The Democrat controlled government, opposition be damned, on the verge of a huge power grab in the name of insuring the uninsured and keeping health insurance companies “honest” are digging deep and rolling up their sleeves, set to take over 1/6 of the American economy, with a new and despicable level of partisanship.

The final Senate vote to move the healthcare “reform” bill to a reality has captured the attention of the American people for its blatant maneuvers to mix politics with healthcare. Just yesterday, in order to gain support from Senator Nelson of Nebraska for the bill, Nebraska is exempt from paying Medicaid benefits for its own constituents forever, is just one example. The Senator’s initial objection was federally funded abortion, but that fell to the way side when the pork deal came through.

Unfortunately, if “reform” is signed into law, the future of American healthcare and how it is paid for is forever dependent on political negotiations, rather than the consumer in a market driven industry. Is not managing the government enough for these highfalutin officials? Is it really necessary to manage healthcare too?

Let’s be clear, we are not talking about insuring poor people or Senior Citizens who are currently covered by government run Medicaid and Medicare, at issue are the people somewhere in between who do not have access to affordable insurance, and represent a small fraction of the population. If Congress would just focus on those individuals, possibly providing a fund to offset health costs, maybe the problem can be solved by simple and inexpensive means, instead the Democrat controlled government, opposition be damned, seeks to quiet down those who oppose “reform” by labeling us uncharitable bigots.

Indeed, Medicaid and Medicare will suffer most by the weight of expansion, having to shift millions of people on the federal rolls, without adding more doctors will necessarily ration care, and worst case scenario drive doctors out of the exchange for lack of proper compensation which will ration care even further. How my position on this matter makes me an uncharitable bigot exactly, I have yet to understand.

Even though the American people are protesting government largesse and expansion at tea parties and town hall meetings across the country ad nauseum, the Democrat controlled government, opposition be damned, want to add 111 new federal agencies to tackle or rather control the way we receive healthcare in America.

The idea is that these new federal agencies will do a better job at being cost effective, and customer friendly, than the free market. This has never worked in the past, and will not work now. The easiest way to reduce costs is by allowing companies to compete in an open market, where the purchasing power of the consumer dictates costs. But noooo, who needs simple ideas? The Democrat controlled government, opposition be damned, are trying to drastically change the way we receive healthcare during a slowly recovering economy, an unemployment rate above 10%, and a public that is satisfied with their current healthcare at the rate of 80%, all so that they can claim victory for their misguided and increasingly unpopular leader, President Obama.

The Democrat controlled government, opposition be damned, expect us to believe that they are capable of keeping the profit engrossed insurance companies honest. The same motley crew that do not have the guts to remove a ten year tax cheat as Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the committee responsible for writing tax code for the entire country! There is nothing evil about making profits in a free market, but there is something very wrong with a semi-corrupt government that throws stones at private industry.

The reality is the government is not qualified to assign risk, set premiums, and dictate profits in one fell swoop and expect private health insurance to survive. Forcing insurance companies to insure anyone that applies takes away its ability to assign risk in a business that when well run, needs well people to pay for sick people to stay in business. If insurance companies are mandated to cover everyone, there is no need for the consumer to purchase insurance at all. Those who purchase health insurance now do it just in case of catastrophic injury or illness, if the current scheme goes into effect, there will not be enough well people on the private insurance rolls to cover the costs for the sick.

In reply, the Democrat controlled government, opposition be damned, tells us we must purchase health insurance or face fines, penalties, and/or jail time. That solves that problem, right? Not really. The government has promised to assist or waive fines for people who cannot afford health insurance, and the people who can will pay the fine and wait until they become sick to enroll. The most cost effective method for the consumer is to opt out of insurance altogether, until they become really sick of course.

It does not matter what the government calls it whether it be public option, opt in, opt out or exchange, the result is the same, the government must act as insurer de facto, because there will not be any private insurance companies left to pay the costs. Less well people will be privately insured, and more sick people will be enrolled with the government plan.

Covering all those sick people will be expensive, doctors have to be paid, hospitals have to run, the sick have to use expensive machinery and medication, this is clear. The only way for the government to collect the type of funds needed to pay for this expansion is by raising taxes. One way or the other, everyone pays now, or everyone pays later.

Of course, the Democrat controlled government, opposition be damned, and touting official numbers from the non partisan Congressional Budget Office (“CBO”) tells us that if the government does not pass healthcare “reform” the nation will fall further into debt, and indeed, the bill will after 10 years save the country money. Agreed, the CBO is non partisan, but they do have a specific job to do at the pleasure of Congress. A member of Congress presents a certain set of circumstances and asks that the CBO crunch the numbers to see how much a bill costs or saves. At question here is the presentation. For example, Majority Leader Reid claims the bill will save millions of dollars by eradicating Medicaid fraud, those millions of dollars are included in the figures presented to the CBO, whether realistic or not. Any good lawyer will tell you that it is one hurdle finding Medicaid fraud, but the biggest hurdle is collecting from it after it’s done. The CBO’s calculated figures are based upon unreal expectations.

Surely there is a better mechanism to provide health insurance for those people who do not have it than the myriad of dubious options described above.

AMERICA NEEDS YOU. OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY PLEASE TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO MAKE A PHONE CALL OR TWO TO ANY ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SENATORS WHO AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER WERE CRITICAL OF THE HEALTHCARE “REFORM” BILL BUT ARE NOW SUPPORTING IT.

Senator Evan Bayh (IN)
Chief of Staff: Thomas Sugar)
Washington, DC (202) 224-5623 / (202) 228-1377 fax
Indianapolis (317) 554-0750 / (317) 554-0760 fax
Evansville (812) 465-6500 / (812) 465-6503 fax
Fort Wayne (260) 426-3151 / (260) 420-0060 fax
Hammond (219) 852-2763 / (219) 852-2787 fax
Jeffersonville (812) 218-2317 / (812) 218-2370 fax
South Bend (574) 236-8302 / (574) 236-8319 fax

Senator Michael Bennet (CO)
Chief of Staff: Jeff Lane
Washington, DC (202) 224-5852 / (202) 228-5036
Denver (303) 455-7600 / (303) 455-8851 fax
Durango (970) 259-1710 / (970) 259-9789 fax
Colorado Springs (719) 328-1100 / (719) 328-1129 fax
Fort Collins (970) 224-2200 / (970) 224-2205 fax
Fort Morgan (970) 542-9446 / (970) 542-3088 fax
Grand Junction (970) 241-6631 / (970) 241-8313 fax
Pueblo (719) 542-7550 / (719) 542-7555 fax
Alamosa (719) 587-0096 / (719) 587-0098 fax

Senator Joe Lieberman (CT)
Chief of Staff: Clarine Riddle (clarine_riddle@lieberman.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-4041 / (202) 224-9750 fax
Hartford (860) 549-8463 / (866) 317-2242 fax

Senator Bill Nelson (NE)
Chief of Staff: Tim Becker
Washington, DC (202) 224-6551 / (202) 228-0012 fax
Lincoln (402) 441-4600 / (402) 476-8753 fax
Omaha (402) 391-3411 / (402) 391-4725 fax

Senator Blanche Lincoln (AR)
Chief of Staff: Elizabeth Burks (elizabeth_burks@lincoln.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-4843 / (202) 228-1371 fax
Little Rock (800) 352-9364 / (501) 375-7064 fax

Senator Mary Landrieu (LA)
Chief of Staff: Jane Campbell (jane_campbell@landrieu.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-5824 / (202) 224-9735 fax
New Orleans (504) 589-2427 / (504) 589-4023 fax
Baton Rouge (225) 389-0395 / (225) 389-0660 fax
Shreveport (318) 676-3085 / (318) 676-3100 fax
Lake Charles (337) 436-6650 / (337) 439-3762 fax

Senator Mark Pryor (AR)
Chief of Staff: Bob Russell (robert_russell@pryor.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-2353 / (202) 228-0908 fax
Little Rock (501) 324-6336 / (501) 324-5320 fax

Senator Mark Warner (VA)
Chief of Staff: Luke Albee (luke_albee@warner.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-2023 / (202) 224-6295 fax
Abingdon (276) 628-8158 / (276) 628-1036 fax
Norfolk (757) 441-3079 / (757) 441-6250 fax
Roanoke (540) 857-2676 / (540) 857-2800 fax
Midlothian (804) 739-0247 / (804) 739-3478 fax

Senator Mark Begich (AK)
Chief of Staff: David Ramseur (david_ramseur@begich.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-3004 / (202) 224-2354 fax
Anchorage (907) 271-5915 / (907) 258-9305 fax
Fairbanks (907) 456-0261 / (907) 451-7290 fax
Juneau (907) 586-7700 / (907) 586-7702 fax
Ketchikan (907) 225-3000 / (907) 247-3000 fax

Senator Robert Byrd (WV)
Chief of Staff: Barbara Videnieks (barbara_videnieks@byrd.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-3954 / (202) 228-0002 fax
Charleston (304) 342-5855 / (304) 343-7144 fax
Martinsburg (304) 264-4626 / (304) 262-3039 fax

Senator Thomas Carper (DE)
Chief of Staff: Jim Reilly (james_reilly@carper.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-2441 / (202) 228-2190 fax
Wilmington (302) 573-6291 / (302) 573-6434 fax
Dover (302) 674-3308 / (302) 674-5464 fax
Georgetown (302) 856-7690 / (302) 856-3001 fax

Senator Jim Webb (VA)
Chief of Staff: Paul Reagan (paul_reagan@webb.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-4024 / 202-228-6363 fax
Danville (434) 792-0976 / (434) 972-0960 fax
Virginia Beach (757) 518-1674 / (757) 518-1679 fax
Falls Church (703) 573-7090 / (703) 573-7098 fax
Norton (276) 679-4925 / (276) 679-4929 fax
Richmond (804) 771-2221 / (804) 771-8313 fax
Roanoke (540) 772-4236 / (540) 772-6870 fax

Senator Jon Tester (MT)
Chief of Staff (Deputy): Mary Walsh
Washington, DC (202) 224-2644 / (202) 224-8594 fax
Billings (406) 252-0550 / (406) 252-7768 fax
Bozeman (406) 586-4450 / (406) 586-7647 fax
Butte (406) 723-3277 / (406) 782c8-4717 fax
Glendive (406) 365-2391 / (406) 365-8836 fax
Great Falls (406) 452-9585 / (406) 452-9586 fax
Helena (406) 449-5401 / (406) 449-5462 fax
Kalispell (406) 257-3360 / (406) 257-3974 fax
Missoula (406) 728-3003 / (406) 728-2193 fax

Senator Blanche Lincoln (AR)
Chief of Staff: Elizabeth Burks (elizabeth_burks@lincoln.senate.gov)
Washington, DC (202) 224-4843 / (202) 228-1371 f
Little Rock (800) 352-9364 / (501) 375-7064 f

Senator Mark Pryor (AR)
Chief of Staff: Bob Russell (email address unknown)
Washington, DC (202) 224-2353 / (202) 228-0908 fax
Little Rock (501) 324-6336 / (501) 324-5320 fax