Don't Become a "Dumpee"

Lee Ellis

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 proved to be extremely 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 really afford health insurance. This can be done without creating deficits and without affecting the entire populace as now proposed.

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 very inexperienced managers, 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, almost bankrupting it. Massachusetts is almost in the same boat due to increased use. Look at our own California: Its legislature just last week rejected an additional 100 MLLION dollars by refusing to drill for immediate American oil off shore, preferring to become more dependent on foreign oil from enemy nations. This additional income would have helped hurting Californians in need! 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 on to 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, who valued the necessity to receive good health insurance or retirement benefits from employers, or self-plans, 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.

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Lee Ellis is a retired journalist and narrator, formerly with both CBS and Gannett (USA Weekend). He was also a combat veteran of WWII, having fought in the South Pacific invasions. He had the pleasure of interviewing Ronald Reagan as an actor and then later working to help him become Governor of California. At the age of 80, he is keeping busy writing and doing free lance narrations for radio and television. He is an active member of Rotary and the VFW.

indiolee@dc.rr.com