January 3, 2010

HEALTH CARE BILL A BIG IF

Santa Claus was a mite late in delivering a proposed expansion of the national health care system to the U.S. Senate that nevertheless approved it 60-39.

Janus (aka January) -- mythical guardian of doors -- hustled the measure back to the House Of Representatives for reconciliation.  A month earlier, the House had initiated and approved the proposal 220-215.

The U.S. Constitution stipulates that all money bills originate in the House Of Representatives.

The bill would provide coverage to 31 million uninsured people, but still leave 23 million uninsured in 2019.

The bill would add a financial burden to the states by throwing more people into the Medicaid program.

One feature  not mentioned is that the taxes and charges created will take effect immediately, while the coverage will not start for four years.

President Barack Obama had campaigned on a promise to expand healthcare benefits to more people at less cost!

BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATES

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the new health care plan would require most Americans to have health insurance, add 15 million people to the Medicaid rolls, and subsidize private coverage for low and middle-income people.  Estimated cost to the government would be $871 billion over ten years.

The Budget Office also avers the bill would provide coverage to 31 million uninsured people  -- but still leave 23 million uninsured in 2019.  One third of those remaining uninsured would be illegal immigrants.

WIT AND WISDOM

We recall famous observations by Republican Senator Everett Dirksen of Illinois 1950-1969.

The most famous rejoinder to government spending was: “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon it adds up to real money!”

There is no Congressional Record of those exact words.  However, records of similar rejoinders by Dirksen are still applicable to government spending today:

“As I think of this bill, and the fact that the more progress we make, the deeper we go into the hole, I am reminded of a group of men who were working on a street.  They had dug quite a number of holes.

“When they got through, they failed to tamp the earth when it was returned to the hole.  They had a nice little hole which was quite a traffic hazard.

“Not knowing what to do with it, they sat down on the curb and had a conference.  After a while, one of fellows snapped his fingers and said,  ‘I have it!  I know how we will get rid of that overriding earth and remove the hazard.  We will just dig the hole deeper.’ ”

(Congressional Record  June 16, 1965)

On the same occasion, Senator Dirksen told another story to emphasize his viewpoint.

“A school teacher proposed a dilemma to a young boy:  A cat fell in a well 100 feet deep.  Suppose that cat climbed up 1 foot and then fell back 2 feet.  How long would it take the cat to get out of the well?

“Johnny worked assiduously with his slate and pencil for quite a while.  Then the teacher came around and asked: ‘How are you getting along?’

“Johnny said: ‘Teacher, if you give me another slate, and a couple of new pencils, I am sure that in the next 30 minutes I can land that cat in Hell!’”

Sen.  Dirksen concluded his stories with his own conclusion:

“If some people get any cheer out of a $328 billion debt ceiling, I do not find much to cheer about concerning it.”

DEBT CEILING TODAY

Compare this with last Thursday’s December 31 U.S. debt ceiling of $12.1 trillion.

As this is written, our government has exceeded its legal debt limit.

Sen.  Dirksen would be discombobulated.

PARTING SHOT

The late, great commentator of American politics – Will Rogers – had it figured out.

“Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”

By Lindsey Wilger Williams, retired newspaper publisher and syndicated columnist