Lee Ellis

Don't Become a "Dumpee"
July 29, 2009
 

The vicissitudes of the Obama health plan continue to beguile and bedevil us. He and the far left ideologues lament about the 47 million who are uninsured. This figure has been proven to be misleading. Millions of people, especially the young, have decided that either they do not need insurance or they have refused to prioritize their monthly budget to include health insurance payments, preferring instead a larger television set or a new car or a much more spacious house in which to live.

All people have a right to live by their choices and the consequences as long as they don't make others pay for their mistakes. Statistics show that it would take very little money for the government to help the truly poor who cannot afford health insurance, without affecting the entire population.

Our president also keeps telling us that if we have a private insurance program, we will be allowed to keep it. Therefore, we should have nothing to fear. Unfortunately, as is done by many con artists or deceivers, something is always left out.

The state of Hawaii tried a free health program for uninsured children which had to be canceled by the governor seven months later. Why? The governor and the legislature of that state had forgotten about human nature which dictates, too often, when something is offered free for one group, all other groups want to get in on the free lunch. Parents who had already paid for insurance for their children immediately canceled it and switched to the free government-paid program.

Under the Obama government plan, would not most businesses or corporations quickly learn that it would be cheaper to pay fines than to continue to insure its people? Thus, most employees would be dumped onto the government insurance plan. This would add millions of people to the Obama plan, creating huge financial deficits, fewer doctors, long lines of patients, and rationed care, making little difference between Canada, Great Britain, and the USA. Is this what you want?

Many others, including myself, who were fortunate enough to receive good health insurance or retirement benefits from employers, would want to keep these benefits. None of us want to be dumped on to the Obama health pile just to become "dumpees"!

The blue dog Democrats combined with conservative Republicans can solve this health insurance problem if we voters will allow them to do it. We can accomplish this in 2010 by making sure they control Congress. In the mean time, we all need to start calling and e-mailing our representatives today expressing our concerns.