To A Rugged Indiviualist On Gov Reform of HI

Dear Tom, It is naturally a political question and it is a question of finding the rosetta stone issues that cut across wide swaths of the population. There must be general agreement that it is not available adequately in the market place of the society. At no time do I think the government should intervene in every deficiency in society. However problems such as education, health care, mass transit, research, adequate defense can not be supported adequately by private means. In other words it is a legislative debate painstakingly leading to laws. The process will be ongoing because this is the messy business of a democracy.

Hopefully by choosing what keystone issues to adopt so opportunity is restored to marginalized populations and the true business of society, dealing with people's needs and wants, can be reasonably provided by individuals and companies. The idea is to improve opportunity not squelch it. You feel government interferes. I do not. Programs like Social Security and Medicare have provided the funds, not actual choices how it is spent within the limits of what is available to spend. It is certainly left to individuals, if they so wish, to embellish this if they can afford it. No one is or should stop you from doing this. The government just provides a floor. If it is wasteful, of course, it will have to be changed. Finally you live in a society with the social contract that assumes you participate because you believe it is necessary for your survival. If it is not doing this it must be addressed or you die.

You can live with a hole in your shoe but you cannot live with a hole in your heart. Twenty thousand of your fellow citizens die a year from lack of health insurance. Sickness incurred by the uninsured leads to non-productivity and higher unnecessary expenses or lack of production. Health care is a critical asset to the individual and the society as a whole. It should not be for sale. We should all pay for it. If you carry individualism to a certain place, it means moving back to the caves. However, I actually want what you want and since presently the private approach is costing us all $400 billion extra and there are proven models in the world to show a centralized system of payment, not delivery or managing health care, provides superior general care at a lower cost. Can't we at least give it a try? What we have now will bankrupt us in a generation. You think the government debt is bad now, just wait when the number of tax payers becomes even less.

The Swiss and the Germans actually provide health insurance with private insurers, if that is your preference. Medicare payments, incidentally, are actually done with private insurers following Medicare rules. The overhead is 1.5%. If true health care reform fails OK we'll go back to doing it to what the opposition suggests. However, like Medicare, I believe it will pay off in spades for all of us. My father was a Scot and my upbringing was in backwoods of Newark, NJ. I am certainly not looking to squander my money or cutting off any choices I wish to make or have gained. Yes I value my freedom as much as the next guy. I just happen to believe it is enhanced by widening the tent as the founders stated, "We the people.....in order to make a more perfect union...." I do not believe if someone is doing better I must have lost something. I actually think if things are working right, I should be better off.

By the way I have bought and sold several companies successfully, owned a few homes, paid off many loans, financed my childrens' education on my own. Therefore, I still consider myself an ethical capitalist. However I am also a "commonist survivalist." I could not have succeeded without others including my government.

Now I have answered you. I understand you may view life differently so the back and forth will continue. However if my view prevails it will not be because I wanted to harm anyone, in fact, quite the opposite. It comes from my knowledge and experience that tells me it will move us forward to a better place.