Bottom lining it

In my last post, I discussed the reasons why I object to the health care legislation that is being negotiated in Congress. Now, having gone through all that, you may think I am adamently against any kind of reform. Nothing could be further from the truth. I want something passed that is well thought out and fair to all. Even though it goes against my skeptical nature, I would love to have a single-payer system that was run efficiently and effectively.

Up until now, though, I was not convinced at all that what Congress would pass would do little more than cause a big chaotic mess. And on top of that, I was seeing people all over the nation vilified and ridiculed for voicing their freedom of speech to object to Business As Usual in D.C. That is what really ticks me off, that people cannot disagree with this administration without being called astro-turfers, racists, idiots, mobsters, and domestic terrorists. It's just not right and I would have much more respect for Obama if he would have the decency and confidence to speak out and tell his supporters to quit the name calling. Even today at his Montana town hall, though, he continues to ridicule some of the things citizens have told him.

Sticks and stones. I guess I'll have to be bigger than him. I'll have to take a higher road than the president. Que sera sera. I know I am none of those things. I'm putting it aside for now in order to focus on health care.

In the last week, though, I think the protest message is getting respect, no matter how much the messengers are being shot at. Suddenly, Obama is singing a more subdued tune. The insurance companies are going to be reformed now. I like that. The way people are getting dropped for pre-existing conditions or forgetting to disclose they had mumps at age 9 -- that practice needs to be stopped, as well as the practice of making insured people pay medical costs of uninsured people in the sneakiest way possible.

I don't mind telling you, this is why I said at the beginning of this post that I'd take a single payer system, because it's like why it's so silly to keep your green beans separate from your beets on your plate when it all goes in your stomach and mixes up. We will pay for these uninsured people (of which ThereButFor TheGrace could include me) one way or another, and I'll always be lower-middle class on the socio-economic scale, so hey, I'd rather have those making over $250K pay for them instead of me whenever I go to the emergency room. Just sayin'. Just being honest.

Now, whether you agree with me or not, one thing is not up for debate at all: when Congress gets back from August vacay, they are going to pass a bill, because the Dems have the votes to do it with or without the Repubs. So, you know what? I'm willing to get on board as long as they do one thing: put themselves and all other government employees, including the president, on the same plan. No exceptions. If they do that, then I will feel reasonably safe in trusting that whatever they come up with will be good for all of us.

As far as I know, though, they won't do that. Don't you wonder why? Don't you want to demand it? I mean, if this snake oil they're selling is soooo good, why not stand behind it? My brother says I'm onto something, and that we ought to all rise up and demand it, but he wants it for a different reason. He doesn't want anything changed, so he thinks us doing that would stop Congress dead in their tracks from doing anything, because he's willing to bet his entire savings they wouldn't agree to it.

Now, I don't agree. If they HAD to, I think they would still pass a bill. I think it would be a good bill, as in a good health care system for you and me, precisely because it would be good for THEM.

That, I fear, is the only way we are going to get anything we can use that's better than what we now have or better than nothing. It would definitely ensure it. Think about it.