Friday, June 14, 2013

Congress - If You Vote For It You Ought To Have To Live With It

"We have to pass the bill so we know what's in it...," so said Nancy Pelosi.  That statement on health care reform had to be one of the biggest groaners of this administration.

Enough time has passed that those of us aghast at was was foretold has come home to roost.  Nearly everything about cost containment has been proven wrong.  People are losing their full time jobs because their employers can't afford to pay for it.  States, as well as the government are behind in getting the exchanges set up.  It's a mess.

There would be a silver lining  however.  You see those in government who have legislated themselves exempt from nearly everything they impose on the rest of us have erred.  It would seem this bit of legislation will nudge legislators and their staff personnel into government exchanges.  Just in case you don't know, they get Cadillac benefits subsidised by the government. If this takes hold and they want to keep the same level of care they now have their premiums will go through the roof.  Strange, I don't feel at all bad about that.

Because of this, many are considering that feeding at the public trough isn't as appetizing as it has been and are considering bailing out. If they leave now they can stay under the current system.  I see this as a plus.  Instead of voting them out of office, which we seem reluctant to do, we'll drive them out with their own petard!  Some are worried about a brain drain just when Congress is about to tackle some tough issues like tax reform and immigration.

That doesn't worry me in the least.  Congress has no monopoly on brains when it comes to the issues.  In fact the opposite may be more accurate. Finding new people to serve who actually want to serve the country rather than themselves would be a refreshing change of pace.

It's all probably wishful thinking.  I'm sure there are enough of them who will vote for an amendment that will exempt them or raise their salaries to cover the cost.  It's a vote for which we should all watch and shout bloody murder about.

I have little sympathy for someone who makes $174,000 a year plus perks who can't figure out how to pay their insurance premiums.  It doesn't surprise me they are flummoxed though.  No real person budgets for themselves or their families the way Congress budgets for the country - or doesn't.

By the way, the immigration bill they are so worried about is up to 1500 pages and counting.  How many do you think will read it before voting?  They never learn!  Nothing needs to be 1500 pages long but they put out these massive missives time and time again.

One way to shorten them up would be to make it a law they have to obey what they pass.  They won't because they don't have to.  It doesn't drain any one's brain to figure out that many in Congress are brain dead.

Maybe that's why they won't read.  Some truths are just not arguable but we wouldn't want that in writing, now would we?  The written word is too difficult to obfuscate.

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