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MORE 'Global Warming' En Route to the Garden State
| February 9, 2010 See that pink oval in the middle of the snowfall map, Save Jerseyans?
That's where your Blogger-in-Chief lives. Another storm is expected to smack New Jersey later this afternoon, dumping another two feet on our storm-ravaged state. I'm all shoveled out.
I've never seen anything like this in 25 years of life! Clearly, the planet is entering some kind of sustained cooling cycle -- the complete opposite of 'global warming.' Atlantic City itself is on the verge of smashing a 40-year snowfall record. The City of Philadelphia is looking at the snowiest winter on record since they started keeping track way back in 1884 (Benjamin Harrison was president, folks). Thousands of South Jersey residents are still without power as of this writing. On Wednesday morning, if current projections are accurate, I'll have over 40-inches of snow in my backyard.
Naturally, some loons still can't let go of global warming mythology. The White House's rollout of a new climate change office was delayed by this weekend's record snowfall in Washington, D.C. One of the "Mother Gaia" worshipers over at Huffington Post recently warned her readers that "Sometimes as we go about our daily lives, climate change can seem abstract, and not something we think we are experiencing on a daily basis. However, our planet is rapidly being altered and the physical signs of this shift can't be ignored."
Abstract? Here's something tangible for you, Huffpo: there's TWO FEET of snow in my backyard!!! Global warming is officially a load of hooey, Save Jerseyans...
"King of Pork" Jack Murtha Dead at 77
| February 8, 2010 Rep. Jack Murtha (D-PA) died today in Virginia due to complications from gallbladder surgery. He was 77.
Sorry if it offends any of you, Save Jerseyans, but it's important to analyze the profound political implications arising from this news.
Murtha held a seat that traditionally split its tickets between the notoriously liberal Congressman and whoever the Republican top-of-the-ticket candidate might be in any given election. It's actually a PVI R+1 district according to ace handicapper Charlie Cook.
In life, Murtha was a staunch ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrat House agenda. National Republicans will now zero in on Pennsylvania's rural 12th district in hopes of grabbing another open seat in Election 2010. Murtha's ability to hold the seat despite his far-left voting record was directly related to his ability to bring pork back home. A Democrat replacement candidate can't boast that.
Possible Republican opponents include:
Tim Burns - Local Businessman
William Russell - Businessman, Retired Army Officer and the 2008 Republican Nominee
Loretta Doesn't Understand What Ails Our Government
| February 8, 2010 Loretta Weinberg is proposing a new "sunshine" law to "open" New Jersey government to the scrutinizing oversight of the general public.
"It may sound trite and cliché at this point, but it's been proven true time and time again - the best disinfectant for government impropriety is the cleansing light of public scrutiny," Weinberg said in Trenton. "When members of the public have full, unfettered access to their elected leaders and to public documents and records, there's fewer opportunities for the few unscrupulous individuals to take advantage of the public trust. These bills...
We'll set aside the obvious hypocrisy of Loretta's involvement for the moment. I want to attack the substance of her bill. Disclosure certainly isn't a bad thing, Save Jerseyans. That being said, Senator Weinberg's assertion that more legislation is the "best disinfectant for government impropriety" simply isn't true! The premise of her proposed legislation is fundamentally flawed.
The ONLY effective way to clean up government is to SHRINK government.
Right now, billions of dollars flow through Trenton every year into a myriad of different departments, agencies, boards and commissions. The most technologically-advanced web database known to man -- manned by the most diligent researchers and watch dog groups in the world -- couldn't keep tabs on every cent expended. Moreover, the size and scope of government actually encourages special interests to corrupt the process.
Currently, Governor Christie is grappling with a perverse financial incentive for special interests to spend money to steer government dollars and benefits in their direction or, in the case of lobbyists, their clients' direction. Manure attracts flies, folks. If you want the bad guys to go away, then you have to clean up the source of attraction; in this case, we need to eliminate waste, end pork, and get the excessive piles of tax dollars out from under big government's control. You can't just "regulate" the flies away. You need to starve them out!
I hope it's clear to you that all of the well-intentioned campaign finance laws, sunshine regulations and whatever else the Weinberg's of the world can cook up can't solve the core problems corrupting our elected officials. Ironically, Weinberg's votes to expand government's size and scope serve to negate any potential effect of this proposed ethics legislation!
If we're serious about ending corruption and waste, then we need to get serious about the real root causes at issue in the ethics sphere. Chris Christie gets it, and he's trying to attack institutional corruption by shrinking state government.
Will you consider joining him, Senator?
OPEN THREAD MONDAY: What Should Christie Say On Thursday?
| February 8, 2010 Governor Chris Christie will address a joint session of the New Jersey State Legislature on Thursday.
The stakes for our Garden State couldn't be any higher, Save Jerseyans.
We're facing a $2.17 billion deficit for the current fiscal year. That massive gap is expected to balloon to $11 billion for the following fiscal year. Even if the economy recovers AND the new Governor succeeds in dramatically reducing state spending, New Jersey may not be healthy again until well into a hypothetical Christie second term. A grim prognosis, indeed! It's like I've said over and over again -- Jon Corzine and his allies set Chris Christie up to fail.
So suppose the ball is in your court, Save Jerseyans. What in the world would you say to the Legislature if you're in Chris Christie's shoes at the rostrum???
Leave your thoughts in the comments section below...
Much Tebow About Nothing!
| February 8, 2010 Do you think the pro-choice crowd feels stupid after making such a fuss over the Tim Tebow Superbowl ad before even seeing it?
They should, Save Jerseyans.
Watch the ad itself below and read some extremely on-point commentary from our good friend Marie Tasy, Executive Director of New Jersey Right to Life. I want you to consider whether the "pro-choice" movement is really about "choice" at all or, more likely, is the term itself the ultimate misnomer applied to one of the most profound hypocrisies of the last one hundred years.
VIDEO: Governor Christie Visits Storm-Ravaged South Jersey; 50,000 Still Without Power
| February 8, 2010 The affects of what some dramatists are calling "the snowpocalypse" compelled Governor Christie to tour South Jersey over the last 48 hours. South Jersey's Shore communities were hit the hardest.
The latest news from NJ.com:
About 90,000 southern New Jersey customers lost power Saturday, officials said. As of last night, 50,000 remained without electricity in Cape May County, according to Atlantic City Electric’s website.
The outages affected nearly 2,000 residents in Atlantic County, and scattered outages were reported in Cumberland, Ocean, Burlington, Camden and Salem counties, utility spokeswoman Sandra May said.
“Overall, I think things have gone fairly well,” Gov. Chris Christie said of officials’ storm response after touring Cape May County today. The governor said he plans to declare a state of emergency and seek federal disaster-relief funding.
The state is delivering 1,200 tons of road salt to Cape May, which already dropped 500 tons on areas roads since Friday. The storm’s aftermath still poses problems for the area, as heavy wet snow yesterday continued to cause tree limbs and whole trees to fall on power lines and utility poles.
Chris Christie is the toughest elected official at either end of the Turnpike, Save Jerseyans. He locked up crooked pols in the U.S. Attorney's office, vetoes special interest-backed spending bills in the State House and, last but certainly not least, walks into wind whipped blizzard zones without a jacket. Clint Eastwood's got nothing on the new Guv in the tough department!
Keep kickin' butt, Chris. It's good to have a governor who doesn't need a sweater vest...
For a contrast, check out what state Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) decided to wear to the Governor's press conference (click here).
Puss in Boots
| February 7, 2010 Governor Chris Christie is touring South Jersey today to inspect the post-blizzard damage as well as regional efforts to dig out. We really got hit hard down here, Save Jerseyans.
Along the way, Chris met up with state Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May) during the Southern Shore segment of his visit.
The following photo -- taken at their Cape May Court House press conference -- appeared on the Governor's official state website.
Nice boots, Jeff! The Senator is known for his interesting wardrobe choices (click here), but today's outfit really takes the cake. Nothing says "I'm a tough politico" quite like skin-tight faded jeans, olive green boots and a jacket that got lifted from Freddie Mercury's closet.
Van Drew (right) wondering whether Governor Christie is
impressed by his incredibly sweet olive green boots. There
must've been a sale at Nordstrom's!
Save Jersey POLL: Are Sipprelle's Dem Donations Disqualifying Offenses?
| February 7, 2010 The NJ-12 Republican Primary promises to be a raucous affair right through the finish on June 8th, Save Jerseyans.
Thus far, Scott Sipprelle seems unable to cultivate extensive grassroots support and Halfacre appears incapable of raising serious campaign cash. Sipprelle can certainly end it all by using his ample fortune to purchase support at the county committee level. "Money talks and bulls--t walks" at a screening committee meeting, since congressional races are expensive affairs that freeholder-focused county organizations are loathe to undertake lightly. Partial or full self-funder are almost irresistibly attractive; a split decision is Mayor Mike's best hope.
At the center of Sipprelle's base problems, however, are several generous donations to Democrat Congressional candidates including Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Save Jersey was first to break the story, and some national political outlets decided to run with it. You can read the original blog post here.
So what do you think, Save Jerseyans? Do Scott Sipprelle's donations disqualify him in your eyes? The NJ Tea Party thinks they do. The group endorsed Halfacre last week and cited Sipprelle's donations as the tie breaker criterion...
Vote! And state your case in the comments section:
VIDEO: Obama Supported NASA Before He Tried to Defund It
| February 6, 2010 President Obama is taking a hatchet to NASA's budget, Save Jerseyans.
Man will never walk on the Moon, or any other extraterrestrial destination, if this President has his way:
"President Barack Obama wants to make dramatic changes in how NASA functions, jettisoning plans to return to the moon, letting private companies handle human transport into lower orbit and focusing the nation's space agency on new rocket technology.
...
Obama wants to boost NASA's budget to about $20 billion a year over the next five years. The plans include extending support of the International Space Station to 2020.
But on the chopping block is the moon effort, which includes the Ares rocket program and the development of the Orion crew capsule. More than $9 billion has been spent so far on the programs and it will cost an additional $2.5 billion to shut it down."
This is what happens when government starts focusing on "big government" issues instead of "big picture" issues, Save Jerseyans.
The government is more concerned about making generic vitamins cost $15 less per bottle than ensuring the enrichment and survival of our species. It's a deliberate strategy, too. Politicians like Obama use our tax dollars to narrow the electorate's focus. That dynamic makes it completely impossible to focus on issues of significant importance AND easier to buy votes with domestic spending schemes. Would we ever have the collective resolve to tackle the abolition of slavery, the construction of a national highway system or the engineering of giant canal in the age of Obama? Doubtful! He's far too busy redistributing our paychecks.
And the most galling part of this whole story? Obama promised to fight for the space program during a stump speech in Titusville, Florida during the 2008 Election.
Watch our Liar-in-Chief do what he does best:
Lech Walesa and the Thousand Years of Darkness
| February 6, 2010 Lech Walesa, along with Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, and Pope John Paul II, became a symbol of the struggle against communism in the 20th Century for millions around the globe. He led Poland's Solidarity Movement in resistance to the Soviet client government. Lech's courage helped fan the fires of revolution throughout Eastern Europe. A true hero by anyone's standards!
Except for those, of course, who subscribe to Soviet-style economics.
So it should be a matter of major concern that Mr. Walesa is disturbed by America's current direction and, more specifically, the lack of leadership coming from Washington. He recently said the following while stumping for a conservative candidate in Illinois:
"The United States is only one superpower. Today they lead the world. Nobody has doubts about it. Militarily. They also lead economically but they're getting weak. But they don't lead morally and politically anymore. The world has no leadership. The United States was always the last resort and hope for all other nations. There was the hope, whenever something was going wrong, one could count on the United States. Today, we lost that hope."
Leadership is about more than soaring rhetoric and brute strength. This country used to be in the business of trying to defend democracy and export liberty -- politically and economically -- to all corners of the globe. Barack Obama and his cocktail party cohorts have no interest in "forcing" their worldview on dictators and liberating the oppressed, but they certainly never hesitate to force economic socialism on their own people right here at home in the States.
Heed Lech's warning, Save Jerseyans. The enemy within is as dangerous as the peril abroad. The United States needs to reclaim its role in world affairs or, as Reagan famously predicted, "we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness."
Palin Isn't Acting Like a Leader
| February 6, 2010 I apologize in advance to Save Jersey Palin fans, but there's really no way to defend Sarah Palin's somewhat -- dare I say -- "retarded" behavior as of late.
By now, you've no doubt heard that the graceless Rahm Emanuel used the word "retarded" to describe some Democrat activists. So what? Exactly...
Sarah Palin found out, overreacted, and demanded Emanuel's resignation.
Meanwhile, Rush Limbaugh (and many lesser conservative commentators like yours truly) had a lot of fun with Rahm's situational lack of political correctness. This country is starting to take itself far too seriously. What happened to "sticks and stones can break my bones," etc etc etc? I thought that was schoolyard common sense. Our society is so self-obsessed with not offending anyone that we don't even acknowledge the actual legitimate definitions of words! One definition of "retarded" is literally "stupid" or "unintelligent." Its use in this context has nothing to do with Sarah Palin's down syndrome child or anyone else's handicap child.
But logic be damned! What does the woman known simply as "Sarah" to her supporters do next? Allow her official spokesperson to take a shot at Rush -- then deny it:
After the former GOP vice presidential nominee attacked White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel for using the word "retarded" during a private meeting, the blogger asked spokeswoman Meg Stapleton if Palin would also rebuke Limbaugh for using the same word on his show.
"Gov. Palin believes crude and demeaning name-calling at the expense of others is disrespectful," Stapleton said, prompting blogger Greg Sargent to use the headline.
But Stapleton told POLITICO that the comment given to The Plum Line was not specifically aimed at Limbaugh.
"The Washington Post is trying hard to take the pressure off the White House by creating a side controversy, but it is missing the point," Stapleton said. "As the governor has said, it doesn't matter who says the 'r' word. It should no longer be part of our lexicon."
I fully understand that the liberal media is trying to play Rush and Palin against each other. I also get that Sarah was trying to use Rahm's words against Obama to score political points. Whatever. Let's stay focused on substance, not process.
The major point is that a true CONSERVATIVE leader would have dismissed this entire Rahm controversy as, well, retarded. Getting into it with a Chicago thug like Rahm Emanuel over the proper use of word "retarded" doesn't speak well of Palin or any higher political aspirations she may still harbor. Moreover, as if it weren't already abundantely clear, real conservatives don't play the PC gotchya game with liberals. It's unbecoming!
I said it back on November 18th, Save Jerseyans: Palin's current public relations strategy is "backasswards." She is behaving less like Margaret Thatcher and more like a female incarnation of Archie Bunker! Shape up or ship out, Governor. Act like a leader. Right now, you're not helping the movement at a critical time. You're succeeding only at reinforcing the negative stereotype concocted by your enemies on the Left.
John Adler is a Bad Liar
| February 5, 2010 John Adler is a BAD liar, Save Jerseyans. He thinks we're stupid. Think again!
Yesterday afternoon, Congressman Adler voted against increasing the statutory limit on public debt. You can view the roll call vote here. New Jersey's delegation voted along party lines except for Adler. But Adler's position on H RES 1065 is deliberately designed to deceive NJ-3 voters.
The same day he voted against formally raising the statutory limit, Adler backed PAYGO legislation.
What's PAYGO? You're not going to like it. Not one bit:
“Under a plan devised by Democratic leaders and approved Wednesday by the Rules Committee, if the ‘self-executing’ procedural rule for floor consideration of the debt limit bill (H J Res 45) is adopted, the debt limit increase would be considered passed without a separate vote on the measure... The rule does, however, provide for a separate vote on the bill’s pay-as-you-go section. The bill would be cleared and sent to the president if the pay-as-you-go section is approved.”
(David Clarke, Edward Epstein, and Greg Valdala,” ‘Blue Dogs Laud Plan for Vote on Pay-As-You-Go,” CQ, 2/3/10)
Understand what's going on here, Save Jerseyans? Thanks to PAYGO, new spending or tax hikes will kick in automatically in order satisfy the Congressional Democrats' feigned deficit concerns. Adler's vote against raising the debt ceiling is a farce, rendered absolutely meaningless by the PAYGO bill!
Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) had harsh words for PAYGO's supporters:
"I hasten to add, the administration, just this week, announced plans for a budget $3.8 trillion in scope, with a $1.6 trillion deficit and $2 trillion in higher taxes. And let me say with respect, the American people looking in ought not to be deceived by the promises of fiscal discipline known as ‘PAYGO.' And the truth is, the bill before us today is 58 pages long and 32 of those pages are all the programs that are exempted from the PAYGO requirements.
Forty percent of federal spending is exempted from the fiscal discipline fix that we're being told is encompassed in PAYGO. The truth is, PAYGO really means here in Washington: you pay and they go on spending.
"Democrats broke up the debt ceiling vote to give vulnerable members a chance to say they were against the raising of the debt ceiling but later to say they were in favor of PAYGO. This legislation has already passed the Senate and will go to the desk of President Obama." |
This isn't about reining in spending. PAYGO is a scheme to keep the Obama-Pelosi agenda rolling without guys like John Adler having to pay for it at the polls! He wants to be able to say "I voted against more debt" on his machine-funded direct mail pieces. In reality, Adler just gave Barack Obama the license to spend our country into a fiscal oblivion.
In the end, AIdler might as well have told the truth for all the good it will do him. He's, politically speaking, a dead man walking in 2010. Adler barely won in a great Democrat year, and now he will probably face an extremely well-funded Republican challenger with ample name recognition to mount a competitive race.
So let John Adler cower behind deceitful procedural magic tricks, Save Jerseyans! He won't be able to pull a rabbit out of his hat this November...
Projected Snow Totals Update
| February 5, 2010 It looks like we're all snowbound on Saturday, Save Jerseyans.
South Jersey stands to get the worst of it. Any North Jersey volunteers willing to come down and dig me out?
I know you're all at work glued to the computer, worried much more about the weather than politics throughout this afternoon so, with that in mind, here's the latest from the Philadelphia ABC affiliate. It's looking pretty ugly, particularly if you live in the "Southern Six" counties: Camden, Gloucester, Atlantic, Salem, Cumberland, and Cape May Counties....
The Save Jersey Audience Continues to Grow
| February 5, 2010 We're still consistently the most-read political website in New Jersey, Save Jerseyans.
The latest blog traffic rankings from Alexa.com:
Save Jersey #137,796
Blue Jersey #165,910
Conservatives with Attitude #230,833
Snow Removal Costs Millions Across New Jersey
| February 5, 2010 The LAST thing a virtually-bankrupt state like New Jersey needs to worry about is tons of wet, heavy white powder on its local roads and major highways. Snow is a major expense, and many towns will remember 2010 as one of the most expensive winters in modern history before it's all said and done.
Maybe we should send Al Gore the bill?
Across South Jersey, small towns are feeling the same pinch. December's two foot snowfall cleaned out budgets in places like Evesham and Deptford Townships. It cost Deptford about $80,000. A typical winter here might only cost $20,000.
"We're fighting every penny. Every penny," said Deptford Mayor Paul Medany. "We've still got the rest of February and March, so we're holding our breath for rain."
With a budget already squeezed by the sluggish economy, Deptford has stopped filling open positions to save money. The township has lost 17 employees out of about 100. With very few options for further cuts and state aid being trimmed, Medany says officials might have no choice but to raise taxes if the snow continues.
"When we were kids, we loved to play in the snow," he said. "Now, it costs money."
Deptford Township is a pretty typical large-side-of-medium New Jersey town (pop. 30,000+). They spent $80,000 on snow removal just in December.
Multiply Deptford's expenditures by 566 (that's how many municipalities reside within the Garden State's borders) and you have quite an expensive snow storm on your hands this weekend, Save Jerseyans!
The "Retarded" Democrat Legislators Intent On Destroying Our State
| February 5, 2010 Former Illinois Congressman and senior Obama advisor Rahm Emmanuel recently landed in hot water for referring to a group of liberal Democrat activists as "retards."
He eventually apologized, but Rahmbo's detractors didn't realize how right he really was! One of Dictionary.com's official definitions of the word "retard" reads as follows, Save Jerseyans: "a person who is stupid, obtuse, or ineffective in some way."
There's frankly no better way to describe the N.J. Democrat legislative leadership!
Just one example explains it all. A study released on Thursday confirmed the common sense conclusion that high taxes drive taxpayers out of New Jersey and, consequently, the state ends up with less tax revenue and a major budget problem. Government is adding more dependents every day, while the people who actually pay the bills are picking up stakes and taking their businesses/investment capital/tax dollars with them! Intelligent legislators would eventually respond by looking for ways to cut spending towards avoiding future catastrophic tax increases. Sadly, we're not dealing with intelligence here.
We're grappling with Trenton Democrats!
Top Democrats are saying that with the state’s budget problems — a $2.17 billion budget gap this year, and up to $11 billion for the fiscal year that begins July 1 — the tax increase originally thought to be temporary should be back on the table. Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, has repeatedly said he would not reinstate the tax.
"Although I was not originally supportive of it, everything at this point in time should be on the table and open for discussion," said Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Bergen), the new chair of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, which will hold hearings on the budget Christie will propose March 16. The one-year tax increase on people making more than $400,000 passed last year and expired on Jan. 1. It was expected to bring in $1 billion, but it’s unclear whether collections will hit that target. High earners’ incomes took a hit as the economy tanked, and a similar tax increase by New York would eat into taxes paid by New Jersey residents who work in the city.
Another tax increase would destroy this state -- make no mistake about it. The last remaining business owners will head for the hills. You and I will be left holding the bag as Jersey literally burns to the ground, Save Jerseyans. Don't believe the spin. These tax hikes always end up being revenue neutral at best, for the very reason that any new revenue is canceled out by less people actually consuming the taxed commodity. The collapse of state cigarette revenues is a great example. When people got tired of the higher taxes, they either drove over the bridge to get cheaper smokes or they simply quit. Right now, New Jersey homeowners are driving over the bridge and quitting the entire state in droves.
Am I missing something here?
Afraid not. Economically retarded is exactly the right phrase to describe anyone who thinks tax hikes would help drive revenues in 2010!
Jersey Joe Talks Budget Cuts
| February 5, 2010 No one says it quite like Jersey Joe, Save Jerseyans!
Senator Pennacchio appeared on WMBC-TV earlier this week to discuss the budget, spending, taxes and a variety of other topics.
Watch:
VIDEO: The Worst GOP Political Ad of All Time
| February 5, 2010 Easily the WORST political ad I've ever seen, Save Jerseyans. It's courtesy of the Carly Fiorina campaign in California. She's engaged in a wild three-way primary that could handicap the GOP's ability to pick up a vulnerable U.S. Senate seat. I don't think this ad is going to help matters!
One of my GOP operative friends had the best comment after watching it: "I made like a voter. I got confused, then bored, then turned it off and learned nothing from it."
Get ready to laugh:
A New GOP Candidate in the NJ-12 Primary
| February 4, 2010 There's a new candidate in the NJ-12 GOP Primary, Save Jerseyans.
"Corsi, 52, owner of a real-estate firm in Oceanport, ran against Holt as an independent in 2008. His rivals for the Republican nomination this year are Fair Haven Mayor Michael Halfacre and investor Scott Sipprelle.
Corsi said in a press release that he opposes abortion, favors smaller government and less regulation, and is using the campaign slogn, "Had Enough?"
"My campaign will focus on solving the problems that bloated, out-of-touch government, special interests and elitist politicians have created," he said. "These groups and their misguided policies have allowed the United States to lose millions of jobs and become the largest debtor nation all within one generation. And those problems cannot be solved by the same cast of characters that have created them."
Corsi seems like a long-shot candidate but, thus far, he's the only pro-life candidate in the primary.
We'll keep an eye on his candidacy...
Halfacre On Healthcare
Mayor Mike Halfacre, Guest Op-ed | February 4, 2010With the election of Republican Scott Brown to the Senate from the bluest of blue states- Massachusetts- the healthcare debate will change in Washington DC Massachusetts
More than that, Brown’s election became a rallying point for people all over the United States who saw his election as a way to tell Washington
The President and Congressional leaders should take this opportunity to refocus the healthcare debate. There is an old saying: you don’t kill a fly with a sledgehammer. Clearly there are reforms which should be made to the healthcare system; the question is whether to take a market based approach or a one-size-fits-all, centrally planned government approach. I would argue forcefully for the former, and it seems as though the majority of Americans who say they oppose the current healthcare bill agree.
The United States
Yet this is exactly what happens every day in healthcare: you pay your $20 co-pay with no idea of what you’re paying for. It only costs you 20 bucks, so you don’t object, and your doctor knows that more than likely he’ll be paid for whatever procedures or tests he performs. Neither patient nor medical provider has proper incentives to increase healthcare quality and/or decrease its costs.
Your policy also covers a whole host of things that you may not want or need, yet you are forced to pay for them. If your cable TV company told you that in order to subscribe you had to pay for HBO, Cinemax, and Starz, whether you wanted to or not, you’d think they were crazy.
True health insurance reform requires implementing a “patient-centered” approach which will give the proper incentives, responsibilities and choices to both patient and healthcare provider.
We can do this in the following ways:
1) Encourage individual ownership of insurance policies-The current tax rules that allow employers to own our insurance and receive the tax benefit for it, should instead provide those deductions to individuals. Businesses would then be free to pay a large portion of the money they save on an employee’s healthcare back to the employee in salary or other benefits of equal value.
2) Encourage Health Savings Accounts- These accounts empower individuals to monitor their health care costs and create incentives for individuals to use only those services that are necessary.
3) Allow interstate purchasing of insurance. Some states have more affordable health insurance because they have fewer bells and whistles. Consumers should be able to decide which benefits they need and what prices they are willing to pay.
4) Reduce the number of mandated benefits that insurers are required to cover- Let consumers choose and price their own benefits. This also will increase individual responsibility and “connectedness” to their healthcare.
5) Reallocate the majority of Medicaid spending into simple vouchers for low-income individuals to purchase their own insurance- An income based voucher program would eliminate the massive bureaucracy needed to sustain the current, soon to be bankrupt (within 10 years) Medicaid system.
I believe these 5 policy recommendations would unleash the power of the free market on our healthcare system and dramatically drive down the costs of health insurance. Those reduced costs would then make it more attractive to younger people, many of whom currently find the cost of health insurance prohibitive, to buy insurance. Enlarging of the risk pool with younger (read: healthier) people would spread costs over a larger base, thereby further lowering healthcare costs. For once we could see a spiral downward in healthcare costs instead of upward, and it would be done through free market incentives, rather than the government trampling our rights by forcing us to buy health insurance- or else.
Whether through polls or recent elections, the American people have consistently and clearly shown they want Congress to re-think their approach on healthcare reform. Ignore them at your peril.
