Health Care: Bought and paid for

“I don't know if there's a senator that doesn't have something in this bill that was important to them, and if they don't have something in it important to them, then it doesn't speak well of them,". Those are the words of Senator Harry Reid on Monday Dec, 21st. This is after Mary Landrieu’s (D-LA) vote was purchased for $300,000,000, a $100 million item for construction of a university hospital was inserted in the Senate health care bill at the request of Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) to purchase his vote, and Ben Nelson’s vote was purchased in return for the federal government permanently funding Nebraska’s bill for Medicaid, the insurance plan for the poor, worth about $45m in its first 10 years. "The State of Nebraska cannot afford an unfunded mandate and uncontrolled spending of this magnitude,” Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman wrote to Nelson ; every other state can handle it?. Bernie Sanders, the independent from Vermont and the most liberal of senators, obtained $10bn for community health centers after failing to get a government-backed public health insurance scheme in the bill in return for his vote. Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) carved out an exemption for non-profit insurers in their states from a hefty excise tax. Similar insurers in the other 48 states will pay the tax. Three states – Pennsylvania, New York and Florida – all won protections for their Medicare Advantage beneficiaries at a time when the program is facing cuts nationwide.
I am not a Constitutional scholar but I have read it; something our representatives should do. I can’t find anywhere where the Congress has the right to subject the citizens of one state to pay for Medicaid while releasing the citizens of another state from the same regulation. I guess the people of Ohio are doing much better than the people of Nebraska since their unemployment rate is only 4.5 percent (second lowest in the nation) and ours is 10.6. (40th lowest)

I have to give Harry Reid credit. He knows his history. (quoting segregationist Jamie Whitten) 'The only way the Senate can work is by unanimous consent or exhaustion.' And he is exhausting them into passing the bill. I quoted Mr. Whitten because in essence we will become slaves to the health care system. It will eventually take over a large portion of our everyday lives. So we know this bill that even Democrats like Howard Dean and many “Blue Dog Democrats” don’t like is going to pass so they can go home and say they did something “historic” –hint, historic does not necessarily translate to good. Just look at our current commander in chief.

I am a bit confused because I couldn’t find the debates on C-SPAN as promised. I couldn’t find the bi-partisanship promised. I couldn’t find a copy of the bill that was being voted on on-line that was promised. More importantly, the members of the Senate can’t find a complete copy of the bill that is being voted on; or anyone who has read the complete copy of the bill. I couldn’t find anywhere in the Constitution where what is being done is even legal.

All this voting to pass what many consider a bad bill. But that doesn’t matter. Once enacted this will become the third rail of politics and will be funded no matter what; to the downfall of the nation. If Medicare and Medicaid are not solvent, what makes anyone think that this one will? We will pay taxes for this for 3 years before we get anything out of it and once we do start getting the “benefits” it will quickly run out of money and will be funded with further tax increases. Anyone who doesn’t believe this, I have a proposition. If by 2016, your health care is at least equal to what you have now and your taxes do not go up to pay for it, I will pay you $1,000 ( a gentlemen’s bet). If, however, your health care options have decreased or you are unable to get at least the same care you get now or your taxes (actual or added to other items for the purpose of paying for this program) have gone up, you pay the difference I have paid up to that point. I expect many calls.