I opened my newspaper today (yes, I actually do still read them) to find an article stating that no less than 15 bills had been introduced already for the upcoming legislative session responding to the governor’s call on health care. Fifteen – wow – and that’s just the beginning of the liberal storm brewing.
As the Democrats compete with each other to prove who can be the most "comprehensive" (translation: cover the most people – even if they already have insurance – and don’t need the government to be in more control of their lives), and who can be the most "compassionate" (translation: spend the most tax dollars); we will see more bills.
Two things that stood out in the article I read were:
(1) that the new Chairman of Assembly Health has already started pushing tax increases to pay for what could cost $12 Billion (I believe that is a lowball number to be sure). "Who pays?" Chairman Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton) asked. "If you put out a comprehensive (beware that word!) health care program, where do you get the money from?" The answer is, of course, you, me, our neighbors, co-workers and all other gainfully employed taxpayers.
(2) that the Speaker so easily and so willingly said these three scary words: Universal Health Care. (aka: Hillary Care). You know, government run – and controlled – health care. The type my liberal colleagues love to love. Like they have in Cuba! (yes, believe it or not, I’ve heard time and time again from some of my friends of the other side of the aisle, that California would be all the better if only we would adopt the type of health care system Fidel has given his citizens.). To be fair, the Democrats also point to Canada and England (where both systems are on the verge of imploding, and the stories of people being denied care or having surgeries put off for years are legend). They admit the other countries are having some minor difficulties – challenges – but, they know we in California can do better. Yeah, right. I’ve worked too long in the legislature to believe that one (hmmmm…….can you remember the great job the legislature did with energy? Worker’s compensation? How about our ongoing budget management?)
My cynicism runs deep here. I just don’t believe, I know, if the California State Legislature is successful in taking over health care and giving us Universal Health Care – we will fail. And when we fail, Californians will pay the price. (again).
*** Shameless Plug Alert ***
For years I’ve published my Battin Waste Watch series (you can see it here) to my website and Battin NewsNet subscribers. Week after week we’ve pointed out just how wasteful government at all levels is. Read a few of these and you’ll quickly agree.
Now, please don’t get me wrong, I am willing to participate with the Governor’s objectives. I do believe we can do a lot to improve health care access in California. The system is bloated. It spends so much time selling risk to each other that multiple layers of "providers" have been created without any of them actually providing any actual care. The doctors are shortchanged and so are the patients.
We can certainly move to fix this. But we must approach this from a market based approach. Only then will we see more Californians have access to health care.
If we let the government take it over, we’ll get the same loving care as we get at the DMV.
December 14th, 2006 at 12:00 am
The debate over a statewide health care system aside, Sen. Jim Battin’s comparison to the DMV is misplaced (The health care challenge – or if you love the DMV, you’ll love government run health care, 12/12/06 blog in FlashReport).
Over the past three years, the DMV has achieved remarkable results in creating a customer-friendly atmosphere. We have retooled several internal processes, provided a number of new service options that allow Californians to conduct their business without having to visit a DMV office, and have utilized the DMV Web site to provide ready access so customers can do business with the department on their time, not ours.
Services include making online appointment for driver license and registration renewals; filing a change of address and notice of release of liability when a vehicle is sold, and completing the application for renewal of registration of vehicles and vessels. Customers can also check the status of various motor vehicle related businesses licensed by DMV such as driver’s education or traffic schools, new and used car dealers. We are also proud to announce that with our partnership with the Donate Life California Foundation, which allows our customers to sign up to become an organ/tissue donor, there will soon be over 1 million donors in the statewide registry.
These and many other innovations have resulted in average wait times in our 169 local field offices plummeting from over an hour just three years ago to about 20 to 25 minutes today.
Not convinced? Check out what Deborah Eastman of Palo Alto recently said about her last visit to a DMV field office:
http://debeastman.blogspot.com/2006/10/good-people-at-california-dmv-omg.html
We certainly invite Sen. Battin to experience the new and improved DMV, either at home at his convenience, or at one of our field offices.
Sincerely,
GEORGE VALVERDE
Director
December 14th, 2006 at 12:00 am
The debate over a statewide health care system aside, Sen. Jim Battin’s comparison to the DMV is misplaced (The health care challenge – or if you love the DMV, you’ll love government run health care, 12/12/06 blog in FlashReport).
Over the past three years, the DMV has achieved remarkable results in creating a customer-friendly atmosphere. We have retooled several internal processes, provided a number of new service options that allow Californians to conduct their business without having to visit a DMV office, and have utilized the DMV Web site to provide ready access so customers can do business with the department on their time, not ours.
Services include making online appointment for driver license and registration renewals; filing a change of address and notice of release of liability when a vehicle is sold, and completing the application for renewal of registration of vehicles and vessels. Customers can also check the status of various motor vehicle related businesses licensed by DMV such as driver’s education or traffic schools, new and used car dealers. We are also proud to announce that with our partnership with the Donate Life California Foundation, which allows our customers to sign up to become an organ/tissue donor, there will soon be over 1 million donors in the statewide registry.
These and many other innovations have resulted in average wait times in our 169 local field offices plummeting from over an hour just three years ago to about 20 to 25 minutes today.
Not convinced? Check out what Deborah Eastman of Palo Alto recently said about her last visit to a DMV field office:
http://debeastman.blogspot.com/2006/10/good-people-at-california-dmv-omg.html
We certainly invite Sen. Battin to experience the new and improved DMV, either at home at his convenience, or at one of our field offices.
Sincerely,
GEORGE VALVERDE
Director
Department of Motor Vehicles