No bill/law is ever perfect, and this is much better than anything that the Republicans have ever proposed. We wanted reform, we wanted it years ago, the GOP didn’t give it to us, so now we have to deal with what the other side finally got done.
That said, there is always the Devil in the details, and I am not one to believe in sound-bites, especially not when you account for the fact that many of the outspoken critics of Obamacare are batshit insane and prone to exaggeration/lying, which tends to draw into question the competence of any critic. If there is a plan out there that can compete cost-wise to the penalty, then I am all for the penalty.
However, most plans I’ve seen cost more for three months of coverage than the IRS will ding you for remaining uncovered, and we are running a budget deficit anyways, so I see it as no big deal, especially considering that we Americans enjoy lower tax rates and cheaper gas than the rest of the industrialized world. If I were paying the same taxes as the average European then I would object…. but then again, if I were European, I would already have health insurance. Many Germans do despite the presence of government healthcare and the private insurance companies there seem to be doing quite well.
I’ve said it before and I;ll say it again; why don’t all of the sane, rational, intelligent Conservatives form their own party to stop this madness? As it stands, you can’t criticize the Obama administration without being lumped in with the loonies, which leaves people like me in a bad place. Do I support something I don’t believe in, or do I go insane and side with the Glen Beck crowd?
I should also state that I am against laws requiring adults to wear seat belts and helmets. IMO, those that are of age to join the military and die for our country are also mature enough to decide whether or not to use such life-saving safety measures. “Let those who ride decide” and “Live free or die!”. (Yes, I am from NH, where there are no such laws.) Of course, I am also in favor of insurance companies declining to pay for the consequences of people who are injured as a result of deciding not to wear a helmet/seat belt, but freedom is all about choices, and sometime choices have risks.