From: Jeff Bone (jbone@jump.net)
Date: Sun Nov 12 2000 - 17:53:52 PST
Dr. Diablo has a few things to say on this topic to all the leftist
subversives and bleeding hearts in the audience:
Great. Who let the pinko commies out of the pen? What's next,
mullet-wearing foaming-at-the-mouth feminazis?
;-)
Give it up. Socialized medicine does not work in a capitalist economy.
The hybrid system and its corresponding governmental impact on private
healthcare is the ROOT CAUSE of rising healthcare prices, and if you don't
believe me I can give you my pop's e-mail address, he's been managing
hospitals for 30 years and has quite a bit to say on the matter. (Oh
yeah, BA in polisci and MS in healthcare administration + 30 years of
frustrating healthcare management and interaction with gov't,
you-fuckin'-McBetcha he's got a bit to say...) If that's too much to
process, let me clue you in: market forces would make those glasses *even
cheaper* if it weren't for all the built-in hidden costs / inefficiencies
of our hybrid system.
For what it's worth, too, the "senior citizens on fixed incomes" scenario
hits close to home. My 74 year-old grandad wears glasses, is on a fixed
income, and he doesn't go without glasses. (Or anything else he needs,
for that matter.) He spent his life working a modest job and managing his
finances prudently, and he does alright. If he needed something that he
couldn't afford, we (his family) would get it for him --- if he'd let us,
which he very well might not.
Grow up, folks. At some point, people have to take care *of themselves.*
Repeat it with me: people must take responsibility for themselves, their
lives, their financial affairs. Government can't play mommy and daddy
forever, nor should it. And society should not bear the cost for personal
financial irresponsibility.
(BTW, lest you jump all over me for the feminazi thing, I'm the ultimate
feminist / civil libertarian etc: I believe there should be *no
distinction whatsoever* in the law between anyone based on gender, race,
religion, sexual orientation, what color car you drive, whatever. It
doesn't get any more "equal" than that, y'all.)
The Dr. Is *IN*
Sophie Maddox wrote:
> --- In fork@egroups.com, Jeff Bone <jbone@j...> wrote:
>
> What planet are you on? The writer was talking about senior citizens
> who are on fixed incomes. Glasses are expensive. To get the glasses
> you need an eye exam which also can be expensive. Maybe $200-300
> dollars isn't much to you it can be to someone on a fixed income who
> wants to be able to see so they can be self sufficient. So you feel
> that laser surgery for cataracts is a no no and shouldn't be picked
> by Medicare or Medicaid. Btw have you tried to get insurance lately?
> Okay and you feel the "market"(?) should take care of it--you mean
> the Dow and Nas should pay for this? Gee I wonder why no one else
> thought of that. You may be one of the lucky ones when you retire and
> the only thing you have to do is sit in the sun and clip coupons, but
> there are millions out here who won't and need help. "Ask not for
> whom the bell tolls, it COULD toll for thee"
> (modified E. Hemingway)
>
> Sophie
> $-)
>
> >
> > So everyone has a right to better vision, and it's the
> responsibility /
> > burden of everyone to pay for that?
> >
> > Come on. Glasses aren't that expensive. And insurance wouldn't be,
> > either, if the government could get itself out of that business and
> let
> > the market manage things.
> >
> > But public funding for laser surgery? No freakin' way.
> >
> > jb
> >
> >
> > ThosStew@a... wrote:
> >
> > > In a message dated 11/9/2000 5:04:24 AM, comet@n... writes:
> > >
> > > >S/he felt it would
> > > >helpful to older voters. I'll buy that.
> > >
> > > if we had a proper Medicare program, they could get glasses and