If the liberal democrats are so confident that their new “health care reform bill” is so great, then why are President Obama, Vice President Biden, cabinet secretaries and special congressional staff members excluded from participation in the new government-run health care exchanges?
Isn’t it only fair and logical that top administration officials, who fought so hard for passage of this overhaul of America’s health care system, experience it themselves?
Apparently not.
Although Obama and company have deemed their reform suitable for “Joe the Plumber” and all the rest of us common-folk, they made damned sure that they kept their individual (and exclusive) Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan (FEHBP).
The bill was amended behind closed doors by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) back in December to exclude all congressional committee and leadership staff from the horrors of the, now mandated, health care “exchange.” The President, Vice-President, cabinet members, thousands of Obama administration staff and an unknown number of czars will all remain in the FEHBP.
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Okla.) attempted to offer a floor amendment in December that would have nullified Reid’s “behind closed doors” exclusion, but Reid blocked a vote on the amendment.Senator Grassley again offered an amendment to the reconciliation bill during the reconciliation hearings in the Senate to apply the reform legislation to the President, Vice-President, cabinet members, top White House staff and all congressional staffers to no avail as the Democrats blocked it yet again.
But I guess we really shouldn’t worry too much about this government seizure of health care, which constitutes one sixth of the American economy. After all, just yesterday. Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro declared passage of American health care reform "a miracle" and a major victory for Obama's presidency, but couldn't help chide the United States for taking so long to enact what his communist nation achieved decades ago.
Apparently Castro agrees with Vice President Biden who was caught on an open mike at the bill signing ceremony last Tuesday at the White House telling Obama that this “is a big fu%#ing” deal!”
Government has grown tremendously over the last eighty years as politicians have embraced the idea that Washington should be a proxy for family…that we should look to government to provide more and more of what people need or desire rather than depend on our personal and family support systems and our own labor and intelligence.
America has been slowly lumbering towards socialism for years now with the federal government's inability to manage Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, all of which, despite being well meaning, have proved to be disasters and are teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
The federal government has even proved incapable of a modicum of prudent fiscal stewardship for a service that is actually mandated by our constitution - the United States Postal Service.
Despite that, President Obama has put that journey into overdrive.
In the short space of fourteen months, he has directed the federal government to assimilate the auto industry, the banking and mortgage industries and the insurance industry.
Next on his all encompassing social agenda is energy industry reform, education reform and immigration reform.
Thus, more and more of what we need or, perhaps, desire are not viewed as goals or objectives to be attained, but more as rights that are conferred upon us by the moral obligation one citizen owes to his or her neighbor …which morphs eventually, but assuredly, into a governmental obligation and ultimately federal entitlements.
Our nation is drowning in debt.
Our defict is skyrocketing.
Seventy million baby boomers are ready for retirement.
The percentage of younger American citizens who actually pay taxes is shrinking.
We are truly facing a "perfect storm" of epic fiscal and economic proportions unless we act to put the brakes on this joyride of unbridled spending and deficit driving entitlements now, and by "now" I mean the 2010 general elections!
Peter J. Mahon
No comments:
Post a Comment
Your comments are always welcome!