Senator Obama’s Healthcare Plan will devastate the American people and our way of life. Let me bullet my points for brevity: 

            The BO Plan will:

1)      The BO Plan will throw fuel on the economic recovery plan. Healthcare is a substantial part of the economy, and a major job producer.

2)      The BO Plan will create a monopoly in the healthcare arena by:

·        Awarding the largest government supported healthcare contract in history to one private company.

·        100% government funding to qualified target groups and subsidized coverage to currently insured individuals.                   

3)      It promotes quantity over quality.

4)      It is detrimental to the accessibility factor of the healthcare triangle. Currently, the Council on Medical Education (2003) notes a 54% decrease in enrollment in primary care and a similar one for internal medicine. Are we going to mandate physician’s choice in specialty to meet the demand?

5)      Employers now have the incentive to decrease coverage in order to save money.

6)      A decrease in coverage results in a transfer of insured to a “federal” plan that is actually a private plan at the taxpayer’s expense.

7)      Obama flipped on “fining the employers”, what else will he flip? Without incentive, no employers will initiate health plans when the government guarantees a “federal buy in plan”

            The buzz has started:

            As I came to work today, I was shocked at the silence in the halls. I usually don’t discuss politics because I am a Republican in an urban public school district. Our union has endorsed Obama, but I was shocked at our union representatives anger at the passive decay of their union leadership and lack of judgment. They are furious at the Obama Health Plan, his tax proposals, and how this will impact their future. I find small groups like this all over our district, as not to upset the leadership. Some people are awake to the impending disaster.

            Unions have always bargained for health benefits. The day of the final debate, we received an offer from our school board offering us an “opt out of our health plan” with a payback of $5,000.00 for a family plan and $2,000.00 for a single. Good business sense since they will pay 5K for a 7K savings. Many union members are excited to take the money, their spouse provides a similar plan, or they’ll make money with paying a small premium with their spouse’s plan. This ploy puts the employer in a position to minimize their healthcare expenses and pass it off to the federal government. Much like the Judas Sheep, he is leading not only small business and unions to slaughter.

            McCain’s Plan

            The senator needs to articulate his plan based on a historically successful plan.

1)      Using the trade unions as an example, the members pay into a welfare fund. It is personal responsibility.

·        These unions provide basic healthcare to all members whether working or in between jobs.

·        They purchase a catastrophic or extended care policy to cover the cost of serious illness or catastrophic illness for the entire group.

2)      Employees similarly contribute through their share of payroll deductions.

3)      A $5,000.00 tax credit places more earnings in the employees' pocket. However, any health care contributions should be pre-tax.

4)      Employees should be permitted to choose the health care plan that is best for them. Most Americans do not use all of the services that their plan covers. Escessive health care diverts money away from family budgets.

5)       The tax would be minimal, much like a sales tax. It provides the funding for an umbrella policy in the event of serious or catastrophic illness.

6)      Health care spending accounts should be simplified for easy access, and rolled over year to year. This plan allows taxpayers to pay their premiums from the spending account if they are self employed.

            Abortion

                        In the event of a threat to the mother’s life, Obama draws no picture of what constitutes a threat. A threat could be any obscure circumstance that one might think up. He gives no clear guidelines as to what he would like specifically to define as a medical threat to the mother’s life. Obama does not even use the word “medical” threat. He supports partial birth abortions. He hides behind verbiage when he defends his stance on providing medical assistance to babies surviving late term abortions. Once a child is born and takes a breath, it is entitled to the exact same health care that Obama states is a right. Let me compare this to illegal immigrants. They cross our borders at the end of a pregnancy. They give birth here in our country, and miraculously have all of the “rights” of an American citizen. There is no indecision or lack of definition as to their “right to healthcare, education, or a decent wage” in Obama’s mind. Obama believes that it is a woman’s “right to chose”; therefore it is her right to fund it. I strongly object to federal funding for abortions at any time.

Taxes

            We all heard the double speak, earners and taxpayers interchanged at key points. Those top 5% of earners will have an increase in taxes. He then states only 95 out of 100 taxpayers will not receive a tax increase. Even my colleagues in education are decrying his tax plan. Our school is one that struggles to meet NCLB, and he just added another hurdle. Not only are our tax dollars educating and providing healthcare to illegal aliens, it is decaying the morale of the professionals providing these services. Providing entitlements to remain status quo do not promote the middle class, it devalues the cost of public education, healthcare, and minimizes personal responsibility. Based on Obama’s plan, public schools will further deteriorate in all geographic locales and in particular, at the urban level. First, we have to get our children through elementary and high school before college. I finally heard disgruntled teachers utter that terrible word “Charter Schools. I quietly rejoiced inside because I am a parochial school grad.  For the first time today, I heard staunch union members blasting the perpetuation of bad policies by Obama to keep public education suppressed by creating more socioeconomic cushions to continue the apathy.

            I have heard complaints from colleagues that their leadership is exercising poor judgment. I think there is more to this than we are aware. Some of the “middle class” are not mindless sheep and don’t want to be led to slaughter. I would say they compare to Obama and his commitment to public funding. They'll say one thing, and do another.