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Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org/Ralf Lotys
Nostalgic Mantra: Make Love…Convivial audience members at the Woodstock Festival, 1969.
the electorate don’t stand a chance of actually being elected and
having any success in changing the political system.
For example, prominent presidential candidates for the
Democratic nomination proudly raised their hands in
favor of replacing private health insurance — now covering
roughly 150 million people — with Medicare for All. Their
alternative would be a government-sponsored, and presumably
government-funded system that has not been thoroughly
vetted, scored or thought out. Even if, in the long
term, the concept is shown to have merit, and, if eventually
enacted, properly funded and a better and more effective
means of providing quality health care, is it the right proposal
to be introduced to the electorate at this time?
A Hill-HarrisX poll found that only 13% of respondents
favored Medicare for All if it meant getting rid of private
insurance. Is it sensible to make a proposal supported by
only 13% of the voting public the centerpiece of your campaign?
I don’t think so.
Next Steps
So, where do we go from here? Let’s think for a moment
as to what can be “realistically” accomplished by whoever
gets through the gauntlets of debates, primaries, caucuses
and endless town halls. An infrastructure bill would get reasonable
bipartisan support. I would also argue that attempts
to shore up the ACA by reintroducing the individual mandate
might make sense.
Additionally, I would fight to strengthen Social Security.
First to go should be the cap on how much income
goes untaxed to fund the program. Why should individuals
currently making hundreds of thousands of dollars a
year, and more, stop paying into the system after the first
$133,000 of income, the current ceiling? If you think
$133,000 isn’t much money, set the cap at $500,000, or
even $1 million. The issue of how to pay for Social Security
would be moot.
Now, I do not wish to wage a war with those whose
income places them in the top 1%. For the most part, I’m
more than certain that you’ve earned that income legitimately.
But I firmly believe that you have an obligation to
pay your fair share in order for those less fortunate to be
able to take part in federal programs that allow them to live
out their lives with dignity.
Let me share one final thought. I don’t want to lay this
all at the feet of Democrats, to suggest they alone can help
bring about normalcy simply by bringing change to 1600
52 WINTER 2019