Posted on 09/01/2003 12:51:59 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
Exposing Howard Dean Part Three: Universal Medicine Equals Socialized Medicine
By Ryan Thompson on 08/30/03
This is the third of several pieces exposing the agenda of Governor Howard Dean on several issues. Now I am going to discuss Governor Dean’s plans involving healthcare. The information from Governor Dean’s own website (www.deanforamerica.com) is the basis for my analysis. Also, I look at the past actions of the Governor to determine his agenda.
Governor Dean’s plan has four major components:
1. Redefine and expand Medicaid along with the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to cover every person under the age of 25.
2. Making adults who earn up to $16,613 eligible for coverage under the existing Children Health Insurance Program. Also, adults could buy into a government plan if their employer does not provide insurance.
3. Provide affordable medical plans to small businesses.
4. Force companies to provide medical insurance to their employees and families.
First, Governor Dean claims that his system of “universal” healthcare is affordable for our nation. If you study the nationalized healthcare systems in foreign nations and even the Medicaid system in this nation all are near bankruptcy. The reason for this is because funding these programs eat up over ten percent of the nation’s GDP. Liberals complain about the defense spending, but a universal healthcare system in America would be at least double the defense budget in total cost.
Repealing the tax cuts of President Bush would never pay for this system as Governor Dean claims, but as Governor Dean did in Vermont a tax increase is needed to fund these programs. During the reign of Dean, Vermont’s tax rates increased from some of the lowest in the nation to some of the highest in the nation to fund socialistic programs like “Success by Six.” Governor Dean raised every single tax in Vermont while he served as Governor for ten years to fund his socialistic programs including the “Success by Six” healthcare program, which practically equals government involvement in the parenting process. The “Success by Six” program required that a social worker visit the home of a newborn at least once! Why does a social worker need to visit every home housing a newborn? Parents need to take responsibility for their own children, and the government needs to let parents raise their own children. This is another example of Dean’s “cradle to grave” mentality.
The first component of Governor Dean’s program involves insuring every individual in this nation under the age of 25 through Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. I wish that every child in this nation had medical care, but again it is the responsibility of parents to provide the medical care their children need. A few, short times during my life I have not had insurance, but my parents still found ways to pay for any medical care that I needed. Even if they had to pay the minimum payment for the bill, I received the care I required and the bill was paid. If your child is sick, your child can still receive care at any hospital by law. No child has ever been turned down at a hospital for the care that they need. Further, why should the government pay for medical coverage for anyone above the age of 21? You are considered an adult at the age of 18, and most Americans are working by the age of 22. This is just another cradle to grave program where people become dependent on the government for their livelihood. Children need healthcare, but it is not the responsibility of the government instead it is the job of the child’s guardian.
In the second component of Howard Dean’s healthcare plan, he states the needs of adults for healthcare. Again it is not the responsibility of the government to provide cradle to grave coverage in every facet of life. Further if the government tried to create a system where individuals could purchase government insurance policies, companies would drop the coverage they provide now seeing that the government can provide it instead. I just see providing healthcare to adults as a major step towards nationalized healthcare.
With Governor Dean’s third statement, he shows his lack of reality. According to him, companies should not back out of their current system of providing healthcare, but this will happen if individuals could receive insurance from the federal government. If this took place, government would grow and more would be connected to the governmental umbilical cord. Further, the federal government is going to pay the majority of the costs under this program, which would be passed on to every taxpayer in America. Governor Dean’s plan is not sound fiscal policy, but Enron style fiscal policy his party supported during the 1990’s.
The last component of his policy states that corporations should have responsibility in regards to providing medical insurance. Where does it state in the Constitution that the federal government has the right to force a corporation to provide medical insurance? This statement exposes another part of Governor Dean’s agenda, his want to rule like a dictator. So I guess Rush Limbaugh’s naming of Governor Dean, Nikita Dean fits his agenda and personality during a debate.
I wish every American could have medical insurance, but it is not fiscally possible. Some in this nation need to learn the concept of self-reliance and family again. With the enlightenment of the populace in these ideals, many of the social problems in American will disappear.
Governor Dean’s plan just creates further dependence on the government by individuals. In closing, his programs would bankrupt our nation it has other industrial nations with socialized medicine. Click here to send feedback to the author
Ryan Thompson is a 17-year-old senior at Carmichaels Area High School in Carmichaels PA. Ryan also is the Editor in Chief of the Young Conservatives, and his school’s newspaper. Also, Ryan recently won the Greene County Law Day Essay Contest for his essay, “One Nation Indivisible.”
Wouldn't that be indecent exposure?
If we ever have the enlightenment of the populace, a Dem will never win another election. Unfortunately, the chance of that happening is nearly zero. Vast numbers of voters, including social conservatives, are woefully uninformed about the consequences of these govt. programs, and are likely to be taken in by Dean's populist rhetoric.
These people do not read Freerepublic, do not read WND or any other conservative media outlet. How are you going to educate them? These articles are preaching to the choir out here. The place to put them, in my opinion, are in churches and HOA and PTA meetings.
It depends on Americans -- and NOT politics, not marketing, not spin. This is a battle on a different plane entirely.
Repeat -- Dean's strength is his weaknesses!
If people start turning off the Simpsons ... a different story.
Bush won on Bush-ism, But the patina of being a common-man is wearing thin. It was the price tag of a loaf of bread that tripped up his Dad.
They are independently wealthy.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.