The Evils of Partisan Politics

In today's polluted atmosphere of Partisan Politics, policy & reform have become battles of polical will. The word bipartisan means "including members from 2 or parties," & and has come to represent the current state of affairs in American Government. Usually, a comprimise on a bill or amendment can usually be credited with having been a bipartisan affair, meaning that each side has worked together and comprimised on certain points in order to get the bill passed, usually by sway votes in the senate or the congress. We don't see that today.

We see alot of filibustering. That is when one or memeber of a party delays or prevents a bill/proposal to be voted on, so that the bill/proposal will never become law. It is the minority forcing it's will on the majority. In this completely undemocratic process the American People await new legislation to be enacted so that a wrong may be righted, like the economy, education, or the governements complete mismanagement of fiscal policy (they like to operate on deficits, accumalaing debt to pay for it all.,) all the while a handful of hardliners hold up the process, (filibuster), even when the majority are willing to take a vote.

I'd like to see health care pass and provide 32 million Americans get healthcare. It's a great start, but there is still alot of work to be done;like reduce the rising costs of healthcare (it's almost price gouging.) One of the things that I don't like about this bill is the mandatory clause that puts a tax burden on people without health care. Is that fascism? It stinks like fascism and it's counter to a free market. Also, how is this bill going to fix the evils that exist in American Hospitals? Case in point: the 3/15/10 edition of Businessweek has a telling article "Lessons from a $618,616 death" by Amanda Bennet. It's poignant portrayal of the Foley family going into debt to keep Terence Foley alive is a great reason for a complete rehaul of hospitals and the insurance companies. This never would have happened if we had had a public option.

Health care reform

One of the most telling things about the republican mentality is the former Vice-Presidential Candidate's conflicted perspective on Health Care. As a child Sarah Palin grew up in Alaska and because of the poor health care there, her mother would take her and the family into Canada for Doctor's appointments. Does she now fault her mother for not abiding by the American standard of overpriced and inefficient health care? I'm not getting on the wagon and bashing Sarah Palin, I am trying to point out the disparity between reality and conservative ideals. It's hypocritical (among other things) to ignore practicality for moral or political beliefs. It's like a sickness. These political beliefs that serve to further divide our country, polarizing the people with viewpoints that don't have an immediate impact on their life. The Health care reform bill (still in both houses for a final rewrite) is so watered down that it's become a patch.
I believe we need a single payer system. History has shown that when the American Government (representative of the people) puts its collective will towards accomplishing a goal, there is nothing that can stop us. Keeping the most effective tool (The American Government)against monopolies, robber barons, price-gougers, etc out of the process of fixing health care is a
crime. Privatizing and deregulation have been the biggest contributors to the current world wide recession and will not help to make efficient Health Care. The Federal Government has an opportunity to make health insurance available for everyone (a public option) and through government competition, the health insurance companies will have to lower their prices and become more efficient.