The is an article this morning in the Sacramento Bee where is talks about how the top priority of newly sworn-in State Senate President Darrell Steinberg is to expand the role of government in California, moving the responsibility for the health of children from their parents to the state government.
Are you kidding, Senator?
This concept of yours is a major problem for a whole slew of reasons. But let’s start with the biggies.
First and foremost – California government doesn’t have remotely enough money for existing programs (remember, there is the pesky issue of past overspending that has left us with a hole of well over $14 billion in just this budget year alone?). At a time when we need to be figuring out how to reduce the size and scope of state government, as a time when we need to figure which of our which responsibilities that Big Brother (California State Government) needs to return back to individuals and families, only committed liberal ideologues like Steinberg would be on the stump to promote more spending and having taxpayers on the hook, collectively, for yet another major entitlement program.
Secondly, of course, is that taking tax dollars from one family in order to provide (or try) healthcare for children in another family is not only un-American, it is immoral. This is a country built around the idea of freedom, individual freedom, and individual responsibility.
Look, if Senator Steinberg wants to have a public dialogue about how to deal with the very real tragic situation that there are children in California who don’t have parents, or have parents that cannot afford to take care of their children – I for one am open to having that discussion. How many children today lack health coverage because of how expensive healthcare has become in America? How many children are uninsured because their parents choose to not insure them, prioritizing other places to spend their money instead? If Senator Steinberg feels that healthcare for children is a “right bestowed by government” – what kind of insurance – and who should pay for it?
But if Senator Steinberg’s lofty goal is to actual see other peoples’ children live a health childhood, he should rethink engaging the government on their behalf. A government-healthcare system for all children? That is a recipe for disaster – it will invariably lead to lower quality healthcare at higher costs for everyone – which is the ultimate destination for just about any program that seeks to place responsibility for individuals in this country into the hands of the government.
Right now, I think that the greatest step that Senator Steinberg and his colleagues in the legislature can do to help more children have better health care coverage is understand that the state unemployment rate is going up, quickly, which means more families that are going to make do. with less. Instead of spending more state money right now, we should be reducing state taxes and regulations that are stifling the economy. Yes, the best way to see that kids get the health care that they need should be based around the idea that we need to see unemployment go down, the quality of jobs go up, and not take away fundamental responsibilities away from parents and cede them to the government.
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