True North

The Star Tribune calls it a "bold plan" by the DFL legislators: health care coverage for all Minnesotans through a government-run program. They expect a long battle to legislate their proposed Minnesota Health Plan.

A bold plan to provide health insurance coverage for all Minnesotans through a government run program was advanced today by DFL legislators, who say they expect to wage a three or four year battle for such a system.

The proposed Minnesota Health Plan was touted as the most effective way to transfer savings resulting from lower insurance overhead and other costs to provide coverage for an estimated 400,000 uninsured Minnesotans.

The effort is being led largely by new House members, who say they are responding to numerous complaints about health insurance while campaigning in 2006.

"Health care was either number one or number two as a primary concern," said Rep. David Bly, DFL-Northfield.

Governor Pawlenty is against a socialist measure, and his task force is working now on alternative plans.

Look at any government run program, and you'll likely find it results in a big FAIL. If libs quote Michael Moore and how great health care is in Cuba, please refer them to this article. Or if it's so great in Canada, please refer them to this article.

In Washington, there are plenty of old pieces of legislation that like-minded politicians could take off the shelf, dust off, and promote: expanding Medicare to Americans 55 and older, say, or covering all children in Medicaid.

But such initiatives would push the United States further down the path to a government-run system and make things much, much worse. True, government bureaucrats would be able to cut costs—but only by shrinking access to health care, as in Canada, and engendering a Canadian-style nightmare of overflowing emergency rooms and yearlong waits for treatment. America is right to seek a model for delivering good health care at good prices, but we should be looking not to Canada, but close to home—in the other four-fifths or so of our economy. From telecommunications to retail, deregulation and market competition have driven prices down and quality and productivity up. Health care is long overdue for the same prescription.

Folks, the DFL is right on one thing: this is a battle. But for me, it's a battle for individual liberty from big government. Consider their solution a huge clarion call to kick socialist liberals out of office and replace them with conservatives this year.

Cross-posted at FreedomDogs, where your comments are welcome.