Follow the Money

The 112th Congress convenes today. Since the Republicans now have a majority in the House, they control the agenda. The first item thereon: Repeal of Obama's Health Care Reform plan.

Yes! Right on! Just do it! Get rid of that bureaucratic albatross and replace it with HR676!

If you know what HR676 is all about, you know that this plainly logical event is not about to occur. John Boehner and his comrades do not want to provide the nation with health care of any sort–except that of the Health Insurance industry.

The stated objective of their effort to repeal the Obama plan is to reduce government spending. They argue that the U.S. government has no responsibility for the health care its citizens. Never mind that this is the case in every other country in the developed world. Never mind that in the long run HR676, "Medicare for All," would save money–in several ways.

One way: The cost of administering the current Medicare program is 3%, i.e., for every $100 doled out for health care, $3 goes for the government administration of the program. On the other hand for every $100 doled out by the Health Insurance industry, $30 goes to administration (and profit)! Uh, that's 3% vs 30%. Isn't this a no-brainer?

You bet it is! Any U.S. legislator–Republican or Democrat–who is against "Medicare for All" is not worried about government spending; he or she is worried about how little they will have to spend if they vote against the wishes of the Health Insurance industry.

Which is why the first item on the agenda of the 112th Congress should be–not Health Care Reform (or not)–but CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM! How can a member of Congress vote for what's best for the people when he or she is on the payroll of big oil, big health insurance, big defense, big finance and/or any other big greedy industry out there? [Didn't Republican President Dwight Eisenhower warn us against the tyranny of the Military-Industrial complex?]

On the other hand, how do we get Congress to take up the issue of campaign finance reform and vote against their own best interests? Hmmm... Maybe if we consulted with the movers and shakers of the Republic Party. The G.O.P. has been duping the middle and lower classes into doing just this for years.

Want to understand U.S. politics? It's easy, just follow the money.

Want to learn more about HR676? Check out The Citizens Alliance for the Public Option and Physicians for a National Health Plan (where you can read the actual text of HR676–all 30 pages :-)

~ fini ~