Just Say No to Health Care

Now is not the time to pass any legislation on health care, regardless of the author or the plan. The reason is simply the budget deficit. We cannot start a new open-ended entitlement if is not fully paid for. Would a family borrow to buy a new car when they owe more that they make in a given year? Only a seriously irresponsible one would. Irresponsible describes our government, but is still no reason to do it anyway.

The current federal budget is hamstrung by entitlements today. There is no mathematical way to balance the budget without including Social Security and Medicare. Not even the constitutionally required expenditure, national defense, can be spared. So why would we even consider adding a new entitlement that is not fully funded?

I continue to hope that a new president or Congress will seriously attack our budget woes. When/If that occurs they would have to slash entitlement spending. My belief is that any health care legislation passed by the current Congress will be the first item cut. So why do it now? Why turn our current medical system inside out if there is a real risk it will soon be returned to normal? The potential for damaging the best system on earth for absolutely no benefit is real. Health care reform should be on the to do list after budget reform.