Joe Paduda is falling into the trap of looking for logic from the Canada-bashing crowd. He thinks that Sally Pipes (from the loony fringe Pacific Research Institute based incredibly enough in the people’s republic of San Francisco) is, ahem, not quite making logical statements. But I have to give him props for this one sentence commenting on Pipes’ absurd comparison of Massachusetts to General Motors.
Oh jeez, that’s about eight errors in less than one sentence.
Of course the dreadful GM health plan for its American workers is actually so terrible that GM is trying belatedly to run away from it. How are they doing that? Well they’re sending all their Michigan jobs up to Canada, because Canadian employers like their nation’s single payer health plan. I’m sure Sally Pipes knows why.
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I guess at present no one can win on the Mass. plan. As a government run single payer supporter with a Canadian background I view the Mass. plan at present as just another good lobby effort by health insureres and providers to get more income. The back room conversation with the politicians could have gone something like this; Health Execs – “Gee Governor people seem to be dropping coverage as we keep raising our rates by double digit compounding, is there anything you can do?” Governor – “Well why don’t we just make paying mandatory, then people won’t be able to vote with their feet, and you guys will be able to keep pulling in profits.” Health Execs – “Great Gov. here’s some campaign donations up front.”
On the other hand free marketeers view this as the foot in the door for a government run system, although I don’t know how the taxpayer will afford all the buy outs of existing health insurers. As usual the problem has been let go far too long and now everyone does not want to give up entrenched positions. In this struggle I expect the deep pocket money to win as usual in this screwed up political system. But that’s for another rant.