The Left is starting to recognize some of the perils of health care legislation that would create a whole new way for government to control its citizens.
Democracy for America (run by Howard Dean’s brother) is now warning its left-wing allies, “The bill doesn’t actually “cover” 30-million more Americans – instead it makes them criminals if they don’t buy insurance.”
How true. Projections are that 8-million to 14-million Americans would pay billions of dollars for failing to buy insurance under the House bill.
To Democracy for America, this is wrong, but only because a government-run “public option” insurance plan is out of the Senate version of the bill. However, restoring a public option doesn’t fix the wrongness of having government dictate how you must spend your money.
As The Heritage Foundation’s legal scholars have documented, such an individual mandate violates the U.S. Constitution by exceeding the limited and enumerated powers of the federal government.
Taxes are unpopular but people understand why they exist. Health care bills also want to dictate how we must spend our money. Whether you think you want it or need it or can afford it, you must buy health insurance.
But the proposed legislation promises to make that insurance more expensive than ever to buy. “Under the House and Senate bills, taxpayers are going to pay more for health insurance,” concludes Dennis Smith, who formerly administered the federal Medicaid program.
It’s a triple whammy. Pay higher taxes for health care reform. Pay higher premiums for health care coverage. And lose more of your personal freedom.