The AG Lawsuits And The Political Theatre Of Healthcare

My employer, Jukt Micronics, is in the middle of a huge shipping push this week, and I haven't had time to post anything of my own.  So here's another press release from Patrick Dixon and Robert Butler of the Libertarian Party Of Texas. 
If you like what you read, hit this link and send them some money so we can continue fighting the good fight.  You can also go there to get these emails and bypass me altogether..... 

AUSTIN, TEXAS - March 23, 2010 -- Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, along with attorneys general from dozens of other states, are planning to file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Democrat's healthcare bill as soon as it is signed.


"The audacity of the Democrats to pass an unconstitutional healthcare reform law is only matched by the Republicans' recent posturing as anti-government crusaders," said Patrick Dixon, Chair of the Libertarian Party of Texas. "If the Republicans were serious about their constitutional concerns, they would raise the legal argument that no healthcare spending by Congress is anywhere authorized by the US Constitution.

"Republicans passed the largest government takeover of healthcare in 30 years when they granted senior citizens an unfunded Prescription Drug benefit known as Medicare Part D," said Dixon. "The Prescription Drug benefit will cost taxpayers $727 billion in the next nine years. The Democrat's current plan will cost an estimated $950 billion over the next ten years. Both parties have dramatically increased the federal government's role in healthcare. The Republican response to the Democrats appears to be complete theater."

The Republican Party has a long history of supporting the Federal government's expansion into healthcare. In 1997, the Republican Congress passed CHIP, the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded health insurance coverage for children in the U.S. since Medicaid began in the 1960's. It was sponsored by the late Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy in a partnership with Republican Senator Orrin Hatch with the support of then First Lady Clinton. The Republican Congress repeatedly voted to expand SCHIP throughout the 2000's.

"Let's not forget that the Democrat's original plan to take over healthcare this year was copied from Republican Mitt Romney's plan for Massachusetts," said Libertarian Executive Director Robert Butler. "Apparently it's OK when Republicans reform healthcare, but when Democrat's enact a similar plan it's an 'obamanation'."

The Libertarian Party has a completely different approach to the current high prices of healthcare. Libertarians propose that all federal regulation of the healthcare industry be repealed so that prices can fall back to the market-determined prices.

Consumers do not realize that healthcare prices would dramatically drop if the government ended its monopoly of the industry. In 1910, 56% of hospitals were privately owned and for-profit; that number shrank to only 10% of hospitals in 1989, according to the late Nobel-laureate economist Milton Friedman. And this small number of private, for-profit hospitals actually hire more staff to administer government compliance than patient care.

Butler concluded, "We know that government alternatives cost more than the private sector, so decreasing cost by expanding government is a plan doomed to failure."
 

Robert and Patrick are great people, and would never, ever, post pics of a donkey screwing an elephant.  Those are my choices, and they came from  here and here and here and here and here and here. 

What's the difference between a gas station and a hospital?

Robert Butler, Executive Director of the Libertarian Party Of Texas, sent me this little gem this morning. 

We hear a lot of Republican and Democrat talking points about healthcare. As Libertarians, it's important that people understand that we have our own voice and our own solutions for the rising costs of healthcare. If you like this story, please forward it to your friends and family by clicking the Forward button below.


So, what is the difference between gas stations and hospitals?

1. Prices - The most obvious difference is price. Gas Stations have big signs advertising their prices so that you as a consumer can decide how much you are willing to pay without even slowing down along the highway. There are federal regulations that prohibit hospitals from advertising and competing based on prices.

2. Upfront Estimates - When you need a mechanic to replace your head gasket, he will give you an upfront estimate of the price. He will often give you a list of less expensive alternatives if they are available. When you ask a surgeon to replace your heart, there are federal regulations and AMA rules that prevent the distribution of price estimates.

3. Competition - If someone wants to build a Gas Station across the street from a competing Gas Station, its quite alright. If someone wants to build a hospital, they have to prove to the Federal Trade Commission that the hospital won't lower prices in the community or cause undue competition.

4. Monopoly - In the early 20th century, the federal government broke up a monopoly on oil and gasoline distribution. In the mid-20th century, they created a monopoly on hospitals and doctors because the American Medical Association said there were too many doctors, too much competition, and doctor's couldn't earn enough money.

Allow me a brief digression....Please go here and then get back to Mr. Butler's excellent email.  The AMA's monopoly is the leading cause of high healthcare costs.  Deregulating this mess would lower costs quicker than any Republicrat or Demoblican scheme ever conceived. Things are expensive when they are scarce (relative to demand).  Ending scarcity or reducing demand is the only way to lower the cost of anything.  It really is that simple.   

5. Do It Yourself - When you go to the Gas Station, you can pay someone to fix your car and fill up your tank, or you can buy what you need to do it yourself. At a hospital or pharmacy, you can't make any decisions on what medications you can take, dosage levels, or treatments. You must have the "official" opinion of a state regulated doctor.

6. Choice - When shopping for mechanics, you can decide to hire your handy neighbor, or find someone with all the latest training and certifications. When shopping for doctors, your only choice is regulated by the state.

7. Purchasing Power - When you buy gasoline, you are paying for the gasoline you actually purchase (and a little extra for the small amount of theft). When you buy healthcare, your price includes a large government imposed subsidy for those who can't afford it, thus making healthcare less affordable to more and more people each year.

So if you wanted to make healthcare cheaper what would you do? Impose more rules or less? Allow competition or create a more restrictive monopoly?

Only the Libertarian Party supports more freedom, more choices, and more competition on healthcare. The Democrats have passed their bill to create a government guaranteed monopoly on health insurance and hospitals. And the Republicans will be campaigning this year on "Repeal and Replace". Yes, Republicans want to repeal or reject the Democrats' reform, and replace it with their own rules, restrictions, and regulations. "Repeal and Replace" is not the answer.

The real answer is to make hospitals a little more like gas stations and end the government's monopoly on healthcare. Vote Libertarian; the revolution is golden. 
 
Go here to double the effectiveness of any contribution you make to the Libertarian Party. 

Bud Kennedy on The Tea Party Protester.

Bud Kennedy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has an article in yesterday's paper about the Libertarian Party, the Tea Party movement, and the 9/12 project.

The political "Newcomer of the Year" must be the Tea Party protester.

But when you peek behind the new "Don’t Tread on Me" flags, some of the local Tea Party and 912 Project groups are looking more like the same old political factions.

When you sign up for e-mail from the supposedly nonpartisan Common Sense Texans network of Tea Party members, you’re giving your address to a Dallas Republican lawyer and social-networking-campaign expert who has been an activist for private-school vouchers.

Note to Bud: Almost everyone I know in East Fort Worth is an activist for private-school vouchers. If Barack Obama had a typical Eastside income, he too would be an activist for private-school vouchers.

Turns out I’m not the only person who’s leery of these fake grassroots activist groups sprouting on every block.

Robert Butler is the new state Libertarian Party executive director. He sounded frustrated Tuesday.

"The Libertarians started this thing, and now Republicans want to get ahead of the parade and take it over," Butler said by phone from Austin.

"Their brand name is held in such disregard that they’ve started marketing under the Tea Party banner. Then, behind the scenes, their organizers are getting in there and co-opting the Tea Parties."

Hit the link at the top to read Bud's entire column, with more Robert Butler quotes.

I've had many fine moments related to this website, but one of the best was when I ran into Bud at a 9/12 meeting a few weeks ago. We'd met a couple of times before, but hadn't talked much. I re-introduced myself, and Bud said "Oh yeah. The Whited Sepulchre."

You have to understand....Bud Kennedy is a big deal in Fort Worth. I'm not.

Anyway, the remainder of Bud's article makes note of the strange bedfellows, many who have sworn that they'll never vote for another Republicrat, who are trying to find a way to oppose the Chicago Machine currently looting the treasury. Very difficult when the Crips and Bloods have a stranglehold on the ballot access and debate mechanisms.

If you want some more info on the uneasy alliance between the Fort Worth Libertarians, the 9/12'ers, the Tea Partiers, the Campaign For Liberty folks, and the Republicans Party others, well, I might be the only person who has been to every rally and lived to type about it. If you don't mind wading through my schtick, you can go here to read the Top 10 signs that some of these refugee Republicans might not really be Libertarians, and the Top 10 reasons that members of another party (ahem...) might soon join our ranks.

Here's some hand-wringing I did about the Tarrant County Libertarian Party being invited to participate in a 9/12 rally. The butt-whoopin' I took in the comment field (from across the political spectrum) is worth noting.

Here are our folks in the 9-12 parade.

This is an account of the Tea Party rally held at LaGrave Field in Fort Worth. I've since become friends with the local businessman mentioned in the post. Adrian Murray. He's good folks.

And this one is about the original Fort Worth Tea Party, thrown together back in February.

Ok, everybody, take a deep breath and remember this: Our enemy's enemy is our friend.