Sunday, October 25, 2009

The Public Option Is No Option


There is a lot discussion and speculation that the public option is not dead and that it will manifest itself in some form on the floor of the Senate in the near future.

One such manifestation being considered is a government run option where the States have the ability to 'opt-out'. Yeah, right. Just like States have the ability to 'opt-out' of the Federal mandate to have a drinking age of 21 or over, you just happen to also automatically 'opt-out' of highway Federal funds that you would otherwise be entitled to. That is why all 50 states have the same law.

Another proposal being discussed are 'triggers' whereby if certain parameters were not met, the government would automatically be allowed to step in and provide a government run insurance program. Details of what these parameters might be have not yet been revealed, but I have a good hunch they will be such that it will be easier for the president to declare the implementation of a government run program than it was for him to declare the swine flu a national emergency.

It is the season, so I can't help but liken this situation to the original horror classic "Halloween'. Every time you think the hideous monster is dead, he gets up and comes after you with the knife again. If you hear on the TV that the public option is dead again, it's ok to scream at the screen "No! Don't turn around! Noooo! Don't drop the knife!"
blog comments powered by Disqus