Problems outweigh benefits of current health care bill
Business owners and employees will both suffer at the hands of the complicated, expensive plan
Michal Elseth
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Opinion
The most recent version of Obama's health care bill passed in the House of Representatives on Nov. 7, and all it awaits now is the approval of the Senate. Supporters of socialized health care and big government will be partying when the bill is finally approved. After all, we have to be fair and make sure everyone has health care, right?
Let's think about this for a minute. As a graduating senior soon to be responsible for my own living expenses, I can understand the sentiment behind wanting everyone to have health insurance, there are simply too many problems with this bill. Some of them stem from the bill itself, and some are secondary effects of any government-mandated plan. But they are problems that should be seriously considered.
Big government can't pay for itself, so let's let the responsible working class do it.
First of all, how will we pay for this monstrosity of a plan? More bailouts, from the United State government to the United States government? Our country is already so in debt as to make the numbers seem irrelevant. Bloomberg just listed the October budget deficit as $176.4 billion. You could circle the Earth with dollar bills laid end-to-end hundreds of times with that many dollars. Adding health care to the mix just doesn't seem like a good idea. Even if does all get paid for by tax money, that money will come largely from those who can't afford it and don't want it.
It lays a heavy burden on small business owners, who are working hard to stay afloat. Small businesses would suffer because requiring employers to pay for healthcare when they don't have the money to spare will leave less money for them to pay and hire employees, and may force some to either drop employees or go under altogether. As an unintended side effect, some employers may even be tempted to hire illegal workers, who will work for lower pay; or they may be forced to pay their legal workers less. Any way you look at it, both business owners and their employees are going to take a serious hit from this bill. Union workers, on the other hand, will have a grand time with it. According to The Houston Chronicle, if the current bill passes, it would put a great deal of control over health care rules in union hands. Doesn't this sound vaguely familiar? Our friends in France should be able to tell us how that's worked out for them.
Let's think about this for a minute. As a graduating senior soon to be responsible for my own living expenses, I can understand the sentiment behind wanting everyone to have health insurance, there are simply too many problems with this bill. Some of them stem from the bill itself, and some are secondary effects of any government-mandated plan. But they are problems that should be seriously considered.
Big government can't pay for itself, so let's let the responsible working class do it.
First of all, how will we pay for this monstrosity of a plan? More bailouts, from the United State government to the United States government? Our country is already so in debt as to make the numbers seem irrelevant. Bloomberg just listed the October budget deficit as $176.4 billion. You could circle the Earth with dollar bills laid end-to-end hundreds of times with that many dollars. Adding health care to the mix just doesn't seem like a good idea. Even if does all get paid for by tax money, that money will come largely from those who can't afford it and don't want it.
It lays a heavy burden on small business owners, who are working hard to stay afloat. Small businesses would suffer because requiring employers to pay for healthcare when they don't have the money to spare will leave less money for them to pay and hire employees, and may force some to either drop employees or go under altogether. As an unintended side effect, some employers may even be tempted to hire illegal workers, who will work for lower pay; or they may be forced to pay their legal workers less. Any way you look at it, both business owners and their employees are going to take a serious hit from this bill. Union workers, on the other hand, will have a grand time with it. According to The Houston Chronicle, if the current bill passes, it would put a great deal of control over health care rules in union hands. Doesn't this sound vaguely familiar? Our friends in France should be able to tell us how that's worked out for them.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Alex
posted 12/23/09 @ 6:42 PM EST
I knew this would happen from the moment Obama got elected. Everything from the bailouts to this healthcare bill. Obama simply wants more government control over everything. (Continued…)
Post a Comment