Guest Editorial: REAL Reform “YES”

REAL Reform “YES”, Government Takeover “NO”

I write and speak as a conservative, a conservative that would completely support REAL Healthcare Reform, not Government Healthcare takeover.

Because of this I know that the current battle for REAL reform is not lost, no not at all, it has only just begun.

As a Patriot I look back on many battles that have been fought for the price of freedom and a few come to mind to bring home my point;

Take for instance the battle of Lexington; the Minute men were forced to leave the field by the British. The great victory was amply called the “Shot heard Round the World” by famous poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. This victory galvanized the Patriots. Then there’s the battle of Bunker Hill, as the Americans, out of shot and powder, were leaving the field, an aid to the British General Clinton said “It appears Sir that we have won the day” The General remarked “I am afraid that if we win another battle such as this one we shall lose the war”. The Victory was in the fact that the British had 800 wounded and 257 dead and lost lots of officers. Fully 1/3 of their attacking force was destroyed. The American Colonials proved they could hold their own in a big fight. And who could forget General George Washington, in the Battle of Long Island, where he was able to save the entire Continental Army by escaping through Brooklyn as the Old Maryland Line held the British advance. That very same army that George saved managed to come back later to beat Cornwallis at the Battle of Saratoga and win the war eight years later.

So as you see, Victory and defeat, like beauty, are in the “eyes of the beholder”…..
Look at how well we as Conservative Patriots have done as of November 7th 2009:
• We came within 4 votes of defeating the mighty Democratic Party. They were better funded, had greater numbers, and had a seasoned battle hardened organization. They who heretofore did not give us the chance of a snowball in Hell to make such a stand had to have been shocked. The Tea Party came within 4 votes of defeating the Bill.
• We turned 39 Democrats to vote our way. By the way, take the time to thank them….we still need their support.
• We forced them to shoot down the abortion funding portion of the bill.
• We learned we can organize and show our power 9/12.
• We showed we can rally on short notice 11/5.
• We now are battle hardened and seasoned troops….We know how to adjust our tactics and organize effective rallies, pickets, e-mail, – fax, – letter, and phone campaigns, because that is what grassroots organizations do, as small communities they ban together to fight against any attack on their freedoms.
Recently Heritage.org put into perspective just what we are fighting for and against. In a recent article in which they pointed out the analysis obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The Centers are a non-partisan and independent agency in charge of running Medicare and Medicaid, and with this report they blew the lid off of every one of President Obama’s claims. They analyzed and pointed to the following to show us what will really happen if the House Bill in its current version passes thru the Senate.

Health Care Costs will INCREASE
Millions will LOSE their Existing Private Coverage
Millions will PAY FINES Yet Remain Uncovered
Millions will LOSE Medicare Advantage
Millions will be placed on WELFARE
Seniors Access to Care will be JEOPARDIZED
Access for the poor will be EXACERBATED, not relieved

Your can read the details at
http://blog.heritage.org/2009/11/16/morning-bell-a-deathblow-for-obamacare/#more-19878

I ask you, based on this report, is the House Bill really “Reform”, I think not, true reform in my opinion and many conservative’s opinions is as follows:
• No reform is acceptable that doesn’t put patients in charge
• What we call .health insurance. is actually prepaid medical care.
• Personal Health Savings Accounts put patients in control.
• Reform the tax code to create a level playing
• Reform private health insurance with 5 common sense changes
• Affordability, Portability, Availability, Accountability and Insurability
• Require all health care providers. Doctors, hospitals, laboratories, etc. .to post the price of every service.
• Create financial incentives for hospitals and physicians to provide integrated patient care
• Reform tort liability laws to discourage frivolous lawsuits.
• Make routine primary care more available and less expensive.
• Eliminate state permitting requirements that prevent the construction of new health care facilities.
• Increase medical school enrollment for primary care physicians of all kinds.
• Medicare and Medicaid fraud cost at least $100 billion a year, yet government does little to curtail this abuse.
• Overhaul Medicaid to improve program quality and reduce costs.
• Extend health insurance coverage to the medically indigent.
• Expand Community Health Care Centers to serve more of the medically indigent

I can almost guarantee you the aforementioned will not cost a trillion dollars, is actually budget negative and or deficit neutral and precludes the need to rip off Medicare and abandon our Senior Citizens.

These real reform options are outlined in more detail at the following link:
http://www.healthcareupdate.info/RealReformPage.html and are from Robin Lumb, Health Care policy analyst in Duval County and the organizer of a recent forum on health care reform.

Here’s the Link to The Republicans Healthcare Plan, it’s not perfect, it needs work, but it is a step in the right direction.
http://republicanleader.house.gov/Components/Redirect/r.aspx?ID=34771-3932247
Recently I found a powerful New Tool at: http://www.direct2congress.org
This site gives you the name and contact information for your representative based on your Zip Code, so please use this tool and contact your representative and tell him or her how you feel about the current house bill.

Use your words not mine or anyone else’s and make your own decision based on your own research.

Don’t take my word for what is in the bill, do your research and make an informed decision, but make a decision, the future of America’s free market Health Care is in your hands, are you willing to save it or abandon it?

Until next time, stand proud, be passionate my fellow patriots and we will prevail.

BreeLee Johnston is the founder of United American Tea Party which is a Chapter of Just Patriots Inc in St. Johns County. She is a member of the National Leadership Council of Tea Party Patriots as well as the Florida Coordinator for ICaucus.org. She also works with the Paul Porter show daily on WFOY News Talk 1240 from 3-5 PM in addition to contributing a regular guest editorial to Historic City News.