Bush veto: Health care moving in 'wrong direction'

yes..it would move healthcare in the right direction and out of the direction of many politicians' pockets.

One more blow to the middle class.

Bill R., please explain how government-run health care moves it out of the politician's pockets? If anything government-run and funded health care moves it directly into their pockets.

Let me just say, again, that politically this is a very bad move for the GOP.

The Wingnuts and their President seem to think 7 billion a year to cover OUR CHILDREN who may lack basic healthcare is too much, YET they feel 190 BILLION for Iraq is OK?

Mr President, if 7 billion is going to raise our taxes, what is 190 billion going to do?

If you consider this a setback to Health care, its because you are an advance shill for Hillary Care. The intent of this Bill was to provide health care for KIDS, POOR KIDS at that. Your patrons in the Democrat Party did what they always did. Turned an order for a Mouse into an Elephant. $84,000 is not poor, and 25 year olds are not kids. The cost went off planet, and it NEVER sunsets. It is another perpetual Democrat cash cow, that never gives a drop of milk, and never dies of old age. The President is right to Veto this boondoggle, and you are a hack for putting this in the paper.

John D

I think what Bill r is trying to say is that the insurance lobby has influenced Bush's veto of this legislation. I don't know if that is true but you need only look at the Medicare bill the GOP passed a few years ago to see it is possible.

The "no collective bargaining" part of the Medicare bill effectively made the US subsidize the rest of the world’s drug costs. Why on earth are we Americans paying 100X more than Cubans for drugs? Why? Because every other country collectively bargains with big pharma. We don't.

Worst legislation ever!

BUSH SPEAKS TO THE CHILDRENS BECAUSE HE HEARD THE VOICES.

Yes Big Poppy heard the voices again and the GOP Stomp is alive and well in America. Children aka childrens are learning, childrens are learning that this President could care less. HE HAS HIS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD, His children are covered by his TAX PAYER PAID insurance. So of course he vetoed it.

HE VETOED IT BECAUSE HE NOT ONLY DOESN'T LIKE BLACK PEOPLE, HE DOESN'T LIKE POOR PEOPLE EITHER, HE DOESN'T LIKE OUR MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN.

LEADING BY ACTIONABLE CHANGE WITH OR WITHOUT YOU AND ME.

I think most of us are wondering how $7 billion a year is budget busting, but $190 billion for a useless war that has now cost us over $500 billion is not??

And why is it that if Bush was so concerned about spending, why did he never veto a spending bill when his GOP buddies were in charge of Congress?

Here is a quick fix...forget all that middle class-upper class talk, pull out of Iraq, save yourselves billions each year in war spending, stop scaring folks with bogus terror threats just to be there for their oil, and allocate that money to a national healthcare plan. Become strong again internally so you can be strong abroad. Oh, if you are scared of terrorims, change your foreign policy like Canada or Japan and you won't see many terror threats, that would be a damn good start.

"Family Values" from The Christian Right and Haliburton.

Bush's loyalty is with insurance companies. They control much of Washington, most specifically the White House. Bush is simply pushing the empty Republican rhetoric, which they have never actually acted upon, to gain votes. Bush is the wrong person to claim that something will "raise taxes of working Americans". His unneeded war in Iraq did that. So did expansion of prescription program. If you notice, in both of these instances the primary beneficiaries have been corporate interests that funnel money to GOP coffers.

This administration is despicable.

Big government is totally inept, as Katrina & Iraq keep proving on a daily basis. To get the government involved in anything is a recipe for disaster.

The money is needed to pay for the $1000.00 a day for the mercenaries in Irak.

George W. Bush.... striking another low for "compassionate conservatism". Next he's going to "help" the poor by coming up with a law that makes it illegal to be poor so he can put all of us in jail and "support" large companies that build prisons. He is a very sick and dangerous man that i'm ashamed to say 50% of my fellow Americans votes for after 4 years of his garbage - amazing!

What I cannot blieve about Americans is this:
The Government is YOU! It is a representation of YOU! It is not an exterior power. The government is something that you should believe it rather than private interest. I mean look at what happened to your monetary system. Your money is loaned to your government at interest by a private interest! Do not buy into the lie that government is bad. Sure it is not perfect but your votes can change the imperfection. You have no control over the private interests that do not want to lose the profits that private health care brings.

George Dummy-U Bush = talks to God

Jim (and to President Bush):

Check your facts: the $84,000 figure rather blatantly applies information that is not directly related to S-CHIP and income limits.

Why Democrats have not been all over the lies propagated by the Bush admin on this subject blows...eh, I'm just tired.

I honestly thought this country too mediocre to destroy itself, but I can't apparently didn't give it enough credit. We're doomed, folks.

Bush says there is no money for the children of America.. But there is Billions of $$ for his war in Iraq and soon in Iran.. Bush get your priorities correct.. IF the Democrats had "BALLS" they should have impeached Bush!!! Every Soldier that gets killed in Iraq, the blood is in Bush's hands.. It is not a WAR it is a killing..

HA!!! The only direction Bush and Co. want to take us is straight down!!!

LIKE HELL--the US Supreme Court voted 7 to 2 that " ... a sentencing court may consider conduct of which a defendant has been acquitted," United States v. Watts, 519 US 148 (1997).

Justice Stevens dissented: "It is difficult to square this explicit statutory command to impose incremental punishment for each of the 'multiple offenses' of which a defendant 'is convicted' with the conculsion that Congress intended incremental punishment for each offense of which a defendant has been acquitted."

This raises the grim specter of rife corruption throughout the higher spheres of our Government...

The US Commission on Civil Rights report on the 2000 Florida Presidential Election came right out and called on the US Dep't. of Justice to investigate compelling evidence of violations of the Voting Rights Act--you bet!!!--the DOJ simply turned a blind eye to the entire report!!!

I urge all to complain to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights: e-mail, 1503@ohchr.org

Most of you people posting here make me sick. If you'd get up off your butts instead of posting notes all day complaining about why it's someone else's fault that your life sucks, you'd realize that the reason this country is so great is that you can do something about how much your life sucks. Even if you're as dumb as most of you sound, you can go out and get a better job, one that DOES provide health care, and save your money instead of spending it on useless crap all the time and make yourself into whatever you want to be. Then you don't have to blame rich white people and the government on all your problems. If you're on the bottom, and a loser, it's your own fault. If you're on top, it's because you've done the best you could with the abilities with which God blessed you.

SCHIP is drop the C raise P to T
Thank goodness this otherwise inept fool pulled his head out of his 4th point of contact to veto this program.

It is a tragic affair when an economically challenged child can not afford health care but it is a deplorable act of violence to force me to pay for it.

Most of you people posting here make me sick.
If you're on the bottom, and a loser, it's your own fault.
Posted by: James | October 3, 2007 2:24 PM

Sorry you're sick. But the program won't cover mental illness.
I also thought how funny to end that trash of a post with God Bless.

Are we really going to place the responsibility of providing health care to children with the same government who brought you farm subsidies, the post office, the Iraq war? Seriously people, why don't we give up the thought that the government can do things better than the free market. If anything, we need the government less involved in health care and our lives in general. Oh, and I would have been covered by this bill... how ridiculous.

Mr President, if 7 billion is going to raise our taxes, what is 190 billion going to do?

Posted by: John E | October 3, 2007 12:54 PM

John E

ummmm..trick question right? this will raise our taxes by an additional 183 Billion a year..

I will do the math for you..

190B - 7B = 183B

So- the difference is ---a lot.

Mr President, if 7 billion is going to raise our taxes, what is 190 billion going to do?

Posted by: John E | October 3, 2007 12:54 PM

John E

ummmm..trick question right? this will raise our taxes by an additional 183 Billion a year..

I will do the math for you..

190B - 7B = 183B

So- the difference is ---a lot.

I've worked all my life at middle class jobs, have no children and am soooo tired of contributing taxes that fund other people's kids education and insurance. Kids are great but where are the tax breaks for 'no children' households? You want the kids, YOU pay for them. Sounds harsh but I'm trying to save for my own retirement, not give others free rides because they don't/won't work or have children they can't afford and then expect the government to pay their expenses! Honestly, we've bred out responsibility, good work ethics, self-discipline and common sense. Sad.

Yes James you are correct every single person can be a CEO. If you are not, you are a dumb loser...In a little place I like to call reality James, the promises of Horatio Alger is for the most part a myth. Most people remain in the same economic class they were born in no matter how hard they work. Success stories like yours are the exception not the rule, James.

Time has come to stop call this a veto...This is bush's vote to bring back polio.

Every major western civilization--except America--has government healthcare. Healing shouldn't be run by Enron-like corporations. Free market healthcare has been a nightmare, for me; I'm ready to try something different.

Plus, this program has the support of something like 72% of America. The main people who oppose it are social darwinist dead-enders who only care about getting theirs...

It is a tragic affair when an economically challenged child can not afford health care but it is a deplorable act of violence to force me to pay for it.

Posted by: Jason | October 3, 2007 2:33 PM

Like the deplorable act of violence to force me pay for the tragedy in Iraq?

The money is needed to pay for the $1000.00 a day for the mercenaries in Irak.

it is a deplorable act of violence to force me to pay for it.

Posted by: Jason | October 3, 2007 2:33 PM

What ridiculous hyperbole. No wonder you dead enders have a failed agenda. You want violence go to Iraq.

Bottom line - we need campaign finance reform before all else - the benefits will trickle down to healthcare, education, environment. ALL politicians, republicans and democrats, are going to vote in their donors' interests, including the oil companies, big pharm, tobacco...

Content as I am to see the Republicans wrap an albatross around their necks, I'm saddened and infuriated by the fact that things have gotten so dysfunctional that we can't actually get health care to these kids. I hope the Democrats don't just shrug and say, "look at what those lousy Republicans did - Vote Democratic"! I hope they actually push for some action. (And I don't mean capitulation - I mean make use of the strong hand they are currently playing to actually move some legislation).

James, you are epitomizing exactly what is wrong with this country. We could do without the narcissism and this selfish and offensive sense of superiority. You are ignorant and/or in denial about how difficult it is for many people to get a leg up in this world, regardless of how hard they work. Great for you, you must have had a charmed life. And as far as calling all the people on here "dumb," I have rarely seen a more fitting case of the pot calling the kettle black. And how fitting that you bring up God, because everything you said sounds JUST like something he would say, don't you think?

What kind of people are we?
How is it possible that this incompetent idiot still has the support of 30% of Americans?

I wish you all luck when you wait for 2 years to get radiation treatment for your cancer for free in your so-called free health plan paid for with your tax dollars that covers 26 year olds making 83 thousand dollars. You'll need it. I make less than 83 thousand dollars and would not want it for free when I can stay in my private insurance that I have through my employer because I paid for college and got a good job. But you'll have all your tax dollars back because we cut and run and leave the middle east to develop nukes that will kill us all anyway. Brilliant.

The numbers are skewed - the limit is actually something like 45,000 for a family of four. Only one state has asked for an exemption up to 83,000 and that is NY.

Second, I am sick of people using our poor government as an excuse against universal healthcare. Our poor government is made up of politicians voted in by us. 52% of the population decided on the war, education when they voted for the current admin TWICE. Don't vote for someone because of their morals and then complain about how expensive the war is. I scrape every dime I have to send my kids to a good private school because I don't accept our standards in the public school, but I don't want to do away with it. I will continue to pay for private schooling until we elect someone who considers education a priority just as I will continue to pay through the nose for inadequate profit-driven health insurance until we elect someone who cares and doesn't have to meet a campaign quota!

Medicare has costs of less than four cents of the health care dollar. You choose your own Dr. and proceedures.
Insurance companies need thirty cent of the health care dollar and there are a lot of health care dollars. This huge income gives the insurance companies the economic power to buy polititians. Insurance companies heal no one, yet they control the health care business.
Right wing thinkers seem to feel that insurance companies are better than Medicare despite tons of evidence to the contrary. Do they realize that HMOs are insurance companies?

Wake up stupid americans!
Socialism has been shown to be a failure around the world, producing MORE poor, not less. America is great because up until the last 30 years the government has stayed out of the way of private enterprise, and not because of government. This bill would expand government paid healthcare to 25 yr olds! 25 yr olds among the poor often have 3 or 4 kids they can't afford, and now taxpayers must provide healthcare for the whole family ... because of their own stupidity and bad decisions? Democrats are indeed marching us toward Cuba's healthcare, where most americans will wait two years for substandard care, and only the rich and politically connected get proper care ... be careful what you wish for ... the government might give it to you.

what bush means when he says "health care is moving in the wrong direction"

i work in health care and see everyday the inefficentcies that are taking place--and most people instead of taking a hard look at the root of the problem would like to just 'let someone else take care of it'...well what if that someone was the government?

total spending on Health care is 15+% of GNP (soon to be 25% of GNP) let's say americans voted to give the gov't control of health care. with defense (only 4% of GNP) the government would control about 30% of the economy. not including the other programs they sponsor. are you comfortable with having an ineffecient body of politicians taking away your economic freedom? especially with something so personal as health care? i sure am not. basically that's a socialized state where American citizens give up their freedom and responsibility. without that, you can't have liberty-it becomes subject to the government. what sounds like a 'great' idea....isn't always. "universal health care" is something very different from "universal access to health care'

other issues with the government taking over? the govenment is no different from a the third-party system (insurance companies) we have now. it will be just as inefficent in economic terms (if not more) than the current system.

would american's be healthier? nope. b/c giving the reposibility to the government doesn't help you personally eat better or exercise, it instead decreases the incentive to be healthy--which guess what? increases the existance of illness which increases medical bills which increases the cost of health care---in the end increasing your taxes. and why should you have to pay for Joe Smith's heart attack in some other state b/c he can't eat properly?

what's the answer then?
the best thing for Americans that care about their personal liberty and responsibility. if individuals take repsponsiblity for their own health care the system becomes efficient. if you have a financial responsibility for how healthy you are--chances are society will become healthier. and a healthier society can be more productive, driving economic growth.

just be very careful how you vote. health care will be a deciding factor of this country's culture in the future.

p.s. only about 12% of the unisured are actually in need most are only uninsured for less than 4 months and the largest growing population of uninsured are those over 75,000$ choosing not to be.

We all know that George "Let Them Eat Cake" Bush. Is the worst president in the history of America. And now it's clear that he is a despicable, and terrible human being, and person too. I hope the war crimes tribunal will issue an arrest warrant for him soon. So we can get him out of here. I know the US military is sick of him. And will be glad to hand him over to the world court.

For the first time in the history of America. The life expectancy of American children is less than that of their parents. Catastrophic. And this stupid man. Vetoed the children's health care. Because it might cost the insurance companies some profits. This has got to be the most stupid corrupt act ever committed by a US president in history.

George Bush is a murderer of American children for profit. I hope God gets him good. And I hope that the American people see to it that his name is reviled for all of history.

"...Every major western civilization--except America--has government healthcare..."

Posted by: Drew | October 3, 2007 2:51 PM

Drew- Every major western civilization--except America- So what?

Where have most of the advances in medicine come from? Ill tell you-Capitalistic, profit driven research that has two main characteristics..
1. An incentive to invest money into the R and D required to develop these advances in medicine and techniques.

2. A profit motive that a government program would eliminate.

How many significant advances in Medical science has come from Canada or England compared to the US?

Why is the whole world sending their best students to Medical schools here?

There has to be a better solution than injecting the government into the industry and dumbing it down..

Let me just say, again, that politically this is a very bad move for the GOP.

Posted by: nisleib | October 3, 2007 12:53 PM

Yes, but it is, nevertheless, a very good move toward preserving the frame of government spelled out in the Constitution. The Constitution does not authorize any of the federal medical programs now in existence, except for the benefit of soldiers, veterans and federal employees (because those are properly viewed as compensation for service).

The problem here is that the wrong messenger (Bush) delivered the correct message. He has no place to talk about the "federalization" or "nationalization" of health care after pressing for, and getting, a national prescription drug program. That, too, was unconstitutional for the same reason. Coming from him, the message is an exercise in hypocrisy.

Bush veto: Health care moving in 'wrong direction'

What else would you expect.

* * * * *

Posted by: c. perry | October 3, 2007 3:12 PM

You make very good points regarding insurance companies and their deleterious effect on the health care industry.

You might also add that the medical profession has gone down the tubes since insurance companies started calling the shots. Doctors still take the Hippocratic oath, but they fail to deliver the treatment that oath would mandate once insurance companies nix it. There are a lot of other problems in hospitals and the quality of care because of a nation-wide shortage of trained nurses and skilled support staff. These problems didn't exist in the before time, when doctors ran the show and called their own shots.

Now tell this to Hillary and pretty-boy, John Edwards who want to force us into the arms of insurance companies in the name of providing "Universal Health Care."

What kind of people are we?
How is it possible that this incompetent idiot still has the support of 30% of Americans?

Posted by: Miami Beach | October 3, 2007 3:08 PM

What does it matter? Unless someone tries to impeach him - and there is nothing seriously in the works to do so - he will be President when his approval rating hits 0%.

You wan't to do something? Then get off your butt and call your congressional representatives. If you don't want to do that, you have no grounds to complain and you should stop talking.

John W.-

The bill Bush vetod was actually making the SCHIP program LESS federalized, not more. SCHIP stands for STATE Childrens Health Insurance Program.

The bill would have allowed states greater latitude to run their state programs as they saw fit. SCHIP provides federal matching funds to State run programs. As it stands the States need to ask a Federal waiver in order to provide services through the program beyond certain limits in order to get the matching funding. This bill raised the limits on what states could elect to do without reciving a waiver, and still recieve federal matching funds.

This bill took power from Washington and gave it to the states.

This bill took power from Washington and gave it to the states.

Posted by: Anonymous | October 3, 2007 5:32 PM

Sorry, but I can't agree.

First of all, the federal government has no business in the field of health care at all. As such, it has no business telling the states how much latitude they can have in running their own programs.

Second, you can't tell me it gives anything back to the States the way it ought to when it involves federal matching funds. If the States must still play "mother may I" at all, and the federal government is paying for it at all, then the States are not in control. If it was truly a program for the States, then the States would be raising all the money for it, and they would be able to tell the federal government to go fly a kite – like they ought to.

Kids have health care. The needy already have health care. The U.S. is not a socialist state ( see http://tinyurl.com/2znnvl ). No one is entitled to be given a house, car, food or health care, etc. If we want these things, we have to earn them. The government does not earn money. Perhaps some of us should take a civics class and learn about America. We all have to labor for what we want. For those who need help there are the charities and state programs. We need to fix the health care issue but we cannot fix it unless we know how it is broken. For the answer, please see http://www.InteliOrg.com/

John W,
You can defend W's veto on this until you're blue in the face but the beatdown that the "small government" Republicans are getting over this is well deserved.

Dr Coles:

I wholeheartedly agree with you. But I think you ask too much to suggest more in the way of civics classes to learn about American political or social systems. Civics has gone by the wayside as a priority subject since the federal government started spending money on education to insure that no child gets left behind. Schools are too busy teaching the NCLB test to bother in any detail with silly stuff like the Constitution, or civil rights and liberties, or geography, or even a non-phony version of American history.

That is not to say that civics ever was properly taught. If you don't believe me, just consider the fact that most people don’t know why we have separate federal and state governments. Our education system, too long under the influence of the NEA and like minded educators, has done an exceptionally good job of turning out generations of governable sheep.

One has to recapture the schools before we can expect a politically literate, voting population. It’s a must.

Screw the kids, I want more tax cuts!

From a front page Wall Street Journal article...

The Republican Party, known since the late 19th century as the party of business, is losing its lock on that title.

New evidence suggests a potentially historic shift in the Republican Party’s identity — what strategists call its “brand.” The votes of many disgruntled fiscal conservatives and other lapsed Republicans are now up for grabs, which could alter U.S. politics in the 2008 elections and beyond.

Some business leaders are drifting away from the party because of the war in Iraq, the growing federal debt and a conservative social agenda they don’t share. In manufacturing sectors such as the auto industry, some Republicans want direct government help with soaring health-care costs, which Republicans in Washington have been reluctant to provide. And some business people want more government action on global warming, arguing that a bolder plan is not only inevitable, but could spur new industries.

Kids have health care. The needy already have health care.Posted by: Dr Coles | October 3, 2007 6:00 PM

Are you a real doctor? Or more like Dr.Zeuss?

Talking about fiscal sanity needing to be restored -- the Republicans act like SCHIP is the problem and the solution is to kill it. Misdirection. The problem is the GOP tax cuts and the war in Iraq, along with other bloated government agencies (Homeland Security, the Pentagon) throwing money around like there is no tomorrow.

Let's see, government bureaucracy, appeasing the top 1 percent of the country, waging war where there was no threat... Or taking care of children....? Hmmmmm Tough one **rolling my eyes**

The only "children" Bush cares about are fetuses, frozen eggs, and stem cells.

John W,

The schools haven't been teaching civics since long before NCLB. Don't blame that Kennedy piece of legislation on America's lack of knowledge in civics. If you want to blame someone - blame the NEA and AFT.

Terry:

I know that civics has been a poor child of school curricula for a long time. That was the point of my prior post. However, NCLB has apparently made it impossible for teachers to try to teach anything other than NCLB subjects for fear that their schools will lose federal funding. If there was any chance of getting civics back on the front burner, NCLB kicked it to the curb. As for the others to blame, I did blame the NEA.

But I’m not sure about the AFT. They are more interested in protecting teachers’ interests than promoting left-wing educational policies. I went to a private high school where all the teachers were in the AFT. They were quite excellent all the same. Thus, I think it is really the NEA - and NEA influenced curricula - that are to blame, inasmuch as the NEA is more ideologically corrupt than the AFT.

You can defend W's veto on this until you're blue in the face but the beatdown that the "small government" Republicans are getting over this is well deserved.

Posted by: John E | October 3, 2007 6:20 PM

You may be correct that "small government" Republicans are getting a beat-down. But I disagree that it is well deserved.

The Constitution does not give Congress the power to operate or fund a health care system. Given the lack of a constitutional mandate, there can be no objection to the veto by anyone who wants to see the federal government plays by the rules that govern it.

If government ought to be involved in health care, there are three ways of doing so: 1) get the State government's involved in health care; 2) get the States or regions of States to enter into interstate compacts on health care; or 3) amend the Constitution to permit the federal government to occupy and regulate the field of health care. All three methods would be lawful, and would tend to open the debate regarding the proper role of government in today’s society. However, to simply assume the power of taking over health care, when the Constitution doesn’t permit it, is simply a deceit, a theft of power, and an unlawful exercise of government.

Wouldn’t you rather have the government operate lawfully? If so, then make them stick to the rules.

The only problem I have with Duh’bya is that he is the wrong messenger for the right message. He is such a polarizing character, that everyone will immediately assume that his decision came from some perverted ideology rather than due respect for constitutional limitations. That can’t be good.

JOhn W,

Civics has been bad long before NCLB. Today's Social Studies is a joke. Teach way too much on other culture and not enough about American history - need to be PC.

The American History that is taught in school is horrible and the textbooks are written with a definite slant.

To Jon E- Roll those eyes all you want. The Federal government's primary function is to provide national security ... NOT to subsidise healthcare, room and board, or free meals ... especially to families making $41,000 - $83,000 a year by taxing others making less. THAT is SOCIALISM! and it is what Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and other democrats want for the USA! Get a clue ... PLEAAASSSE!

RE: The government doesn't have any place in healthcare

But healthcare should be a profit-driven industry?!?!?

Healthcare isn't like buying an IPod people! Like education, it is a necessity for poor and rich. The problem with our healthcare system is that it hurts not the very poor (who qualify for coverage) or the very rich (who can afford to pay through the nose), it hurts the lower spectrum of middle-class America, something many egomaniacs on this blog are so far from they can't understand. The problem is with the people who make just above the poverty level (which is most of that huge job increase the white house claims to have created), work hard and have employee-provided healthcare. I pay 4500 a year for my "employee provided" healthcare, am healthy (go see the doc maybe twice a year) and I am STILL trying to get them to pay for an office visit from '06. I haven't been able to take my child back to his doctor until my insurance pays the bill that I can not afford to pay (because I was paying for the insurance!) I am in management in my job, and have turned away many people looking for work who have their masters and bachelors because the work isn't there, so as far as people living with this illusion that you get your degree and everything is rosy from then on... you are very lucky and you should thank God every day because tomorrow might not be so good. Millions of Americans are in reality enough to know that sometimes it's not that easy.

Terry:

Telling me this stuff is preaching to the choir.

Parents should pay for their own children's health care costs. If they can't, they shouldn't have more than one child...we'll pay for one child's health care costs.

"The war" has nothing to do with this issue.

"RE: The government doesn't have any place in healthcare

But healthcare should be a profit-driven industry?!?!?"

It always has been a profit driven industry. A (mostly) free market is the only reason American healthcare is the best in the world.

Heathcare began to get too expensive for the middle class when the government jumped in under LBJ and started removing potential insurants from the market and then started setting prices. The unforseen consequences of government run healthcare insurance was that people who do not pay for the service aren't real concerned about the cost.

When you remove the customer base and no one cares about the cost, the price will be whatever the service provider wants. All he has to do is send his lobbyist with a pocket full of cash to the US Senate and US House of representatives to get the fee/price he wants.

That is what the Democrat plan will do. Remove more insurants, double the current annual outlay (not just $7B like someone here posted), and drive the cost of insurance ands services up even more.

If they wanted to actually help people in the $40-80K range, they would provide tax cuts for buying health care insurance.

Sydney,

I recommend that you put the '06 office visit on Visa and get over it.

Instead of demanding additional government interference, you should be demanding an income tax incentive make insurance more affordable for you.

It's not mine or anybody else's responsibility to pay for you and your family's health care insurance.

That's your responsibility.

Paying for health care and insurance by robbing all productive Americans using the power of the federal government is unconstitutional.

If you can't afford the doctor bills for your kid, you shouldn't have decided to have them.

Mover.... Amen... Amen!! I'm so glad their are some people who "get it".

To everyone saying that they dont want to pay for other peoples kids, you DO realize that there are so many other public services provided for you by other peoples taxes as well right? Your local police, firemen, schools...so many things are being paid for by other people so why do you have to be so damn selfish when it comes to the well being of children? You complain about paying for other peoples children medicine, yet Ill bet you wont be thinking the same thing if your house is broken into or you get careless with a kitchen stove. Why should someone else who wasnt stupid enough with their stove pay for your fire protection service? Did you attend public school when you were a kid? Why should someone else who was a single adult during that time pay his/her hard earned cash for you?

I know we arent a communist state and i know we should all take responsibility for our own lives and families, but there is no reason to be so overly selfish about this whole deal. Health care is a common public service in developed countries. The reason we have social services in a capitalist society is because the government KNOWS they need to step in to keep society progressing and especially from going down the drain. If we all only paid attention to our own well beings, this country wouldnt be a democracy, itd be an anarchy. With your logic of "theyre not my kids so i shouldnt have to pay for them", we should all pay for private schools for our kids, have private security for our houses, load up on fire extinguishers and fire alarms, have private garbage disposal land, etc. I want to tell you guys to get your heads outta your asses and stop thinking only about yourselves, but I know many of you wont so im just hoping you guys can also see why these sorts of things are good for own well being as well. Its seriously just common sense guys