Just take a big breath and clear your head

One thing I hate about political years are the immediate experts that prop up all over the place. Its easy to read something (which, lets be honest, more than likely will already be skewed toward a view you find favorable - I know that's true for me 8 times out of 10) and be "informed", but being informed doesn't make your view either prudent or correct. I can have volumes of facts on health, diet and fitness; but if I never practice or experience my information, then its just theory -- it does not make me healthy.

Obviously this can't be universally applied logic - but it certainly is true that your information is an opinion, unless you're relaying first hand experience. On top health care. If anyone knows that our health care system is broken, I think our family would know. Our family has extensive experience on health care. I've been self employed for 7 years, always having to find my own health insurance. Every year that insurance cost go up - last year eventually reaching $900 a month for coverage that, well, didn't always cover our health. I don't make $5000 a month, I don't even make $4000 a month; It came to a point where we couldn't afford the monthly premiums on top of the costs the company deemed "unnecessary" (for Abigail's anxiety, learning disability and sensory processing disorders) as well as feed the family, pay mortgage, etc I couldn't -- could not afford to pay for it anymore. So a month lapse of no coverage, turned into denied coverage for not having been previously covered (as it seems the company's destroy your records 2 seconds after you're dropped), and endless and clever excuses for not being able to cover us (they don't cover mental health, they don't cover anyone who "may" at some point get any number of diseases, they even ask if anyone you know say told you you might have a condition!? my favorite being, that I was an expectant father).

Today the kids are on Medicare; which the entire city of Cincinnati only has 2 offices which will take Medicare. Sonya and I don't qualify because I make too much - which means its better to be poor, than somewhere in the middle. It's broken. I know it; yet I'm still against any nationalized health care system.

So, let's examine how the much smaller government run health care (Medicare/Medicade) works. First, it took us 3 months to get a "case worker" who was to find and research available practices where our kids could go. That list included 3 places; and one was a man's home and one wasn't even in Cincinnati. Then we had to contact an office, see if we could get in and when we'd be able to visit. All told, it took 4 months for our kids to see a doctor. Sonya is a stay at home mom, she was diligent and called frequently just to get answers (because they certainly weren't forthcoming; its not as if they want everyone knowing how the process works so that they have to actually use the money set aside by your taxes for this to work effectively -- no, your local governments most likely wouldn't mind seeing a surplus in their budgets to increase some spending). Imagine if we both worked (with cooking dinners, seeings kids, managing the house, etc) how long it might have taken? Yet, somehow, on a much larger scale with a much larger scope of people (age ranges, locations) to manage, the government will somehow manage do it better than they do now (I don't believe being a Republican or Democrat makes whoever is hired to run this organization, manage appointments, handle calls, file paperwork, any more or less capable).

So how does a country afford to pay for a national health care? That's obvious - taxes. But our government - our local, city and state governments - they love their taxes. Right now though, our county is deeply in debt, and nearly a historic financial collapse. Either we cut spending (do you honestly think you're local representatives want to let go their projects, their "initiatives"? I don't, which is mostly were I might split with some of you) to raise the capital to offer coverage to 100, maybe 150 million people, or we raise taxes. But how much has to be raised to keep the level of the best health coverage available for free to everyone? The U.S. is not the size of Germany, or Sweden or even Canada, and just go down to your local DMV to see how effeciently and professional run government works. But somehow, we'll get this right? We'll do it better? We'll provide the best doctors and specialists, fascillities and administration; the most prompt and wisest care?

I suppose I'm just cynical; or as I like to see it, more realistic. I don't necessarily have an answer (perhaps disbar judges who allow their courts to even hear frivolous and ludarcious lawsuits that ask for insane compensation and damages -- one of the leading causes for our out of control health care system). I just know that universal health care will do more harm than good to this country.