Aug
18
U.S. Health Care reform isn't about what you think….
Posted (Van Santos) in Barack Obama on August-18-2009
For some time now I’ve wondered what, exactly, was truly driving President Obama to reform health care with such urgency.  While there is no debate that health care costs within the United States are out of control, a number of other topics need dire attention – more than health care. Social Security, anyone?
Let’s switch gears for a moment, go into the way back machine, to January 3rd, 2009, and read what President Obama said during a radio address:
http://change.gov/newsroom/entry/american_recovery_and_reinvestment/
That’s why we need an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that not only creates jobs in the short-term but spurs economic growth and competitiveness in the long-term.  And this plan must be designed in a new way—we can’t just fall into the old Washington habit of throwing money at the problem.  We must make strategic investments that will serve as a down payment on our long-term economic future. We must demand vigorous oversight and strict accountability for achieving results. And we must restore fiscal responsibility and make the tough choices so that as the economy recovers, the deficit starts to come down. That is how we will achieve the number one goal of my plan—which is to create three million new jobs, more than eighty percent of them in the private sector.
If one does some quick math, one will quickly see that President Obama looks to create 600,000 government jobs.  I know, you are sitting there asking… “So?”
Well, take a look at the United Kingdom’s Nation Health Services system. They cover roughly 50 million people and…
http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/aboutnhs/Pages/About.aspx
Nationwide, the NHS employs more than 1.5m people. Of those, just short of half are clinically qualified, including some 90,000 hospital doctors, 35,000 general practitioners (GPs), 400,000 nurses and 16,000 ambulance staff.
This isn’t about providing coverage for the poor and under-insured, this is purely about politics.  President Obama is pushing for the Health Care reform with urgency so that he has the ability to fulfill his campaign promise to create 3 million jobs by the next presidential election comes around. He wants to be able to point to this a proof that he did what he said he would, and he needs to do it now as the creation, development and execution of the plan would take the remainder of his first term.
Frankly, I don’t have a problem with this – IF – it is does with due diligence and care.  Do I think that is possible, no?  My issue is President Obama telling the American Public that he is looking out for them when, in reality, he’s just trying to get a second term in office.
Be straightforward with the people, Mr. President, we’ll respect you more for it.

For some time now I’ve wondered what, exactly, was truly driving President Obama to reform health care with such urgency.  While there is no debate that health care costs within the United States are out of control, a number of other topics need dire attention – more than health care. Social Security, anyone?

Let’s switch gears for a moment, go into the way back machine, to January 3rd, 2009, and read what President Obama said during a radio address:

That’s why we need an American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan that not only creates jobs in the short-term but spurs economic growth and competitiveness in the long-term.  And this plan must be designed in a new way—we can’t just fall into the old Washington habit of throwing money at the problem.  We must make strategic investments that will serve as a down payment on our long-term economic future. We must demand vigorous oversight and strict accountability for achieving results. And we must restore fiscal responsibility and make the tough choices so that as the economy recovers, the deficit starts to come down. That is how we will achieve the number one goal of my plan—which is to create three million new jobs, more than eighty percent of them in the private sector.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan was a flop, now the administration is looking to cover itself. If one does some quick math, one will quickly see that President Obama looks to create 600,000 government jobs.  I know, you are sitting there asking… “So?”

Well, take a look at the United Kingdom’s Nation Health Services system. They cover roughly 50 million people and…

Nationwide, the NHS employs more than 1.5m people. Of those, just short of half are clinically qualified, including some 90,000 hospital doctors, 35,000 general practitioners (GPs), 400,000 nurses and 16,000 ambulance staff.

This isn’t about providing coverage for the poor and under-insured, this is purely about politics.  President Obama is pushing for the Health Care reform with urgency so that he has the ability to fulfill his campaign promise to create 3 million jobs by the next presidential election comes around. He wants to be able to point to this a proof that he did what he said he would, and he needs to do it now as the creation, development and execution of the plan would take the remainder of his first term.

Frankly, I don’t have a problem with this – IF – it is done with due diligence and care.  Do I think that is possible, no?  My issue is President Obama telling the American Public that he is looking out for them when, in reality, he’s just trying to get a second term in office.

Be straightforward with the people, Mr. President, we’ll respect you more for it.

Related posts:

  1. Postcard to President-elect Obama, make health care reform a top priority in 2009
  2. Health Care Reform: Pay or go to jail
  3. White House: Yea, no job growth until 2010 – our bad – and Health Care… we are coming for you
  4. A short, but critical, look at President Obama's thoughts on penalties for those who do not health insurance
  5. President Obama’s 2010 State of the Union Address
  

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