Posted on 07/09/2009 6:05:03 PM PDT by rabscuttle385
Former GOP Governor Helped Make 2006 Reform Reality.
BOSTON -- Three years after the inception of Massachusetts’ landmark health reform legislation, which required every citizen to buy insurance, NewsCenter 5’s Ed Harding wondered what former Gov. Mitt Romney, a key political architect of the plan, thought of its progress. Call it protecting his legacy, well-earned pride, or seeing the glass as half-full, but Romney says Massachusetts deserves an ‘A.’
“It’s working like we had hoped it would work,” the one-time republic presidential candidate said. “We got nearly everybody in Massachusetts health insurance, which really, something people didn't think was possible.”
Romney said the same can be done nationwide, though he concedes what many in the Bay State are grappling with now, that the hardest part of the reform debate is controlling costs. It is projected that within a decade health care will account for 20 percent of all money spent in the United States.
Currently, health care accounts for between 17 and 18 percent of the United States’ gross domestic product.
“It’s huge,” said Romney. “We’ve got two challenges. One is to get everybody insured. Believe it or not that's the relatively easy job. The other job is to reign in the inflation associated with health care. We can do that too but it's a lot of work.”
Romney points to a recent analysis by the pro-reform Massachusetts Taxpayers’ Association, showing that since near-universal coverage was implemented in 2006, state taxpayers have had to shell out an additional $88 million per year to insure an additional 430,000 citizens.
“Some people say. ‘Oh, it's expensive,’ but actually, it cost less than two percent of the state budget.”
Romney is closely following the reform debate in Washington, DC, and pointed to President Barack Obama’s proposal for a government-run so-called public plan option as a “big mistake.”
“The current system with over 1,000 insurers in this country, is perfectly capable adequate to provide choice to people in America,” Romney said.
The former governor declined to answer when Harding asked if health care is a right of a privilege in the United States. He did insist, however, that on a national level politicians ought to be able to create a system where every citizen has health insurance.
Palin IS electable.
Plus it would reduce my entertainment alternatives...
WHO YA GONNA CALL!!!!!
I’m amazed at the number of Freepers who are actually trying to dissect and quantify Romney’s policies.
I’m sorry, but there is no reason to go into the details when it comes to Romney...it’s just not that complicated. He is not a conservative, or even a Republican.
Romney is whatever he thinks you want him to be.
All of his Mittbots should be zotted, permanently.
I tend to agree with you
Eat my shorts, Romney!
Palin/Bachmann 2012
Oh lets keep a few...
As pets...
Yes. I consider myself a better advocate for “gay rights” than Ted Kennedy, because I believe strongly in our individual rights that are granted by our Creator, and strongly support the bill of rights which is supposed to constrain government from interfering with our God-given rights.
Ted Kennedy is a proponent of taking away the rights of nearly everybody, including gay people.
Romney’s position on gay rights in the last election was not one of his selling points, but he opposed gay marriage and supported DOMA which meant at a federal level he was going to be OK.
I oppose gay marriage because rights are for individuals, not groups, and every gay person has the same right to marry a person of the opposite sex as I do.
To win, you have to woo independents. That’s what Obama did - that’s what Reagan did, and Bush did just enough to win both times.
Most independents can’t stand Sarah according to most polls I’ve seen.
The trick is to be conservative, but show independents and moderates why they are in fact conservative and don’t realize it - which is what Reagan did. How else did he win New England, MD, IL, and the PNW?
Fool me once (McLame), shame on you
Fool me twice (0Romney), shame on me.
I WILL NOT BE FOOLED TWICE !!!!
GET THE MESSAGE YET ????
Ed Rendell? Why would you say he’s my buddy?
And Palin CAN do that when she is not bogged down with a RINO trying to shut her down like McCain did.
Does anyone on Free Republic still think Romney is a conservative?
Pet rocks.
“Too bad Palin isn’t electable”.
Do you see that huge steam roller coming down the pike?
Hide and watch.
First it assumes that a Mittbot is thinking...
Or cares to...
Then...
:-)
Not even all the mormonism apologist think that.
Per our conversation...
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