Enough Blame All Around

How does one look at something objectively, when they know they have commonsense fundamentals that tell them that what they are observing is not quite right.  Democrats, Independents and Republicans have their own take on the current government shut down.  All of us use our fundamental beliefs, experience and accrued knowledge to justify our perspective.  At least in our own minds we will be correct. 

Listening to the congressional debates on C-Span, the rhetoric on network television, cable news, and reading print media, one must wonder how everyone can be right when everyone is wrong.  It seems so creative how politicians justify their decision, while they leave out the downside of their viewpoint.  They seem to only want to make their point, without consideration of someone else’s.

I have taken away from the past few days that there is a need for healthcare reform that will take care of the indigent, but that there is no need to “over” burden the rest of society.  There is a key role government can play without over reaching or over taxing the American people.  Society is now paying a high price for not addressing the failures of its healthcare industry, which is leaving behind those who cannot afford their own healthcare.  This is societies failure, not that of the medical industry.  Society can and should (through legislation) come up with solutions to this problem, but while the Affordable Care Act may accomplish what our current healthcare system did not, it will only place an extreme burden of horror on the rest of society. 

It can be understood why both sides of the healthcare issue are steadfast in their determination.  Many of the arguments are thoughtful and reasonable, but government should not be the facilitator of healthcare, because it will negotiate our lives away through endless bureaucracy (look at the IRS).  It is difficult to have the confidence that government has the ability to do what is right, regardless its intentions.  The current shutdown justifies this point.  What we are witnessing now is reflective of the future handling of healthcare.  Having the President, Harry Reid, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, or Mitch McConnell determine our healthcare options is most frightening.  Ten years from now it will be a different president and another group of politicians arguing about how to best handle our healthcare needs. Imagine you are about to go into an emergency operation and the government goes into a newly defined criteria for a shutdown that halts your operation.  One of which must be done that day or you will die.

The Affordable Care Act comes between every American and their Doctor. It will no longer be a one on one relationship as it is now.  You as a patient have a health concern, the doctor has a solution, but now the solution must be approved by a third party who’s prime concern is its own buoyancy.  If government cannot afford your life saving care, due to tax cuts or some other reason, you will have not recourse? 

Government can play a pivotal role in setting guidelines for the medical industry to flourish, through legislation that incentivizes an industry to find a solution for creating affordable care to those in need.

 The North Reading Republican Town Committee is having an open forum for Independent/Un-enrolled voters October 15th in the activity room of the Flint Memorial Library at 7:00PM.  We are ready to listen and learn to better understand your perspective.  Thank you.

Jeff Yull/Chairman NRRTC