Few pieces of legislation have been as controversial and polarizing
as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Its
critics are quick to state that it is a job killer, will increase the cost of
health care, raise premiums and deductibles, as well as flood medical staff and
facilities with volumes of people they are not equipped to handle. For the sake of argument, let’s say that none
of those things are true. Let’s say that
the ACA is, at worst, neutral in all of those regards and we would be no worse off
in any of those areas than we were before it.
That still leaves one piece, the individual mandate. This provision requires all Americans to purchase
health insurance.
I have been working full time since I was 18 years old.
During that time, I have always had money deducted from my paycheck to be sent
to the government. Since I have
virtually no say over how much is taken or how that money gets spent, I have
never been happy with that fact. But I
have learned to accept it. It is the
price I must pay to live in this country.
For longer than I have been alive, the government has been taking money
from hard working Americans before they themselves get their hands on it. That precedent is now set and widely accepted
as part of life in this country. The
government also decides how that money will be spent. So we can say that precedent has been set for
the government deciding how a portion of our gross income gets spent.
With the individual mandate, the government is, for the
first time in history, telling Americans how they must spend a portion of their
net income. I cannot opt out, nor can
any other American (other than members of congress that passed the bill).
This new precedent has broad and alarming implications. It means that the government is stating that
they know, better than me, what is best for me.
They will decide not only that I must have health care coverage, but
also what level of coverage I should have.
And since they are now telling me how to spend net income, what will
they decide next to be in my best interest?
How else will they require that I spend my hard earned money?
Life insurance is a good idea; perhaps that will be
next. Every American should have at
least one hundred thousand dollars of life insurance.
What about education?
I am a strong supporter of education and believe that getting a good
education is the single best thing that anyone can do to ensure a bright future
for themselves. With very few
exceptions, those with a college degree make significantly more over the course
of their lives than their non-degreed counterparts. All Americans should get at least an associate’s
degree.
What is that you say?
Education is expensive and many people will not be able to afford it? Not to worry, the government can simply Robin
Hood the affluent to pay for the education of others.
When the income tax was first introduced, Taft and his
supports claimed that it would never exceed 3% of gross income and would only
apply to the top 3% of wage earners.
Based on that lie, the 16th amendment was passed, with the
vast majority of those voting in favor of it believing it would never impact
them or any of their descendants. That
worked out well.
Government overreach is dangerous and the ACA is the largest
overreach in my lifetime (so far at least) and a direct attack on personal
liberty. I oppose it at all costs and
were I in office, I would never stop fighting it until repealed.
