-By Chuck Busch
This monstrosity of a bureaucratic nightmare must be shut down before it does any more damage to our nation’s economy and health care industry. If this federal program were a patient of it’s own heath care system it would be referred to a death panel by now to determine its viability. I think it is obvious to everyone that the condition of this program is terminal.
It deserves to die. I am generally not one for promoting euthanasia, but in this case there is no sense in flogging this dead horse. It was misrepresented to the Supreme Court and John Roberts had to perform emergency surgery to the legislation in order to give it another lease on life. It was misrepresented in Congress and rammed through without the proper bipartisan committee hearings and even total review of the text of the bill. (“We have to pass it to know what is in it.”) The Republicans were completely shut out of all the negotiations with the unions, insurance companies and health industry leaders. Now various select groups have been exempted from the program and even Congressional staff members are to receive subsidies in paying for their personal health care expenses. This is gross cronyism and unconstitutional inequality under the law.
You cannot pass major legislation that affects one sixth of the nation’s economy without solid bi-partisan support and expect it to be acceptable with the general population. It has never received above 50% in favor of in polling. None of the promises, claims, and benefits this overhaul was to deliver have any chance of materializing. Instead, costs are going up, companies are cutting back on benefits and employees and fewer doctors are interested in handing Medicaid or Medicare patients. Half of this program has been delayed from implementation because of the sheer complexity. This program also contains many provisions that violate the sensibilities and religious freedoms of individuals and organizations.
This program was ill-conceived and illegitimate from the start, and it is time now for the nation’s leaders to do what needs to be done and put an end to this slow motion train wreck and save the people of this country from years of uncertainty, hardship and misery.
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Chuck Busch may be contacted via email him atBuscCharles@aol.com