Is Bloomberg afraid Warren will become President?
By Bruce Barnes
To the editor,
On The Courier’s opinion page Sunday, Oct. 20, Bloomberg berated Sen. Elizabeth Warren for not stating that she would raise taxes on the middle class to pay for Medicare for All. Sen. Warren has a vision of health care for all in this county, as do most Democrats. Bloomberg must think that universal health care can only be paid for with a tax on the middle class but that is not true. Without defining what the congress will pass into law, we can estimate the cost of health care by looking at other countries that have health care for all.
Health care cost can be expressed and compared as a percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) says that as of second quarter 2019 the GDP was $21.34 trillion and as of December 2018 health care represented 17.9 percent of GDP ($3.82 trillion). Of this 8.8 percent of GDP ($1.88 trillion) is private spending and 9.1 percent ($1.94 trillion) is public spending. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said that in 2017 the average spending level among all high-income countries with health care for all was 11 percent of GDP. If the U.S. implements a comparable health care for all plan, costing 11 percent of GDP, that would be $2.35 trillion. Since the government already pays $1.94 trillion for Medicare, Medicaid, VA, and Tri-care, an additional $410 billion per year would be needed to pay for single payer health care for all. $410 billion is a little more than half of defense spending and less than half of the national deficit of $1 trillion per year.
Sen. Warren is correct about paying for Medicare for all. Congress has several revenue stream options to pay for health care for all. One would be to repeal the Trump tax cuts. Another would be to implement a wealth tax. Congress could also raise the 2.9 percent Medicare tax. Since the president does not determine how money is raised or spent (that is the role for Congress), Senator Warren’s answer is the only correct answer, “I will not sign a bill that will raise the cost of health care to middle Americans.”
Could it be that Bloomberg is afraid Sen. Warren will become President? Bloomberg knows that our current health care cost in this country is $3.82 trillion and if we ignore the fact that GDP increases about 2 percent per year, in 10 years health care for 90 percent of insured Americans will cost $38.2 trillion. That’s under our existing health care system. In Bloomberg’s opinion piece they state, “The Medicare for All that Sanders and Warren are pitching is a bad idea, and not only because of what it would cost (some $30 trillion over 10 years).” Why wouldn’t we want to pay less than our current system is costing and cover everyone. Is it bad that no American will go bankrupt because of medical bills? Is it bad that all Americans will have medical care? Is it bad that workers can change jobs without losing their health care? Surely, we can do better in this country to provide good health care for our citizens.
Bruce Barnes
Conroe
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Dear Woodland’s Villager Editor:
By: C. Cary Lindsay
On November 5
th
, 2019, Montgomery County citizens will have their opportunity to cast their vote—for or against items reflected on the ballot. What is unique about this process in Montgomery County, the citizens have a group of ‘research mavens’ proclaiming they have researched each proposition on the ballot and finding themselves qualified to foist their research on the voters with their propaganda laden voting mailers sent to our homes. Operating under the banner they are “Texas Patriots” they tell voters they should vote against
Proposition 6
—"
Increasing CPRIT’s bond authority from $3 billion to $6 billion.
” Their rationale, obviously based on scrupulous and highly organized research skills, the voters should heed them by agreeing that funding cancer research is not a core function of state government. This bizarre death wish these Patriots want voters to support isn’t a new endeavor as they have promoted for years that any governmental involvement for supporting socialized healthcare should be avoided at all cost. Their other incessant mantra is that they are fighting to protect our free-enterprise system from assault by socialists.
In 2007, the Texas voters overwhelmingly approved of the CPRIT funding program. If you think now that you, your spouse, your children, a neighbor or a friend will never need medical attention for cancer treatments—then vote like these Texas Patriots tells you to vote. But don’t be a hypocrite and run to M.D. Anderson Hospital, or seek the treatment option that Dr. Allison’s efforts have produced---see whether socialized medicine saves your life or that insurance policy where 25% of your premium dollar goes to insurance executives who seeks to deny you insurance claim so “they” can make more profit!
And considering that the first medical care system and medical insurance program was created with taxpayer dollars.
C. Cary Lindsay
The Woodlands, Texas 77387
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Congress must do its job and impeach Trump
By U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, 10/4/19
Austin American-Statesman Op-Ed
Impeachment of a president is a question of enormous magnitude, not to be undertaken lightly. Under our Constitution, it is an essential tool to check abuse of presidential authority and ensure one-person rule does not replace our system of checks and balances. Our founders did not intend for anyone to be above the law — certainly not the executive wielding the greatest power.
In late May, I called for an inquiry to determine whether President Trump had committed impeachable offenses in his reaction to the Mueller report. He insisted that, while president, he could neither be investigated nor prosecuted, that he is empowered to ignore Congress and declared the Constitution allows him to do “whatever” he wants. Beyond shattering norms, Trump seems intent on breaking the law many days; on others, he tries to break us with hate speech.
This inquiry has reached a more ominous level. Trump attempted to shake down the president of Ukraine — a country under dire Russian threat and partial occupation. He did so in a call shortly after inexplicably suspending about $400 million in military assistance.
In response to the Ukrainian president’s interest in acquiring additional U.S. weapons, Trump replied: “I would like you to do us a favor, though.” He wielded the full force of the presidency not to protect America, solely to advance himself. Compromising the integrity of our elections and our national security for personal gain represents betrayal of his oath of office.
America learned about his recent wrongdoing only because of a courageous whistle blower, who raises more alarming concerns of cover-up with the administration’s “lock down” of the call memo. The complaint noted that it was “not the first time” a transcript had been moved.
Though a Trump-appointed Inspector General described the whistle blower’s report as “urgent,” “credible” and “most important,” the administration delayed access in defiance of the law. Now, over 300 former national security professionals, Democratic and Republican, have challenged Trump for “unconscionable abuse of power.”
Beyond the cover-up, the president is making threats, calling a source a “spy,” invoking execution. Trump has called for “arrest for treason” of the House Intelligence Committee chair and even raised the specter of “civil war” and a “coup.”
Among the cascade of incriminating information are additional reports on the 2017 invitation of Russians into the Oval Office. Trump not only welcomed election assistance from Russia but also invited more interference.
Our reaction to this lawless president sets the precedent for any president, of either party, who threatens our democracy. We act because of danger from one who has lied so much that, perhaps, he cannot distinguish right from wrong.
Responding to this unfit president with words alone is insufficient. Putting partisanship aside, only impeachment will preserve the rule of law. Trump should be impeached for crimes he has confessed: using your tax money for himself. When caught extorting a foreign country to interfere in our election, he first tried to cover it up, bragged about it, and did it again. The most incriminating evidence may come from the most compelling witness: President Trump himself, openly requesting foreign governments to interfere in our election for his personal benefit.
It is time to impeach: for abuse of power jeopardizing our security in favor of personal gain, and for obstructing justice through cover-ups, witness intimidation and refusal to disclose evidence regarding the extent of his harm to our security.
Congress must do more than consider the next election. Averting our eyes would abdicate our responsibility. There is no cause for celebration here. Only the solemn responsibility to safeguard our national security and our constitutional system of government.
It is time to enforce our founders’ boundaries on a president who respects none.
Doggett represents District 35, which includes part of Austin.
