Can we survive more government meddling?

Two daughters were born to my wife and I in 1959 and 1960. I was attending the University of Arizona on the GI Bill and my wife worked as a bookkeeper.

We didn't make a lot of money, but we were able to put away a bit of money each week. After each birth, we paid the doctor and hospital bills. Each amounted to a little more than $200. Neither an insurance company nor any government was involved.

In 1962, while I was employed by the city of Los Angeles, our son was born. The city offered a "hospitalization" plan which covered a portion of a hospital stay. We paid our physician directly. Everyone I knew did the same thing. Both my wife and I understood that "health care" was the physical care a person took of himself and that of his family, and "medical care" was the care one received from a professional in the medical field.

Now, 50 years later, the federal government controls more than 50 percent of all medical care, and what a disaster it's been. Costs are out of sight and a wedge has been driven between the medical care provider and the patients.

Can we really survive any more government intervention into anything as critical as our medical care?

Cliff Shirk
Lodi

Reader Feedback

danielh wrote on Aug 31, 2009 9:07 PM:

" Cliff Shirk: the US government is preparing to drive the final stake into the heart of the economy, and into the people.

The US government considers the US to be over-populated, anyway, so who needs health care?

During the Kennedy Administration, a brief essay entitled "Report from Iron Mountain," whose incredible analysis of economics of "the people" is confessed by Kenneth Gailbraith to have been the author.

Iron Mountain analyzes economics of the nation after government seizes control, uhhh.... which they define as "peace."

Central to the economic system is the analysis of supply-and-demand caused by people.

Today, US has stopped export, but it consumes; therefore, there are too many people. "

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dogs4you wrote on Aug 31, 2009 2:12 PM:

" Jerome states that democrats have always wanted as much control over the voters as possible. One way to take that control away is, you have to be in office for starters. It`s up to the voters to make sure that the demo`s are removed from office, in either 2010 or 2012. If not, don`t cry about being taken to the cleaners. All incumbents must go. "

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jeff wrote on Aug 31, 2009 12:50 PM:

" max, enter obligatory "then why don't you stick it up your..." comment here. "

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max stanfield wrote on Aug 31, 2009 12:40 PM:

" Jerry, Obamas bizarre medical plan is not a bitter pill to swallow, it is a GIANT suppository. "

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Jerome R. Kinderman wrote on Aug 31, 2009 10:09 AM:

" Mr. Shirk, can we "survive" what is being foisted upon us in this so-called Healthcare Bill? Sure, we'll survive. But it will be our children's children's children who will find it nearly impossible to bear the weight of the tremendous debt that will be their responsibility to repay.

Our president and his liberal-controlled congress are doing precisely what we would expect them to do. It's no secret that democrats have always wanted as much control over the voters as possible. Without that power, being re-elected would prove much more difficult.

But we've been witnessing a startling change in the national discourse. The People are finally standing up with a powerful voice telling them "NO!" Not anymore!! And the amazing part is that it's finally working.

Oh, there are many out there who would reduce the outcry to nothing more than crazy right-winged radicals. It's reminiscent of Hillary Clinton blaming her husband's sexual proclivities on a "vast, right-winged conspiracy." Of course we know just how wrong she was then.

President Obama has made some serious mistakes; the biggest believing that Americans would swallow everything that he placed before them. He was wrong. "

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