tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615540480649619994.post244524290807956275..comments2023-12-20T09:43:12.402-08:00Comments on Skoop's Blog: Hi-Ho-The-Dairy-0Tim Skubickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11498943340853358620noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615540480649619994.post-53888865973579827592009-11-18T17:48:57.644-08:002009-11-18T17:48:57.644-08:00To bad the Deer season is not longer. that way the...To bad the Deer season is not longer. that way they will do less damage to this stateAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615540480649619994.post-85636099400799112302009-11-15T17:21:16.227-08:002009-11-15T17:21:16.227-08:00Health insurance is a good example of why our poli...Health insurance is a good example of why our politicans have gone astray.<br /><br />Why are “we conservatives” not arguing that more free-market competition in the health insurance industry is what is needed? Lobbyist and special interest groups have bought off our representatives in Washington. There is no other logical answer.<br /><br />A major argument of liberals for advocating a public sector health insurance plan is to increase competition and thus drive down cost by forcing the private sector to compete. Why are conservatives not fighting back, stating it is the private sector that can best provide more competition? Why are they not quoting Adam Smith when he talked about "rational self interest” and competitive markets in his book Wealth of Nations? He envisioned many consumers interested in buying goods and services from many producers. This “free market” system best serves the private and public good. <br /><br />Why are they not quoting Justice Louis Brandeis when he said in 1928:<br /><br />“Experience should teach us to be most on guard to protect liberty when the government’s purposes are beneficial. Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of liberty by evil-minded rulers. The greater dangers to liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding.” <br /><br />Private markets and free enterprise are at the core of what conservatives stand for. So why are they not selling it to the public during this nationwide debate about health insurance? What our representatives in Washington should be doing is fighting to make the private sector of the health insurance industry free from the oligopolistic powers of many companies in the business. <br /><br />Instead, their votes are bought with heavy campaign contributions by these oligopolies. If the government were serious about creating more competition in the insurance industry, they would be spending time enforcing anti-trust laws and other regulations created to keep private markets free from monopolies and oligopolies instead of arguing over a “public option” to health care. This is shown by the following quote from By Halimah Abdullah of the McClatchy Newspapers:<br /><br />“As the Obama administration and Democrats wrangled<br />over the timing, shape and cost of health care overhaul efforts during the first half of the year, more than half the $1.1 million in campaign contributions the Democratic Party's Blue Dog Coalition received came from the pharmaceutical, health care and health insurance industries, according to watchdog organizations.”<br /><br />The Blue Dog Coalition is not alone. Sadly, it appears that before getting good<br />health care reform, we need campaign contribution reform.<br /><br />The private sector of the health care industry should be set free by government<br />looking out for its’ citizens and enforcing anti trust laws. A free, competitive market will drive down the cost of health care. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan; “Trust, but verify.” Government has let the health care industry get out of hand. If government does its job of assuring free markets, free markets will drive down the cost of health care and the public will be "Free to Choose."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-615540480649619994.post-4935285079586085882009-11-15T16:54:21.736-08:002009-11-15T16:54:21.736-08:00Tim, you've nailed on the first attempt. The ...Tim, you've nailed on the first attempt. The schedule these elected officials keep is arrogant, ludicrious and an insult to the taxpayers who pay their salaries. Now is the time for the people to begin a petition drive for a referendum to create a unicameral part-time legislature. Where do I sign? Where do I get a petition to circulate for people to sign?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com