Random Shots for Saturday, 5 September 2009

Today in history

COMMENTS I’VE POSTED

1. Posted to Facebook —

   It took them long enough to figure this out, but their revered St. Ronnie was the one who started this “czar” garbage as a way to escalate Drug Prohibition.

2. Re: Single Payer: A Slow Train Coming —

   Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. [ Sat Sep 5 2009 12:52 PM ]

   As soon as I can afford to do so

   That sounds a little low rent for someone who, I presume, can afford the exorbitant rates of a private health care plan.

   I’m one of the “47 million uninsured” that Obama & Co. keep harping about. Right now, I’m working at a discount store for 10 bucks an hour. All I can see from this plan is more regulations, taxes and subsidies that will drive health care costs up even further.

   Maybe I’m wrong – what existing restrictions on health care does ObamaCare repeal?

   Back in August 2007, I had strep throat and paid 80 bucks cash for the doctor visit and prescription (amoxycillin). A week later I developed an allergy to the amoxycillin but was able to fix that with over-the-counter Benadryl – no paperwork, no run to the emergency room, etc.

   Realistically, this is paranoia. If you investigated any of the health care systems of the other G8 countries you will see that the majority of them have both private and public options. The main attraction of a public option, in my opinion, is to force the insurance health industry to be more competitive by putting them up against a bottom line that is accessible to the least of us.

   If you’re dead-set on the public option, why not set it up as a non-profit 501-c-3 outfit, then push for Obama to get rid of regulations propping up drug prices, existing HMOs, etc.? That way you get something to compete with the for-profit companies without the top-down coercive approach favored by Washington DC politicians.

   But that’s not the argument I want to have. Let’s stay on topic

   You didn’t answer the question –

   If “single-payer,” er, I mean “public option” is such a great deal, what about the cases in the States where it’s already been put in place – the Indian Health Service and the Veterans Administration? Why aren’t you citing these as examples of how things should be run? What about the Massachusetts mandatory-health-insurance law?

3. Re: Single Payer: A Slow Train Coming —

   Tea Partiers as non-voters? [ Sat Sep 5 2009 12:55 PM ]

   I was at the 15 April Tea Party centered around the Independence Grill – there were quite a few people there who said they voted for Obama and that his post-election policy stands were NOT what they were voting for.