-
Just Walk Away
February 2, 2010 | 15 comments
-
Golden Clipboards for Golden Health Reformers
January 6, 2010 | 8 comments
-
Pink Cadillac
August 20, 2009 | 12 comments
-
Of Rats and Meds
February 5, 2009 | 10 comments
-
Health Care and Our President-Elect
November 6, 2008 | 7 comments
The Right Prescription
Remember Richard Foster?
Can we repeal to our better natures?
He’s the CMS official whose report on Part D costs were “suppressed” during the debate over the Medicare Modernization Act. That was in 2003 — when he was a whistle-blowing darling of Congressional Democrats. That was then. This is now. Today Mr. Foster asserts that the new health care law says it will not slow the overall growth of health spending because the expansion of insurance and services to 34 million people will offset costs in Medicare and other programs
According to Mr. Foster, “Overall national health expenditures under the health reform act would increase by a total of $311 billion,” or by — as the New York Times’ Robert Pear put it — ”nine-tenths of 1 percent, compared with the amounts that would otherwise be spent from 2010 to 2019.”
In his report to Congress, Mr. Foster states that some provisions of the law, including cutbacks in Medicare payments to health care providers and a tax on high-cost employer-sponsored coverage, would slow the growth of health costs. But he said the savings “would be more than offset through 2019 by the higher health expenditures resulting from the coverage expansions.”
The counter-argument? Nancy-Ann DeParle (director of the White House Office of Health Reform) said that fear was “unfounded.”
The White House is going to have to do better — a lot better — because such wave-of-the-hand answers will certainly add fuel to the fire of those calling for repeal.
But rather than repeal we should be talking “appeal” — like in appealing to the better angels of our nature. In other words — being for something. And that something is called “the truth.”
Let’s start a movement — and let’s call it “Appealism.” Here’s how it works: Rather than calling for “repeal” (which is a negative thing), let’s be for “appeal.” That means appealing to common sense and un-fuzzy math. It means calling a spade a spade and (most importantly) being honest.
I know — how naïve. But…
Even if the GOP realizes its most optimistic November projections, the likelihood for legislative repeal is still, well, a highly optimistic projection. And, even if all the stars and planets align in an elephant-friendly fashion, there’s no scenario that provides for a two-thirds majority override of a 100% predictable Presidential veto.
Hence, the need for “appeal.” The Foster analysis is a good place to start because the finish line isn’t repeal; it’s controlling the rule-making process. And that’s where “appeal” comes in.
Appealing to reality. Appealing to facts and figures rather than rhetoric and double-sided political coin of bribes and threats.
Appealism. Yes we can.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Peter Pitts
More Articles From The Right Prescription
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/05/04/remember-richard-foster
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Pingback| 5.4.10 @ 6:41AM
Twitter Trackbacks for The American Spectator : Remember Richard Foster? [spectator. links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Yosemeti Sam| 5.4.10 @ 8:51AM
Repeal?
Um - Congress controls the purse strings!
What they giveth - they may taketh away!
There's the virtual repeal - ipso facto!
Quite simple actually.
With the peoples' acquiescence, of course - via
the ever hallowed polls.
Louis Jenkins| 5.4.10 @ 9:14AM
So we've gone from repealing to appealing. Next we'll go to just plain acceptance and getting on with out daily lives. Is there an alternative? Yes. Let's go back to repealing this bunch of mularky.
1FreeMan| 5.4.10 @ 10:23AM
Negative.
No AmSpec writer is going to water down the tea party movement. The November election will set the stage and we must act after that. The American public will finally be told what is in the Obama healthcare takeover and they will recoil in disbelief: National ID cards, a civilian military force, controls on doctors, rationing... the horrific list will see the light of day and the Nation will call for a repeal. Maybe even call for an impeachment... but this lame "appeal" idea? Forget it!
c. j. acworth| 5.4.10 @ 5:55PM
Amen, FreeMan. I read this article twice trying to figure out just what the author was getting at and still don't get it. How is "appealism" going to get rid of Obamacare? Repeal is the goal, not "modify" or "fix". REPEAL!
Conan the Grammarian| 5.4.10 @ 11:47AM
I agree with Sam, Louis, and Freeman. Repeal, repeal, repeal. Negativity in the extreme.
Ken (Old Texican)| 5.4.10 @ 2:08PM
We still have some good kids out there.
THE SNEEZE
They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing .. and the traditional caps, they looked almost .. as grown up as they felt.
Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.
This class would NOT pray during the commencements----not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.
The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.
The speeches were nice, but they were routine.....until the final speech received a standing ovation.
A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.
All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED !!!!
The student on stage.. simply looked at the audience and said,
'GOD BLESS YOU
And he walked off stage...
The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.
Isn't this a wonderful story? Pass it on to all your friends....and
GOD BLESS YOU!!!!
This is a true story; it happened at the University of Maryland
fjdsk| 7.1.10 @ 2:40AM
beijing massage