1974 comparisons are flawed

1974 comparisons are flawed

It’s plain silly to compare the current lively debate on health care reform to tit for tat partisan politics by using a 1974 Nixon proposal. I don’t think Nixon was facing an exploding $1.5 trillion annual deficit or a $12 trillion national debt. Heck, even the Mahoning Valley was booming back then and we certainly were not relying on miracles to solve our problems like Congressman Ryan now proposes.

Americans have come to love the “free lunch” concept created by the Great Society programs started in the mid 60’s. But unlike politicians, even most Americans realize that someone has to pay for the free lunch eventually, up to 60 percent by some polls in the health-care reform debate.

So, the debate is legitimate and needed. Massachusetts has mandatory health insurance and is not only broke but has the highest insurance premiums in the country. Nobody really believes the legislation just passed is going to reduce the deficit by $1.3 trillion. A 1966 estimate of Medicare spending in the year 1990 was pegged at $12 billion. It turned out to be $107 billion. And, they want us to believe we can save $500 billion by controlling waste, fraud and abuse. That’s about as unbelievable as Mahoning County paying someone $66,291 to fill in potholes ... oops, that one is true!

And you know, using school levy scare tactics like people have to choose between paying the mortgage or the doctor is getting a little old too. Personally I’ve had high deductible insurance for the past 20 years and the premiums have averaged about $200/month for a family of four. That’s about what it costs to lease a Cobalt and I’ve saved a small fortune using this approach.

Health Care Reform as it now sits continues to reward bad behavior at the expense of those that work hard and play by the rules. It will expedite the bankruptcy of our nation. There are much better ways to reform health care and this is why the debate however vigorous must continue. Those that oppose should not be mocked as tea baggers by a congressman that has little to show for improving the quality of life in the Mahoning Valley during his political run.

Tim Ryan, Newton Falls