Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The Case Against Massive Legislation

I've long been an advocate of tackling large tasks piece meal.  The reason is that often the big picture is just too overwhelming  and it either never gets done or the end is sloppy at best.

Such is the case with Obamacare.  We first had thousands of pages in one bill, way too much for those who were to vote on it to read.  So they didn't.  The staff relegated to the task weren't necessarily knowledgeable about the intentions and implications of the content to give an accurate briefing to their Congress people.  Thus the infamous enjoiner from Nancy Pelosi that it needed to be passed so we could know what's in it.

Forget partisanship, the bill was a disaster in the making from the get go. Little more need be said when the very implementation of the basics are being delayed right and left because the mechanics aren't ready.  Pair that with the waivers being sought you're losing funding before it even gets out the door not to mention being unfair by playing favorites especially when it comes to Congress themselves and their staff.

Add the President to the mix with his unlawful awarding of waivers and delaying implementation of certain aspects over others, it's not a pretty picture of executive arrogance and constitutional malfeasance. He does not have the right to change or refuse to obey written and passed law on his own volition.  Yet he does and there is no recourse.  That is a slap in the face to the very essence of how our government is designed to work.

Beware immigration reform.  The same pattern is emerging.

So what will happen.  Being a pessimist by nature when it comes to government I expect two things.  Immigration reform will never happen even with the Gang of Eight working together.

Two,  heaalth care reform, once implemented, will bear little resemblance to the law as passed.  That can be good and bad.  It's bad under any circumstance if it's done by presidential dictate.

I suspect, however, what's happening is a clumsy effort to bring about a one payer system.  National Health Care.  Do you think we have an economic crisis now? You haven't seen anything yet!  It's the details you know, those devilish details. Your witnessing what happens when they're ignored or not even considered.

Secretary Sebelius says the current goings on aren't bait and switch.  We'll see.


2 comments:

Margie's Musings said...

You know, Mari, you may not remember this but when social security was passed many people said the same thing about it. And they said the same thing about Medicare. Only the wealthy feel that way about both. For the poor, they were both life savers. Before social security, a man (and sometimes woman)worked until they died if they were not able to save enough for their old age....and many could not.

Betty said...

Margie's right. Also, sweeping bills like Obamacare and Soc. Security and Medicare always have to be changed (tweaked). There are still changes being made to Social Security and Medicare. I do think we will end up with a single payer system, eventually.