I heard the candidates passionately debate the credentials of their healthcare policies and as I cringed at both of the proposals I remembered that there was once a proposed healthcare plan that I could get behind. UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE! What ever happened to this idea. How did that idea get yanked off the table and get replaced with the two absurd proposals we have to choose from now. I think an even better question is "where is Hilary"?
Now, I know her ass is still chapped over narrowly losing her party's endorsement for President but that doesn't mean that she still shouldn't fight for Universal Healthcare. Instead of being a sore loser I suggest that she continue her awesome crusade for healthcare for every American, particularly services for women, children, and preventative treatment programs. The problem with the two current proposals for healthcare change is that they both depend on tax rebates, credits, or employer incentives to foot the bill. Where the wheels fall off that wagon is when our economy is in the toilet and businesses start to close and the unemployment rate skyrockets, there wont be sufficient revenue to support the proposed system.
As it stands today, our country has it's highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression. What should scare you about that is that all those unemployed people will file for unemployment and receive state benefits which will invariable increase employers tax contributions to the system. Furthermore, unemployment benefits only last for 39 weeks so after the benefits run out, there will be a surge of unemployed workers who can't find jobs to pay into the healthcare tax scheme that Obama and McCain propose. In effect, all that gets accomplished with those two proposals is the continuation of a broken healthcare system where at it's core continues to reduce healthcare to a privilege rather than a right.
As it stands today, our country has it's highest unemployment rate since the Great Depression. What should scare you about that is that all those unemployed people will file for unemployment and receive state benefits which will invariable increase employers tax contributions to the system. Furthermore, unemployment benefits only last for 39 weeks so after the benefits run out, there will be a surge of unemployed workers who can't find jobs to pay into the healthcare tax scheme that Obama and McCain propose. In effect, all that gets accomplished with those two proposals is the continuation of a broken healthcare system where at it's core continues to reduce healthcare to a privilege rather than a right.
Hilary had it right, Healthcare is a right that should be afforded to all Americans. Of course taxes should be allocated to support a Universal Healthcare system but rather than having a complicated tax scheme to achieve this, rather a mandatory Universal Healthcare income tax structure similar to Social Security should be employed. Now, I know that Social Security has it's problems but it is still a right that Americans have come to depend on. Healthcare should also be a right that every American can depend on and should not be left out of the public debate because it's biggest proponent is a sore loser. Come on back Hilary and finish the job!
1 comment:
I disagree with this on a number of levels.
"Now, I know her ass is still chapped over narrowly losing her party's endorsement for President but that doesn't mean that she still shouldn't fight for Universal Healthcare."
First off, she hasn't disappeared into the night. From Politico: "In July, Obama reversed course and signed onto Clinton’s proposal to grant health insurance tax credits for small business owners, telling a national Hispanic group that the “idea [was] championed by my friend Hillary Clinton, who has been leading the way in our battle to insure every American.”
Also, because Obama controls the Democratic Platform, she's basically handcuffed into waiting until after the election and the start of the new congressional session to rally support.
Also also, Obama's plan makes it VASTLY easier to access affordable coverage. "Since the plan lacks an individual mandate for adults (coverage is mandated for children), it would not cover all the uninsured and therefore would provide universal access to insurance rather than universal coverage. However, most Americans without insurance would gain coverage through the new public and private insurance options, and Obama has not ruled out adopting an individual mandate in the future if the plan does not produce universal coverage."
Finally, unemployed people don't pay into social security. Therefor, they wouldn't be paying into Universal Healthcare. Therefor, well you get the point.
Finally finally, this is what really bugs me about issues like this. Obama has said he believes health care is a right of every American. However, he knows that a large portion of the country disagrees with this, namely John McCain who believes it's a responsibility. So Obama is pushing for a passable solution, acceptable to an even larger scope of people on BOTH sides of the issue.
Jumping up and down and screaming that Obama's a wimp for not righteously backing Universal Healthcare isn't going to get the uninsured covered any faster. Sitting down and creating a plan that makes concessions to both sides, while GREATLY IMPROVING the current situation will.
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