Keeping Faith

Immediately after winning mid-term elections republican leaders claimed they would work hard on finding the points of agreement among democrats and republicans. That was a major statement by Mitch McConnell, majority leader of the Senate come January. Speaker of the House John Boner said something similar.

Within 24 hours both of these guys made statements that they would now begin work to dismantle Obamacare and reform the tax code so wealthy citizens and corporations would pay lower tax rates.

Both of these things are red flag actions to rally support from conservatives and slap the face of democrats.  Not conservatives and liberals, mind you, but party hacks.

These two actions are fatal steps for the future of America. Here’s why.

First, Obamacare is the first major effort for the nation to reform its terrible healthcare funding and insurance scheme. Health insurance companies hold all the cards and make all the profits that make individual executives in those firms wealthy, and build wealth among the shareholders of those same companies. The insureds are left in the dust. Their claims are not paid, or underpaid. Orwellian rules and regulations are invented to frustrate insureds. And ordinary Americans are impoverished.

Second, medical providers are left frustrated as well, but at least they can continue to raise their prices and hope that insurance reimbursements will rise accordingly; not in full, but at least rise. Again, the patient is left in the lurch in this arrangement.

Third, private insurers need to be eliminated from the transaction base. They may remain as vendors but only receive strictly regulated cost reimbursements. They don’t make the rules; only the federal government will make the rules similar to Medicare and social security. The American free enterprise system was broken over this subject and will either disappear from this area of business or participate as reimbursed vendors as a contractor with Medicare.

Fourth, thus the patient, the medical provider and the single insurance payer (government because they are the only ones we can trust in this industry) are the only survivors in the health insurance industry. Congress need not apply for this job. They are the ones who screwed it up in the first place to ensure their pals in and out of government got wealthy off the patients and taxpayers. Shame on them!

Fifth, our economy is in distress now for several years because banks, investment companies, real estate industry leaders and congress screwed up the economy by deregulating these industries and lowering taxes for the wealthiest among us. The combined cost of two wars, the mortgage/housing industry collapse, and the ongoing reduction of taxes on the wealthiest 5% of taxpayers has created trillions of dollars of debt the rest of us will have to pay off. On top of that the republicans think the wealthy need even more incentive for their greediness, PLUS they wish to lower tax rates for all corporations. The collapse of our economy is imminent if this happens.

Again, the collapse of our economy is imminent if this happens.

Sixth, these issues indicate massive disagreement among the voters and citizens of our nation. Focusing on these two issues at this time is exactly the opposite actions to take.

And McConnell and Boner understand this perfectly.

No, the mid term elections gave republicans the opportunity to govern the nation with few checks and balances. Obama is the only check. And he can be outvoted on any vetoes he issues.

The fact of the matter is this: governing is hard work. It is based on fairness and justice and intelligence. Feeding special interests and private greed is not governing.

I have faith that McConnell knows this and will be tempered in his actions. I do not have the same faith in Boner.

The time to step up to the plate of decency in government affairs is now. Will we witness such? Or will we observe more damaging attacks on the foundation of our nation?

November 13, 2014