This commentary was submitted by Del. Neil Parrott. Comments are welcome below following our usual guidelines for civil language. Commentary on this and other topics can be sent to [email protected].
Del. Neil Parrott
By Neil Parrott
For MarylandReporter.com
People are hurting all across the country. Recently, as I was leaving Sam’s Club, I spoke to a retired couple whose health insurance had just been canceled due to Obamacare. Now they are having major troubles trying to get new coverage.
Elections have consequences, and every day people are starting to feel the consequences in a very personal way.
Our own newly elected congressman, John Delaney, says that Obamacare has been, “A terrible failure so far.” Why then won’t he vote to repeal it? Why did he not support legislation one month ago that fully funded the government, while delaying the implementation of Obamacare for regular people for one year?
People shut out from health care coverage
It is not the failure of the Obamacare implementation that is so disturbing; it’s that people who had good health insurance just two months ago have had it taken from them. There are many who want to enroll in Obamacare, but are currently shut out of health care coverage because of government-run systems that do not work.
Our elected officials have been supporting this new nightmare for many Marylander families. Obamacare was not ready to hit the streets, and now individuals and families all across the country are hurting. Jobs are at risk, insurance companies are being forced to close, many of our best doctors are leaving the medical profession. Because of the Obamacare implementation, more Americans than ever live with the uncertainty of how they will pay for medical expenses. Elections have consequences.
I am thankful for U.S. Senators Ted Cruz, Mike Lee and Rand Paul who used common sense to try to fight this disaster and warn of the danger to everyday citizens. I am thankful for those in Congress who were willing to risk ridicule from the press and the White House for their stance against the imposition of Obamacare on only certain people who weren’t shielded by unions, big companies or government jobs. They stood up to many “establishment” voices, finding a way to fully fund the government while delaying the implementation of Obamacare for regular people for one year. Just one year.
The government shut down because our president refused to even discuss the idea of a compromise with Congress. Did the president know that his website wasn’t ready? Did he even care? Was he so worried about “winning” the implementation battle that he was willing to force a furlough onto federal workers, not to mention kicking veterans out of national war memorials, just to make a point?
Elections have consequences
Elections have consequences. I am thankful for elected leaders who tenaciously fought in prior years to defeat previous versions of Obamacare. I am thankful for people who work for common-sense values, despite the loud jeers of those who feel they know better. I am thankful for people who work to understand our constitutional rights, not simply resting on any political party’s stance, and then get involved to defend our freedoms. I am thankful for people who take the time to educate themselves about our constitution and how the framers of the Constitution intended for our government to work.
Thomas Jefferson said, “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government … whenever things get so far wrong … they may be relied on to set them to rights.”
Elections have consequences. Next November, Marylanders will vote on who will represent us. Will we be well-informed? Will we remember that Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown was Maryland’s architect for the implementation of Obamacare in Maryland? Will we remember that Congressman Delaney voted against the common-sense delay of Obamacare for regular people in Maryland? Will we remember that those hurting in Maryland right now because of their loss of health insurance would not have suffered if we had heeded the warning of a few, brave elected officials?
Our country and our families deserve strong, elected leaders who will not simply bow to any political party’s wishes nor cave under the ridicule of a loud media. Educate yourself, learn the character of the people we elect to represent us, and be thankful for those who have been working so hard for common sense to protect our families, our constitutional rights and our freedoms.
I think someone has been drinking the Kool-Aid again.
The Bush-Cheney “invented” war was at least congressionally approved, and that was actually bipartisan. Unlike the actual topic of this article. *cough* troll *cough*
The liberal talking point response is basically “Bush lied about weapons of mass destruction. Well, no it’s just widely denied and ignored the convoy of trucks that moved all of that to Syria. Then when Obama inherited the war he bungled any and all progress made.
Actually Reagan’s trickle down plan wasn’t his plan, per say. It’s a historical fact, long before Reagan came along, if you reduce taxes and let people keep more of what they earn, they work harder. This actually increases the money going into government coffers. It works every time it’s tried. Believe me, the 80’s financial situation created a very fun time in history. I feel bad for young people today. Point is, his “stupid” plan worked great and you have to twist the truth/lie to make it appear otherwise.
Unlike the class warfare tactics, which tax the rich, then less rich, then end up destroying the middle class, and make the income disparity even worse through the double edged sword of devaluation of the currency and inflation. It’s what I would call a self fulfilling prophecy.
You liberals/progressives/socialists/communists like everything that hurts the economy, and call everything that helps it stupid.
Know what I call that?
The worst part is that the the ACA debacle was foreseeable, was foreseen and predicted, even beyond the current technical problems.
This was a basic philosophy and common sense problem. The issue you do not even touch on is the tremendous increases in premiums, that will price a lot of people who had insurance out of the market altogether.
The deliberate lies to the public and the crude coercion of the insurance companies to prevent their opposition, were absolutely necessary without which the ACA would not have passed. They knew they had to lie, which is why the Obama team had to coerce the insurance industry.
All this was a deliberate and premeditated lie by a self absorbed president who believes his own slogans without having any real business life experience. He has done more damage to this country than anybody we can remember, yes and that includes Bush.
Baloney! How the Affordable Care Act works out remains to be seen. But we know how the Bush-Cheney invented Iraq War worked out (and how it’s still working out in Afghanistan). We also know that our budget problems were caused by Reagan’s stupid trickle down economic policy. Now we have billionaires galore and a widening gap between the rich and the poor that’s not going to be solved anytime soon.