I’m pretty scrawny. Built for lovin’-not fightin’ has been my motto since I was like 7. So I am leery at the Republicans thoughts of repealing this bill.
The States are the ones getting screwed here. The mandates that Obama has foisted on the individual State governments is going to crush them; the debt will be insurmountable. But the National GOP doesn’t have to do a THING. Already we see states, Republican AND Democrat submit or pass legislation requiring the AG to sue the Federal Government over this bill. If I were the GOP, I would offer support but stay out of the fight. See, the Democrats have given the GOP a gift; if used well.
Because I am a hundred pound weakling I know first hand the results of a toe to toe knockdown. It’s painful and may only marginally suit your original needs. As I got older I became wiser. Part of this wisdom was imparted to me by a sensei here in Raleigh. I was learning the art of Aikido. One of the key tenants of Aikido is to walk away from the fight. However, if confronted, the best and only means of success is to use the enemy’s force against him. [In fact we never did learn to punch in Aikido]. I think that right now the Democrats are over reaching and off balance. We need to pull, not push.
In passing this bill, the Left has lost any of the popularity they once had. They are polling as bad as they ever have and the idea that they passed this legislation in this manner has riled up many many American’s.
My advice: Be smart about campaigning in 2010. It’s so bad for Dems right now that Bush might be able to beat Obama. Just be smart. Win some seats, then in 2012, win some more.
And reconcile the absolute SNOT out of this legislation.
- Stop the taxes
- End the requirement to obtain insurance.
- Strip away the regulation of what insurance companies can and can’t sell
And then ADD:
- Less restrictive mandates as to what care is covered.
- End this silliness of State borders.
- Subsidize folks with pre-existing conditions UNTIL the insurance company takes them on.
- It’s a little know fact that many companies will accept pre-existing conditions as long as they don’t pay out on those conditions for 1 year. After that, the condition is no longer pre-existing and becomes fully covered.
- Help those that really can’t afford to get covered get a policy. But do this in a manner that incents the concept of “shopping”. Provide them with a catastrophe policy and build them an HSA. This will build a natural frugality that will prevent them from going to the doctor every week or two for minor aches and pains.
Obama has mapped the route to the Death Star. All we have to do is follow his lead. Elect them out, use his law and reconcile this thing until is works.
You’re not 100 lbs. Try 195 lbs. 86 in your gut.
You’re not 100 lbs. Try 195 lbs. 86 in your gut.
Nice. You haaaad to go there!
You want to eliminate the individual mandate? Okay, but then you can’t stop insurance companies from discriminating based on pre-existing conditions. If you are going to force insurance companies to take on the riskier insureds by banning pre-existing conditions, then you have to make up for that risk by increasing the pool of insureds–which is the point of the individual mandate. Without an individual mandate you simply cannot stop risk selection.
I don’t get this whole fascination with the right opposing the individual mandate. If my memory serves me correct, the individual mandate was an idea put forth by the Heritage Foundation in order to stop people from freeloading. I happen to agree. Why should we let people freeload by being uninsured and mooching off the emergency rooms, which happens to be the most expensive type of care. Screw that. They should have to buy insurance just like every other good citizen out there. I shouldn’t have to pay for your risk taking in the most expensive and least efficient way possible (i.e. through the emergency room).
If my memory serves me correct, the individual mandate was an idea put forth by the Heritage Foundation in order to stop people from freeloading.
I have to admit that I was young and clueless back when Clinton was attempting his version. Now that the debate is over I have been hearing that what Obama accomplished is very similar to what the Right suggested to Clinton; I’ll have to look.
You are right, though. There certainly is an element of “It’s from the Left, we don’t want it” going on. I have tried very hard to separate the emotion from the facts.
More important to me is that we allow insurance companies cover their risk. They do that now with pre-existing conditions. And you’re right, we should allow the insurance companies to cover or not cover based on them.