CURRENT ISSUES
Pros and Cons from Whetstone Staff Waiters
Get the Facts
Jared Nielsen
When Obama
talks about his health
care plan, everything
sounds perfect, but
what are the costs of
the Affordable Health
Care for America Act?
First of all, Americas
national debt stands
around twelve trillion
dollars, while the cur
rent administrations
spending has been out
the roof. The current
American economy,
which has hit a 10%
unemployment rate,
simply cannot sup
port the financial
burden of this bill.
“Isn’t helping the poor
important,” many
ask? Yes, it is, but this
bill is estimated to
leave thirteen million
people uninsured and
the hundreds of free
clinics in cities around
America will suffer
as their private do
nors are charged with
additional surtax
thanks to the new bill.
Then consider the fact
that nearly every time
the government be
comes involved in the
private sector, activi
ties become extremely
inefficient because of
the complex bureau
cracy that entangles all
government services.
The government is not
a competitive organi
zation, meaning that
they don’t care if you
use their services or
not. Those Americans
who are dependent
on government care
and services can be
come trapped and
have nowhere else to
go. If the health care
plan passes and you
become dependent on
the government for
paper work before you
can receive life im-
■ %
proving treatment, the
government has abso
lutely no incentive for
processing that paper
work quickly. It might
sound ironic, but it is
the pursuit of profit
and competition be
tween firms that drives
innovation, improves
customer service, and
keeps balanced prices.
There can be no doubt
that America’s health
care system needs
reform, but govern
ment involvement as
the bill calls for will
only make the current
situation worse and it
will eventually lead us
to a universal health
care plan, where the
government becomes
America’s sole health
care administrator and
provider. Many coun
tries around the globe
have adopted a uni
versal health care plan.
yet for some reason,
those who can afford
it come to America
to receive treatment.
In Canada and Great
Britain the process for
receiving treatment
can take so long that
those with life threat
ening conditions are
forced to make the trip
to the United States,
where they can be seen
and treated right away.
There is no doubt that
the health care bill is
one of the most de
bated topics in Ameri
can politics. This bill,
regardless of whether it
will be effective or not,
will impact our lives
as Americans and it is
important to under
stand the government
was designed to be
run for, by, and of the
people. This means
that we have a role to
keep our government
leaders accountable
and make sure that
we understand both
sides of every issue so
we can make the best
decisions. The newest
version of the health
care was passed in the
House of Representa
tives by only five votes;
it would be a shame
if a bill of this size
and nature would be
passed without sub
stantial input from
the American people
themselves.
I November 18,2009 |Page~TT