Letters to the Editor for Friday, August 28, 2009

Think the economy's healing? Not so fast
A recent letter to the editor claimed that the evidence is in — the economy is recovering, and the administration’s plan is working. That’s quite a claim to make with no evidence to back it up. Although some signs may indicate that certain sectors of the economy are improving, there is no valid evidence to show that this was due to the administration’s plan. I could similarly claim that the economy is showing signs of recovery in spite of the actions taken by the administration, and that it would have been further along without government interference. Again, there is no solid evidence to back up my statement, either.

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The “cash-for-clunkers” program has also been touted as a great success. The only people that benefited from this program were the auto industry (which we already tried to bail out), those folks who were already planning to buy a new car but wanted to wait until the economy improved and the auto loan industry. Those who didn’t benefit are the rest of us taxpayers who footed the bill. Who will we bail out next? How about the furniture industry? We could have a “cash-for-couches” program. Certainly there are plenty of people out there who need a new couch.

There is also this stated “fact” that conservatives don’t want health care reform. This ploy is used to make conservatives appear heartless to the fact that many Americans don’t have health care. Conservatives want to solve this problem, but not with a government-run health care system. The fact is that such a system will undoubtedly grow government and reduce our personal freedom to choose what care we want, and from whom we want it. I don’t want some bureaucrat deciding that for me or my family. In addition, large government programs always lead to increased fraud. It is estimated that Medicaid fraud amounts to about 10 percent of the cost of the program, or approximately $30 billion a year. Imagine how high that number could be with a government-run health care system.

Surveys show that most Americans are satisfied with their health care, and that most Americans realize that some improvements should be made to the health care system. These surveys also show that most Americans do not want to replace the current health care system with a government plan. There are other options available for improving the health care system and reducing costs: tort reform, tax-free medical saving plans, and allowing interstate purchase of health insurance to increase competition and portability, to name a few.

There are no good models for a successful government health care system. That’s because whether it has been implemented on a state or national level, government run health care has led to increased costs (not cost savings), rationing, and reduced quality health services. That’s why Americans (including conservatives) are opposed to it.
JIM SMOTREL
Lynchburg