Thursday, May 1, 2008

Three strikes, you are out!

When I have a need such as having new windows installed in my house, or flying on an airline, I like to evaluate the companies that I am considering for their performance. For the windows I might ask for references, for the airline I might go on line and evaluate the safety record and the on time flight record. These inquiries would help me to decide which companies to use, or whether to use that company at all. If the airline companies had a poor safety record I would not fly at all. If all the window companies had broken windows in a short time, I would not put in new windows.
Today some of the prospective mangers, or politicians, of our country are telling us that their company, the Federal Government, needs to be the overseeing company that will handle our health care. Their argument is that many can't pay for health care insurance. This is a problem. But can the Federal Government fix this problem? The wannbe managers say that they have a solution. But let's take a few minutes and look at the Feds record on handling a few other things that we have entrusted them with.
About seventy years ago, the American People entrusted our retirement to the Federal Government. That program will soon be broke. I have been paying social security tax since I was seventeen years old, and my bosses have been matching my payment for that time, too. After 48 years of working and being taxed, at sixty-five I am eligible for $1200 per month. Strike ONE on the Feds.
In the sixties, we entrusted our government with the medical care of the elderly. The program is called Medicare. We and our employers have been paying taxes for this program for decades. It has so many holes in it that most have to buy supplemental insurance. It doesn't work well and it to is going to be broke in several years. Strike Two on the Feds.
Our country owes a lot to our veterans. If it weren't for them, those on the east part of our country would probably be speaking German today, and those on the west would probably be speaking Japanese. I think that most would agree that we owe the vets. But the reports on the Veteran Administration Hospitals are less than satisfactory. Recent headlines will attest to that. Also, the fact that my father in law, who was an Officer in the Air Force for over twenty years always went to private facilities rather than the VA hospitals. Strike THREE for the Feds.
There is an old saying. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Three times we have been fooled. What do we say if they fool us a fourth time? How many times can we have our hopes devastated by the Feds?
Have I undermined your hope? I hope not! This is only Tinysview. Later, I will give Tinysview solution to the problem of health care.




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