Welcome to the May “Leaders” issue of NorthBay biz magazine. This month’s magazine focuses on companies and individuals who are leaders in their respective industries. From agriculture through high tech, with stops along the way in manufacturing, marketing, dairy and local chambers of commerce, our stories analyze leadership, discerning the sometimes elusive qualities incumbent for success. As you’ll discover, the skills employed are diverse and manifest themselves in many ways. Please enjoy all the stories, special features and columns this month in the North Bay’s only locally owned business publication—NorthBay biz.
Contrary to the belief of the elite ruling class of far-left progressives residing in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., America’s history of greatness has been derived from the heart, soul, mind and deeds of the people who make up this country—not from the ill-conceived, controlling contrivances that are spawned on the floor of Congress. When the state is small, the individual thrives and, conversely, as the state grows, the individual is diminished. Politicians’ claim of, what’s the big deal if a few personal liberties are lost if, in the exchange, the government provides health care security for all, is pure sophistry.
With the passage of the health care bill, Congress has taken a giant leap toward collectivizing the nation. And with its typical arrogance, Congress ignored the wishes of a majority of its citizenry, dismissed the dismal performance of socialized medicine in other countries around the world and showed a total disregard for growing an alrea elping provide a climate conducive to job creation—Americans’ number one concern—Congress considers it much more important to fritter a year of its time away on social reengineering and wealth redistribution emulating Europe.
One of the many ploys to justify this health care travesty has been to try and define it as a “right.” How did a person’s “needs” suddenly become “rights”? I need a new car, but I don’t have a right to one. The same logic applies to health care. Once health care is declared a right, it becomes incumbent upon society (government) to provide it to everyone. If a person, let’s call her Miss Indigent, doesn’t have the money to pay for health care coverage, oh well, don’t worry, the government will pay for her. That’s where this kind of logic breaks down. The government doesn’t have any money of its own. Its source of revenue is derived from us in the form of taxes. That’s our money. By that logic, what right does the government have to take our money to pay for Miss Indigent’s health care? She doesn’t (even through government intervention) have a right that makes me pay for her health care any more than I have the right to make her pay my water bill.
What is a right, however, is having the opportunity to control my own health care and make choices that best suit me—a right that, apparently, has now been abrogated by legislative fiat. Under this new health care bill, all exits are blocked. And your inclusion will be enforced by a battalion of 17,000 newly hired IRS agents, at a cost of $10 billion. You will participate or face fines, imprisonment or both for noncompliance.
The reality here is that this whole debacle wasn’t really about health care in the first place. It’s really all about growing government control over our lives. It’s about redistributing wealth and taking a huge chunk of the economy and putting it under bureaucratic control—creating hundreds of federal agencies that’ll make decisions about local health care issues from behind desks in D.C., replete with a bevy of newly appointed health “czars” (a very appropriately named position, given the Marxist ideology behind the entire concept).
America was blessed with the best health care system in the world. Was it perfect? Of course not, but now Congress is trying to solve problems it had a hand in creating in the first place. Government intervention and regulation is at the root of the health care problem. What’s the solution? A thousand-page health care bill that promises even more intervention, regulation and control. That’s just what the country needs. With government now in charge of every health care detail, costs will rise tremendously—as will taxes—as quality of care diminishes and rationing becomes inevitable. Pretty good deal, isn’t it? Look at the bright side though: At least we won’t have to worry about those tens of thousands of people who came here annually, crowding our waiting rooms for treatment they couldn’t get at home from their existing nationalized health care plans anymore.
Last, I have a question. Why aren’t the people who passed this new health care bill into law covered by it?
If it’s so marvelous and every American should feel blessed to finally have government health care, why have our elected officials exempted themselves? Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) offered an amendment to the reconciliation bill that was quashed by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nevada). In part, it read, “It’s only fair and logical that top administration officials (the President, Vice President, Congress, cabinet members and thousands of the President’s administration staff), who fought so hard for passage of this overhaul of America’s health care system, experience it themselves. If it’s as good as promised, they’ll know it first-hand. If there are problems, they’ll be able to really understand them, as they should.” Grassley said his motivation for the amendment was simple: Public officials who make laws or lead efforts to have laws changed should live under those laws.
I couldn’t agree more.
It’s telling that none of the rabid sponsors of this highly unpopular and controversial legislation have chosen to be covered by it. Draw your own conclusions.
That’s it for now. Enjoy this month’s magazine.
