Let the States Decide Healthcare Policy

I of course, believe that individuals, families, and communities as close as possible to the patient can, in a free market, best determine and acquire health care services as with so many other items and services.  But I believe a very needed and facilitating step for this process would be for states to reassert their constitutional authority to see these matters determined within the states themselves.  That’s no passing suggestion or consideration.

Our governor in Texas, Rick Perry, has recently written a book entitled “Fed Up” about the unconstitutional and ineffective overreach of the federal government.  But in interviews, Perry expresses his hope that the federal government will return proper jurisdiction to states that can be the laboratories of democracy.  BUT!:  what a forlorn hope.  What in human history suggests that an element of any entity wielding power will voluntarily surrender that power?  At best, I imagine that Republicans would or will suggest “better” ways to implement a federal design.  No: states must not hope but DEMAND and very possibly TAKE such authority, as was guaranteed through the deliberations of the constitutional convention before the establishment of The Constitution.  States and ALL component government authorities within The United States were charged to swear an oath to The Constitution and hold all other components, upwards, downwards and laterally to account for the same, nullifying unconstitutional actions for their own constituencies.  These deliberations culminated in the inclusion of The Bill of Rights, culminating with The Tenth Amendment, which stated simply that the powers not enumerated for the federal government are reserved to the states and the people.  States should simply say, “No, not here.”  The idea that the states have no such authority is just one more example of the hegemonic description of truth as delivered by our media and education facilities. 

And in more than one place, the Republicans have already said that they will retain elements of the current law that they think the public may find attractive.  Notably, in that (silly) Pledge to America, they simultaneously promised to justify any legislation by The Constitution and also promised to promote a health care plan that will lower costs AND provide for health care coverage for those with preexisting conditions.  THAT’S UNCONSTITUTIONAL, not “insurance,” and is entirely counter to the cause of cost control.

As referred to above, of course local concerns should provide for health care for people with preexisting conditions.  And they in fact DO, though perhaps it could be delivered in a better, more upfront way, though that’s another question.  I certainly hope some reasonably wise minds among the newly elected class of legislators, will be able to clearly explain and persuade others that this kind of talk is appropriate to the old Republican “statist light” manner of approach.

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