I can't believe what I just heard, my blood pressure must be sky high. If I go to the hospital tonight, please send my bill to Mitt Romney.
For years I have railed against draconian HMOs, health insurance bureaucracy, inefficient medical providers and inequities in a system far sicker than the patients it serves. I have watched politicians debate where changes should be made, where money should come from, and whether or not the government should be involved or not. I have fought my own personal battles to obtain proper health care for myself and my children, and listened to the stories of many others fighting similar battles. I have seen the results of families being shut out of health care because of "pre-exisiting conditions," "experiemtal treatmemts" and exorbitant cost. Unless you are fortunate enough to work for a company that helps defray the cost of health insurance, or pays you enough for you to shoulder the group premium yourself, you are out of luck. Work somewhere that health insurance isn't offered, you will most likely not be able to afford to buy insurance on your own, because the cost could be 1,000 a month and beyond. Work at a minimum wage job and even a group premium of 300 a month could be beyond your means. Possibly, if your wages are low enough, you may be able to get state-funded health insurance for your children, but if you, the breadwinner gets sick, you are out of luck. And I really thought that most politicians knew and accepted this, but only differed on how to solve the problem.
Tonight, Mitt Romney presented another view, and a view that I suddenly realize may be held in secret by many people in this country. According to Mitt, the 45 million Americans who do not have health insurance are simply refusing to pay their share and are expecting the taxpayer to foot the bill. 45 million are "refusing to play" with those who are. His answer was simple, pay for health insurance or pay your own way.
This is a dangerous attitude that shows a person, intending to lead this country, while being completely out of touch with how the common person is struggling today. It shows a person with no concept of how one illness or injury can devastate a family - yes, even those with so-called insurance. No, he thinks that 45 million pesky uninsured Americans are just refusing to be insured. I really expected to hear a version of Ebeneezer Scrooge's words "And if they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population!" come flying out of his mouth.
