Jeff Goldsmith on Why Health Reform is Stuck

Progressives dislike the Rasmussen poll, but don’t shoot the messenger, even if he comes from the opposing camp.  Here’s what Rasmussen said this morning in the Wall Street Journal:

“The reason President Obama can’t move the numbers and build public support is because the fundamentals are stacked against him. Most voters believe the current plan will harm the economy, cost more than projected, raise the cost of care, and lead to higher middle-class taxes.”

Unfortunately, the wisdom of crowds is probably right on all four points. Congress is screwing this up.   A pointed example:   there are 19 million uninsured young people.  It COULD cost $50-60 a month to cover them/you, but by the time the social engineers in Congress get done reorganizing health insurance, it’ll cost north of $300 a month.  The difference:  a healthy subsidy to uninsured baby boomers, who COULD have been enrolled early in Medicare instead (which young people are ALREADY subsidizing thru their/your payroll taxes).

It’s anguishing to wonder if it’s better to start over and simply focus on covering the uncovered, rather than trying to, as Pete Stark put it once, “reinvent the marshmallow”.

Rasmussens’s article:  http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111993559174212.html?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_opinion