“Your America” is a column I created over a year ago that is devoted to our freedoms and the democratic process. Over the past year I have listened to, read, and researched the left and right sides of this upcoming election. I have concluded that Moderate republicans and conservative democrats always have the answers to the issues, and that the far left and far right always have complaints, but never answers.
My first column that was introduced a year ago was entitled “2004 Democratic Hopefuls,” and John Kerry was one of the individuals that I reported on. Since then, Kerry?s message has changed drastically: Kerry flip-flops. I reported that Kerry had voted for the war in Iraq and supported the effort. I also reported that Kerry would better equip oursoldiers. Now Kerry has hijacked Howard Dean?s line saying “It was the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time,” which is effectually saying that he does not support the war.
Today, after Kerry said a year ago he would better equip the troops, he voted against funding that would do just that.
I reported a year ago that Kerry would make health care more affordable to all Americans by working with HMOs. Now Kerry wants to essentially give away health care and bypass the HMOs. Kerry?s plan would cover 27 million Americans instantly,while the rest of us could buy into a Congressional Health Plan. This system would include tax incentives to help us pay, all of which are at the taxpayer?s expense.
The health care system under the Kerry plan will create a multi-layer bureaucracy that will need a sum of $895 billion each year to operate. Such a plan will essentially expand taxation on every person in America, and will be the largest taxation in our nation?s history. Kerry?s plan will call for multi-billion dollar HMOs to basically shut down overnight,leaving hundreds of thousands of Americans unemployed, and causing stocks to drop at an unheard of rate that could lead to a full economic depression.America is the only industrialized nation in the world without a health care system for a reason: because of our right of choice. Every worker in America has the right to choose to have money taken out of his or her paycheck for health benefits. Some employers do not offer health benefits, which is why there are private organizations and government programs to provide health care for those in need. It is un- American to force individuals to pay for health benefits; in fact, it?s Socialistic. Regulation of HMOs is what we need in this country. For example, we need to close the loopholes and take the decision of patient treatment out of corporations? hands and put it into those of the individual. President Bush has said what makes the most sense, which is to “make sure that health decisions are made by doctors and patients, not by bureaucrats.” The freedom of choice is what makes America great, not creating a larger government and controlling citizens? and doctors? lives and livelihoods.
This election is going to be one of the most important of our time, and the most polarized. We need a president who will stand for our nation and lead us in the right direction. John Kerry may have the right idea on a few issues, but George Bush has the right vision for our nation. As he said so eloquently, “Government should help people improve their lives, not try to run their lives.