CapitalistMarks

Universal health care fades away with vacation.

Posted on 04. Aug, 2009 by scott in economic daydreaming, political munglings

Congress has gone home for the summer (August) and the Senate is about to join them (first they have to vote to increase the ‘clunkers’ program — a stimulus that actually works!).  Now I understand why Obama was so insistent on getting this health care thing done in July.

Your Congressmen are home and starting to find out how unpopular their proposals for universal health care really are.  No one wants higher taxes.   No one wants government intervention in their personal health care.  No one want bigger government.  No, not even the folks who voted the Prez. into office.

I’ve seen some pretty interesting videos of Congressmen in ‘town hall meetings.’  They are getting pilloried by their constituents.  As this continues for the month of August, the Dems will find out that their popularity is diminishing (well, perhaps Obama’s . . . Congress always has very low popularity numbers–should we be surprised?).

There are some ways to make health care work for everyone but NONE of them include letting the government expand and control the health care system.  ALL of them include designing ways to cut costs, include everyone and stop the insanity of vexious lawsuits that chase viable health care options away (I have written before about the British model of the loser of lawsuits paying ALL the costs — bet that would stop the ambulance chasing lawyers in their tracks!).

Ah, well.  Summer drags on, Congress is finally getting an ear full and my guess is that when they return the ONLY thing they will be able to accomplish in health care reform is some minor tweaks to the system (which ain’t all bad).  UNLESS, the Dems are willing to really sit down with the contentious,ideologue and self-serving Repubs and hammer out some kind of real compromise.

That won’t happen since all Congressmen think ONLY of keeping their cushy jobs.

Right now I predict some significant losses for the Dems in the midterm elections next year.  They have proven in a few short months that they just can’t handle success.  But, yikes, what are the other choices?  Oh my gosh, its the Repubs and their proven inability to live up to their traditional standards.  Besides, too many of our elected officials are proving to be morally handicapped.  Time for change?  You bet (think term limits once again).

Guess we are in trouble folks.

Got a solution though.

Vote for me and I will ban further elections and free press until we get a handle on all the problems.  Hey, it seems to be working for that ‘nut’ job in Venezuela and his Siamese twin in Equador (oh and that narcissist Putin).

Can’t wait for September.

thanks for the photo to epsos.de at flickr

Tags: august recess, democratic congress, public outrage, universal health care