Why I Oppose The Federal Legislation

[sfc_oliver]

Why is it they cannot understand that the people are trying to tell them, We do not want the Government running our healthcare.

It is not difficult to understand it. I hope they go ahead and pass this public option as they call it anyway. The ones who do vote for it will not be re-elected in 2010.

[Towntalk]

White House pulls the plug on its electronic tip box — flag@whitehouse.gov — that was set up to receive information on "fishy" claims about President Barack Obama's health plan.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0809/26188.html

House Democratic officials say a public option will remain in their version of a health reform bill, even now that the White House has acknowledged it may be dropped later.

http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=289D1FA2-18FE-70B2-A80011FC65718767

Liberal Democrats warn Obama ... Its our way or else.

http://www.reuters.com/article/fundsFundsNews/idUSN1730809820090817


Sounds like the House Democrats are drawing a line in the sand with the President.

[Rick Rowlands]

Hmmm, sounds as if the protests are having a bit of an impact.  Thats great. 

[sfc_oliver]

Are our representatives actually listening to the people? Are we no longer planned mobs? Or maybe a few of those in Washington actually want to keep their nice little cushy jobs.

[Towntalk]

News came out this afternoon that a second provision of the bill may be taken out. Obama's administration signaled on Sunday it is ready to abandon the idea of giving Americans the option of government-run insurance as part of a new health care system.

If this is true, the House Bill may go back to committee for revisions before it goes to the floor.

[Rick Rowlands]

I think I could become a proponent of single payer health care, and throw my support behind a health care system such as proposed now by Congress...  but only if it were done on a state level.  I think only individual states have the right to make such changes if their citizens approve.

The trend toward the "one size fits none" approach to government is plain wrong, and to any constitutional scholar, expressly prohibited.  Each state may have different needs, wants and expectations, and only the government of the individual states have the knowledge and ability to address their own problems. 

When you look at states such as Montana vs. New York, you see two very different types of people and two very different set of circumstances. Montana is sparsely populated, with no large cities and a small dependent class.  A law written to address the needs of New Yorkers would probably be overkill for Montana residents, while a law written to address Montana's concerns would be inadequate to solve New York's situation.  So what is done instead? We compromise, and basically nobody gets what they need.

If we all, both conservative and liberal, would agree that each state is different then perhaps we would have an easier time trying to live in harmony.  There will be some states that would be extremely conservative in their governance, while others would be extremely liberal and every shade in between.  I think that it is important to let each state decide for itself what it wants to do.  Behemoth Federal legislation that is a "one size fits none" solution does nobody any good.

That is the basis of my opposition to much of the pending Federal legislation.  Its not that I necessarily disagree with all of it, but I feel that those decisions should be made in Columbus, Albany and Harrisburg and not Washington D.C.  The federal government was set up to secure liberties and provide for the common defense of all the states, while each state individually determined its own destiny.  What we have instead are 50 states which are now mere political subdivisions, losing more and more of their individuality every day.

The preceding was an original thought by Rick Rowlands (my real name), and not a regurgitation of a news release or policy statement.  I am not a member of a right wing extremist group and am not acting upon an activist's marching orders. Comments are welcome, however If you cannot respond in a thoughtful and rational manner then please do not respond.