If you think healthcare is expensive now, just wait until it is free

From todays Wall Street Journal;

REVIEW & OUTLOOK

The Price of RomneyCare
July 29, 2008
Gearing up for 2009, liberals are eager to claim Massachusetts as a Valhalla of health reform. Their enthusiasm is apparently evidence-proof.

Even Mitt Romney, who should know better, took to these pages recently to proclaim, "Health-care reform is working in Massachusetts." Shortly after Mr. Romney's self-tribute, Governor Deval Patrick wheeled out a new $129 million tax plan to make up for this year's health spending shortfalls. Yet partisans are cheering the cost overruns as a sign of success.

Supporters are exultant because 350,000 people are newly covered since former Governor Romney's parley with Beacon Hill Democrats in 2006; this cuts the state's uninsured rate by about half. That's not the promised "universal" system, but never mind. The ominous news is that only about 18,000 people -- or 5% of the newly insured -- have taken advantage of the "connector," which was supposed to be the plan's free-market innovation linking individuals to private insurers.

Most of this growth in coverage has instead come via a new state entitlement called Commonwealth Care. This provides subsidized insurance to those under 300% of the poverty level, or about $63,000 for a family of four. About 174,000 have joined this low- or no-cost program, a trend that is likely to speed up.

As this public option gets overwhelmed, budget gaskets are blowing everywhere. Mr. Patrick had already bumped up this year's spending to $869 million, $144 million over its original estimate. Liberals duly noted that these tax hikes are necessary because enrollment in Commonwealth Care is much higher than anticipated. But of course more people will have coverage if government gives it to them for free. The problem is that someone has to pay for it.

Thus the extra tab of $129 million, which may need to go higher because it relies on uncertain federal funds from Medicaid. For now, Mr. Patrick wants one-time (yeah, right) charges of $33 million on insurers and $28 million on providers, plus some shuffling of state funds. The balance comes from an estimated $33 million boost in the state's "pay or play" tax: If businesses don't offer "fair and reasonable" insurance to their employees, they get hit.

This is a textbook example of how business taxes evolve into "pay or pay," the first recourse of state-funded health systems. Politicians love levies on business because they disguise the overall bill from voters. But such taxes are merely passed along to workers in the form of reduced take-home pay, since all health costs are part of compensation.

The main reason people are uninsured is because coverage is too expensive. Massachusetts didn't have many options for reforming the way health dollars are laundered in the third-party payment system created by the federal tax code. But it could have helped make insurance cheaper by reforming its private market before defaulting to public programs.

The Bay State has long served up coverage-specific insurance mandates, such as for fertility treatments, which raise costs. Yet in a just-deserts twist, Massachusetts health planners are now reviewing ways to trim mandates because the state is footing more of the bill, even if they didn't care when imposing them on individuals and small business. A state-sponsored study shows that total spending on mandates was $1.32 billion in 2005, or 12% of premiums. The study is devastating despite its pro-mandate slant.

Not that such practical lessons have stopped liberals from joining the Massachusetts parade. They have to gussy up the state's model because the extravagant claim that led to its creation -- that health care will be less expensive if everyone is covered -- is being relentlessly discredited. It's the same claim they want to make when they try to pass a similar plan for the whole country in next year's Congress.

See all of today's editorials and op-eds, plus video commentary, on Opinion Journal.

This week's voting record

Recent Senate Votes
Foreclosure Prevention Act - Vote Agreed to (72-13, 15 Not Voting)The Senate gave final approval to this housing-recovery package.

Sen. Edward Kennedy voted Not Voting......send e-mail or see bio

Sen. John Kerry voted YES......send e-mail or see bio


Recent House Votes
Foreclosure Prevention Act - Vote Passed (272-152, 11 Not Voting)The House passed this housing-recovery package.

Rep. Edward Markey voted YES......send e-mail or see bio

Consumer Energy Supply Act - Vote Failed (268-157, 10 Not Voting)The House failed to attain the two-thirds margin needed to pass this bill to release 10 percent of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

Rep. Edward Markey voted YES.

National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act - Vote Passed (367-55, 12 Not Voting)The House passed this bill that would help states and the Federal Highway Administration create a uniform inspection system for bridges and highways.

Rep. Edward Markey voted YES.


Upcoming Votes
Advancing America's Priorities - S.3297The Senate may take up this omnibus bill combining a number of health care bills.

Stop Excessive Energy Speculation Act - S.3268This Senate bill is intended to prevent excessive speculation in the energy commodities market.

Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations, FY2009 - H.R.6599The House is scheduled to take up this $73 billion bill funding military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs for the upcoming fiscal year.

Paycheck Fairness Act - H.R.1338 The House will also take up this bill intended to prevent gender-based wage discrimination.

MegaVote
c/o Capitol Advantage
2751 Prosperity Ave
Suite 600
Fairfax, VA 22031
MegaVote is powered by Capitol Advantage © 2008.

Malden Republican City Committee BBQ and Rally, August 2, 2008

Republican City Committee barbecue, rally:The Malden Republican City Committee is hosting a barbecue and candidates rally on Saturday, Aug. 2 at Anthony’s of Malden, 105 Canal St. from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. A silent auction will include an autographed copy of “Gettysburg,” former Congressman Newt Gingrich's 2004 bestselling Civil War novel.

Guests of Honor will be U.S. Senate candidate Jeff Beatty of Harwich, Seventh Congressional District candidate John Cunningham of Revere, Sixth District Congressional candidate Richard A . Baker, Jr. of West Newbury and Brian P. O’Connor, who is seeking the open 31st Middlesex District State Representative seat. The district includes the Towns of Stoneham and Winchester. O’Connor is a member of the Winchester Board of Selectmen.

A spokesperson for the John McCain Presidential Campaign will also be among the featured speakers.

Entertainment will be provided by jazz pianist Natsumi and rock bands The Ale Marys and Blue Moon Harem. Pete “The Human Floor” Tino, a self-described side show act, will also perform.

For ticket information, contact Malden Republican City Committee Chairman Barry Greenspan at (781) 480-3941 or bgreenspan02148@yahoo.com.

July Meeting recap

Last night, Carolyn Wood of the Green Line Adviosory Group for Medford(GLAM) gave a presentation to the committee about the status of the Green Line extension project. Currently, the project is still in the study phase, with Somerville favoring a fast track of the project to improve some of their more depressed areas(Inner Belt Road and Union Square stand to gain from project related developments). However, the breakup of the North-Point coalition - which was to fund a new Lechemere station as part of the project - has held things up recently.

Currently, the West Medford station has been taken off the table. Ball Square, College Ave(intersection of Boston Ave./Tufts University), and Rte. 16(by Uhaul) all remain on the table, with widening or tunnelling still being debated. Widening would be between 60 and 80 feet along the existing footprint, impacting properties abutting the commuter rail tracks today.

Some concern was expressed by committee members over potential impact of the project, which will be funded federally as the recent Station's Landing project was. If high-density complexes were to be placed in the neighborhoods of Medford, similar to the Station's Landing at Wellington, the population increase and commuter traffic could be significant.

However, the project is currently in the discovery phase at this time.

For more information;
GLAM:GLAM Homepage
Executive Office of Transportaion(EOT):Green Line Extension
MAGNA:MGNA: Medford Green Line Neighborhood Alliance

For minutes, information about the July meeting, or information about upcoming meetings, email the committee at MedfordGOP@gmail.com.

MEET JEFF BEATTY GOP CANDIDATE FOR US Senate 2008

MEET JEFF BEATTY GOP CANDIDATE FOR US Senate 2008
http://www.jeffbeatty.com/

Champagne Reception
Sunday August 10th, 2008 6:00-8:00pm

Fundraiser hosted by the Hamilton and Wenham Republican Town Committees with Special Guest Lt. Governor Kerry Healey

At Henderson’s Café, 300 Main Street, Wenham, MA 01984

With the support of Tanya S. DeGenova, Regional Director
North Shore for the Jeff Beatty Committee

Meet Jeff Beatty, GOP Candidate for the United States running against John Kerry. Join local residents and business persons in a casual, relaxed atmosphere to learn more about the candidate and his plan to bring positive changes to Massachusetts.
Heavy hors d'oeuvres and spirits will be served.

Military and Government Service
Jeff Beatty is a former US Army Delta Force Officer who was awarded a Purple Heart and Combat Infantry Badge while helping to rescue hundreds of Americans from Grenada in 1983. He is a former FBI Agent advising the National Hostage Rescue Team and a former CIA Counter-terrorism Officer with service in Europe and the Middle East.

Business
After leaving government, Jeff founded TotalSecurity.US an anti-terrorism consulting firm that has helped protect U.S. citizens here in Massachusetts and across our country and recently joined TSD Security Consulting Group as the Director for Counter Terrorism and Security Consulting.

Contact
RSVP Lucy Calder 978-468-4285 email: stephcalder@comcast.net or Tanya S. DeGenova
781-631-1347 email: Tanya@jeffbeatty.com. Suggested donation $50.00 per person. Donations go directly to support the efforts of the Jeff Beatty campaign.

If you are unable to attend and would like to make a donation please mail your contributions to: Jeff Beatty for US Senate 08’ P.O. Box 1599, Harwich, MA. 02645

Bernard Green's letter to the Medford Transcript

July 19, 2008

To the editor:

It is fascinating that the Democrats, who claim they are the “party of the people” and for the “little guy,” have been the longest and most vociferous opponents of domestic drilling and additional nuclear power plants while the poor and disadvantaged whom they claim to champion are the ones to pay the heaviest price in unrelenting increased energy prices.

Unfortunately, our local representative in Congress, U.S. Congressman Edward Markey, has been one of the most outspoken against measures that would keep energy costs affordable for his constituents.

Edward Markey’s voting record on our energy needs speaks for itself. He voted for removing oil and gas exploration subsidies (January 2007); voted for keeping the moratorium on drilling for oil offshore (June 2006); voted against scheduling permitting for new refineries (June 2006); voted against authorizing construction of new oil refineries (October 2005); voted twice against the administration’s national energy policy (November 2003-June 2004); voted to preserve Alaska’s ANWAR instead of drilling it (February 2001) and for prohibiting oil drilling and development in ANWAR (August 2001).

He even voted for barring a Web site promoting a Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump in May 2006. In 1987, Rep. Markey sided with the anti-nuke groups and sponsored a bill that would have effectively shut down the nation’s nuclear power industry. Fortunately, his colleagues in the House of Representatives killed the measure by a 261-160 vote.

Protecting the environment against further harm and cleaning up errors of the past is what new energy development and systems engineering should be about. Careful implantation of new technologies is important, but the present requires quicker fixes to restore a healthy economy, reduce energy and food costs and protect the health of the residents of the district for the fall and winter ahead.

Voters should not be held hostage for political gain. Delays now will seriously harm the people he claims to protect. He needs to act positively now to solve short-term needs and allow new development to proceed, or step aside.

Bernard J. Green
Medford