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4A Daily News – Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Opinion You cannot please all of the people DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 Everyone can agree that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rollout has been riddled with problems since going on-line. But few remember that the same was true when the Bush administration implemented Medicare Part D, the prescription drug program, because most Democrats went to work to make sure their constituents could benefit. Sadly the same cannot be said of the "party of no," that pulls-out all stops to lambast a health care system based upon recommendations from their own Heritage Foundation think tank. The chorus of Americans calling Obama a liar and predestining the ACA to be a failure with their version of "the song that never ends" makes all of us look forward to the end of Obama's presidency so they might finally change their tune and channel. House Speaker John Boehner would have us believe that Obama's admission that flaws in ACA provisions to keep existing policies in force should be rectified is also a lie because problem resolution might help the initiative succeed. Never mind that the ACA is not forcing insurance companies to suspend existing health insurance policies as the companies act in their own interests to alter and suspend unprofitable practices. It is just darn convenient to call our President a liar by misinformed choice and/or ignorance to make political hay. Other than the third-world nearly every country offers health care to their citizens irrespective of means with the notable exception of paranoid Americans that fear a mythical advance of socialism while in reality their nation moves closer to a plutocracy each day in which the rich get wealthier, the middle class disappears and the numbers living in poverty increase. It bothers me how few of the 98% of Americans sharing a diminishing 10% of the nation's wealth pie give a damn, blithely believing less government regulation and taxation will magically allow the "invisible hand of free markets" to serve their interests. Unfortunately such pap is a smokescreen so unbridled capitalism serves only the wealthy few that corrupt democracy to serve their ends alone. Consider representative La Malfa and his cronies enriching themselves with farm subsidies and sole source contracts as they throw tax deductable bones to the hungry and homeless while patting themselves on the back for being altruistic. What a fine world that is as their constituents struggle. In their deluded minds it's OK since they claim to be "one of us." Am I alone fearing that by the time we wake up and realize our economic enslavement the mechanisms for democratic change will have been gerrymandered and rendered ineffective, leaving us without the means or ability to access to an increasingly capable health care system. live free and healthy While it seems unfair to lives? make healthy and To make matters wealthy people help pay even worse it seems our the medical costs of underfunded educationthose in need of care al systems leaves most with limited resources without an understandthis is how insurance ing of actuarial tables and democracy work. It and how insurance is fair and humane - not works. All too many of socialism - to ease the you think you can cherfinancial burdens of ry pick coverage that those with salaries suits only your needs Richard below $90,000 by proand have insurance viding health care subsicompanies offer afforddies to those that do not able coverage to others on a sliding scale. Conwith broader needs. In sidering we put a man the real world only a on the moon and are mandate that everyone quick to help other purchase insurance covnations shouldn't we ering the breadth of serequitably care for our vices that may be needed over one's life span can needs own? To paraphrase Abraham Linas pre-natal care, family planning, mental health and preventative coln, "You can please some peocare be afforded, not to mention ple all the time or all of the people coverage for folks with pre-exist- some of the time but all of the time you cannot please all of the ing conditions. In the case of the ACA approx- people." imately 80% of the people will see Richard Mazzucchi is a retired no change, 17% will gain coverage, and 3% will pay more for research engineer specializing in coverage. It is that vocal and polit- energy efficiency and renewable ically connected 3% that discount energy. He has travelled the need of those unable to find extensively and now makes his affordable coverage and the exor- home in Los Molinos, where he is bitant cost of their otherwise striving to manifest a sustainable unnecessary emergency room vis- and spiritual lifestyle and operate its. They can and will bitch till the a barbecue equipment and cows come home but there is sim- supply business. He can be ply no free lunch to provide broad reached at living-green@att.net. Mazzucchi Positive Point Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; Email: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202225-3076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 3930707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Like it or not (polls say not), enroll Readers and residents, you are "enrolled" in Obamacare's yearslong disruption of your health care, insurance plans and financial wellbeing, whether you like it or not. You have all been lied to, propagandized and, through media malpractice, left with but a glimmer of what is in store—broadcast, print and community event sources are, however, providing "how to" information. "How to" get enrolled for coverage you may not want or need; "how to" get signed up for other people's money to pay for bloated, unnecessary Obamacare costs; and "how to" qualify for Medicaid benefits on the taxpayers' dime. What could go wrong? The passionate opposition that conservatives and Republicans have towards Obamacare is principled, well grounded, and visceral. However, consider what public opinion polling has to say: Late September, Washington Post/ABC News reported Obamacare polling since late 2009. Democratic support (Obama's fellow donkeys) has declined from 68 percent last year to 58 percent. Self-identified Liberal Democrats have never wavered much below 70 to 80 percent support, while Moderate and Conservative Democrats' support has dropped from over 70 percent to 47 percent and now is virtually tied with disapproval by those Democrats, at 46 percent. Even among Obama's core, African-American base, WaPo/ABC found that 87 percent job approval only translated to 48 percent support for Obama's signature health care law. Surprisingly, Democrats are falling out of love with Obamacare but are not willing to allow their fellow citizens the freedom to arrange for, and acquire, their own chosen health care plans. I see that as neither American nor Constitutional. Around the time that President Obama was telling an interviewer that "everybody is wrong to doubt Obamacare," The Hill reported that "a poll by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal found that just 31 percent of Americans believed ObamaCare was a good idea, while 44 percent thought it was not. Just three in 10 Americans say they understand how the legislation will affect them, and only 23 percent believe the law will have a positive effect on the country's overall healthcare system. Even more concerning for the White House, just 12 percent say the law will have a positive impact on their family, while 52 percent think the cost of their healthcare will go up." In polling on Obama's overall approval/disapproval, RasmussenReports.com says that "Strong disapproval" exceeds "Strong approval" by 20 percent, 43 to 23 (overall disapprove/approve is 53 to 45). Is it any surprise Democrat officeholders are distancing themselves from Obamacare and voting with Republicans on giving cancelled policyholders legislative relief? Make no mistake, the Republican Upton bill will gut the core mandates of Obamacare but 39 Dems voted for it anyway, defying Obama's "fix" rhetoric and veto threat. "Fox News discovered on September 17 that 56 percent of Democrats were 'concerned' about their 'personal health care under the new health care law.' (Fortythree percent were not.) Among Republicans, 77 percent were 'concerned' personally about Oba- macare's medical impact on them; 2013" says that, in addition to vir22 percent were relaxed." (Nation- tually all individual plans getting cancelled, at least 39 alReview.com, 9/30) percent of "All EmployIn "Fox News Poll: er (Small and Large) Half Say President Plans" will be cancelled. 'Lied' About ObaUp to 69 percent of "All macare," we find that, Employer Plans," unremarkably, 50 perincluding 80 percent of cent of voters (including "Small Employer 22 percent of DemocPlans," will cease to rats) believe Obama exist. In "Sebelius "knowingly lied" when Bombshell: Employer assuring Americans they Based Plans Will Face could keep their health Same Granfathering plans and doctors. What Caveats as Lost Individis remarkable is that 40 Don ual Plans," Townhall's percent actually think Pavlich reports Obama had no idea the Polson Katie HHS's Sebelius that law would cause people to lose their insurance. The way confirmed that "the same caveats" (no Look up: "Lies of ObaI see it changes allowed) will macare: 17 and countgovern whether employing," Scott Johnson, er-based insurance plans Powerlineblog.com, listing falsehoods in Obama's remarks survive. Prominent D.C. cardiologist, last Thursday. My column last week, "The Dr. Ramin Oskoui said in an interbiggest liar, and lie, in history," view that not only will Obamacare proved Obama a "knowing liar." impede the progress the medical About 6 in 10 "thinks the Obama community has made in its fight administration knew ahead of against cancer, "(but also will) time" about people losing plans; 55 bring nothing but harm to some of percent think it "tried to deceive society's most vulnerable … Obapeople about it … A record-high macare is an extreme security risk 61 percent disapprove" of Obama's for people's personal information health care performance. More and it will certainly hurt cancer voters want to throw out the health patients" by limiting their ability to care law and "start over" than see medical specialists and by paying doctors in bundled payments, "keep trying to fix it" (46 to 42). If you find yourself feeling which would incentivize doctors to assured by the Obama "5 percent" use cheaper—less effective— lie that you won't be thrown into remedies. "No practicing physician the unkind, government-mandated thinks Obamacare is a good idea," graces of Obamacare, the numbers he affirmed. say otherwise. "Federal Register Don Polson has called Red Bluff … 34553: Table 3—Estimates of home since 1988. He can be the Cumulative Percentage of by e-mail at Employer Plans Relinquishing reached their Grandfathered Status, 2011- donplsn@yahoo.com.