of healthcare. period. And like you, I am not part of any "astroturf" campaign either - despite all efforts to spin it otherwise. what we need is a separation of business and state, just as we have a separation of church and state. When government gets into business it privatizes profits (friends, cronies, and the politicians themselves), yet socializes the risks (you and me pay!).
What you are missing here is that people protesting obama's health care have a fundamental difference in what they believe the role of government should be in people's lives. If one believes in limited government then one is not going to support this gargantuan expansion of government regardless of what is on page 16 of the house bill (have you read any of it, just curious). For you to paint those who are against this sort of expansion of government as somehow misinformed and easily-led dupes is simply an effort to smear and dismiss out of hand the voice of about 50% of the voting public. the response you are seeing is the result of this difference of opinion on the role of government; this is what animates the opposition.
You present yourselves as a legitimate watchdog organization that is keeping an eye on the shenanigans of politician and those that try to sway them, but the truth is you are simply a front group yourselves. you are completely one-sided, and you have an agenda which is to further democratic, left-leaning causes and legislation. You even receive money from the Tides Foundation, which has been set up as an entity that disburses money from donors who wish to maintain anonymity. Tides also funds purely left-wing causes.
In short, you are the very thing that you purport to be decrying! Bravo! the ultimate spin doctors, posing as anti-spin doctors.
It is very interesting that some member of the "Tea Party" would chose to comment on this site and not bother to use their name or email.
I have watched and listened to this group spread lies and misinformation fueled by fear and ignorance.
These are not the qualities of the real "Tea Party" patriots that these people claim to emulate.
Of course these people have a right to speak their minds and we have a right to call them out.
Dear Wendell,
Thank you, thank you for speaking out for those of us who cannot. As a former clinical partner at CIGNA, I know you to be an exceedingly honest man.
I am not afraid of the public option; we need it! The current medical system is broken. I pray our lawmakers are strong enough to do what is right and include a public plan in any final health reform legislation enacted by Congress.
A public option will require that private insurers compete against the public plan's essential benefits package. Guess what? The public plan's benefit structure may be richer than what some private insurers currently provide and the out of pocket costs may be less and the degree of cost shifting to the insured that currently goes on may be reduced. And yes, the administrative costs will have to go down.
No one ever talks about the REAL death panels, the ones run by insurance companies. They reject life-saving medical procedures just so they can use the money to fill their pockets rather than to save people's lives. Thousands of people die every year because of this. Well, I hope Americans are happy that the evil socialist universal health care bill has once again been defeated. Let us all rejoice, my dear sheep, for the sacred forces of capitalism and the good old "free market" are victorious and we have been saved from such horrors as free health care and being able to choose your own doctor and hospital. And just think about what would have happened to those poor CEOs! No more eight digit salaries, no more cruising around in their fancy corporate jets while eating from plates made of solid gold, and no more buying politicians in order to block legislation that could get in the way of the previous two things. Can you imagine an America without greed? Oh, what a tragedy that would be!
No one ever talks about the REAL death panels, the ones run by insurance companies. They reject life-saving medical procedures just so they can use the money to fill their pockets rather than to save people's lives. Thousands of people die every year because of this. Well, I hope Americans are happy that the evil socialist universal health care bill has once again been defeated. Let us all rejoice, my dear sheep, for the sacred forces of capitalism and the good old "free market" are victorious and we have been saved from such horrors as free health care and being able to choose your own doctor and hospital. And just think about what would have happened to those poor CEOs! No more eight digit salaries, no more cruising around in their fancy corporate jets while eating from plates made of solid gold, and no more buying politicians in order to block legislation that could get in the way of the previous two things. Can you imagine an America without greed? Oh, what a tragedy that would be!
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