Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/803133
AtmyageI'mprettysureIdon'tneedma- ternity care. At her age I'm pretty sure my granddaughter doesn't need health insur- ance for her end-of-life needs. ButwhatdoIknow?I'm just a dumb citizen. According to the archi- tects of Obamacare — if you can call the Democrats who designed President Barack Obama's signature failure "ar- chitects" — I can't be trusted to buy my own health insur- ance. The architects of Obam- acare in Washington, all Dem- ocrats, decided six or seven years ago they knew what the best health plan was for every- one, rich or poor, healthy or sick, old or young, Californian or New Yorker. For them, health-care choice was never an option for indi- vidual American citizens — it was one-size fits all. They decided that every American human being, no matter what their sex, age, health or personal needs or desires, deserved Cadillac care for any possible sickness or service. Just in case you might de- sire to change your gender someday, for instance, you'd be covered for the necessary sur- gery — and get to pay for it in your insurance premium to- day. When they drew up their plans the architects of Obam- acare promised the moon but they delivered the usual piece of government space junk. They promised insurance premiums would be low and be subsidized for the poor. Co- pays also would be minimal. They promised all Ameri- cans would have access to af- fordable quality health care. But in the real world it turned out many people can't afford to use their Obamacare insurance cards to actually purchase health care because the deductibles are too expen- sive, or Obamacare's architects severely limited the kinds of health care plans insurance companies were allowed to of- fer customers. It should surprise no one that Obama's pie-in-the sky promises have been broken and his plan is on fire and crashing to Earth. It was cynically designed by his administration and Dem- ocrats in Congress to have its inevitable and widely pre- dicted problems emerge after Obama was safely re-elected in 2012. But now even some Dem- ocrats are admitting Obam- acare has got serious prob- lems. Of course, no one in the lib- eral media is pressing Chuck Schumer or Nancy Pelosi to re- veal how they'd change Obam- acare to make it better. If the media did ask a Wash- ington Democrat to solve a problem they've created with one of their social policies, we all know the answer — throw more federal money and subsi- dies at it. Republicans want radical changes that will get the gov- ernment out of the health care insurance racket. They want to repeal and re- place Obamacare's mandates so that individuals can buy the health insurance plan they want from insurance com- panies that want to sell it to them. What a concept. They want individuals and small businesses to be able to join together in larger groups or insurance pools to pay lower premiums. And they want people to be able to buy their health insur- ance across state lines (like car insurance and a million other things) instead of being forced to buy from their state's monopoly provider. What concepts — freedom and choice. The American people got Obamacare shoved down their throats because of the liberal myth that government knows best about everything. Republicans in Congress — if they can get their act to- gether and stop fighting each other — are in a position to radically change things for the better. But they need to come to- gether, present a patient- based, market-based repeal and replace health care plan to the Senate and then force the Democrats there to explain to the country why they are the ones whose filibusters are preventing it from passing. Republicans have to make the Democrats own and de- fend Obamacare, which will soon die a natural death. If that doesn't work, Trump should invite every Repub- lican and Democrat leader from Congress into the White House and lock the doors. Then he should not allow anyone of either party to eat or pee or leave until they come up with a solution. MichaelReaganistheson of former President Ronald Reagan, a political consultant, and the author of "The New Reagan Revolution" (St. Martin's Press). He is the founder of the email service reagan.com and president of The Reagan Legacy Foundation. Visit his websites at www.reagan.com and www.michaelereagan.com. Send comments to Reagan@ caglecartoons.com. Follow @ reaganworld on Twitter. Makingsense Freedom,choice must be part of insurance plan Cartoonist's take In last week's Friday col- umn, I wrote of a Stanford University study that dealt with bias and concluded that "impressions are remarkably per- severant." The study dis- cussed "confir- mation bias," the tendency people have to embrace information that supports their beliefs and rejects infor- mation that contradicts them. Thinking this bias would account for the 65 percent of the voters in Tehama County who voted for Donald Trump, I was surprised to receive sev- eral emails (one from a rela- tive) suggesting I was guilty of this same bias when I dis- missed Trump as a con man who did not display presiden- tial bearing. I made that determination the first time I saw the Don- ald and heard his inflamma- tory speeches. My take on the man was reinforced almost daily by the media. However, newspapers and magazines such as Time and The New Yorker were my source of in- formation, and not once did I consider that I was being fed "fake" news. I took every crazy thing the media reported said by Trump as gospel. As time passed and Trump was elected president, it ap- peared my initial mistrust of the man was verified and cul- minated recently by the direc- tor of the Federal Bureau of In- vestigation, who told a com- mittee of Congress with the world watching on TV "that his agency had found no ev- idence to support Trump's charge that Obama had wire- tapped Trump." And the me- dia, by now perhaps with mal- ice aforethought, concluded that Trump chose to ignore the obvious lesson in this self- inflicted humiliation and, in- stead, continued to indulge his inner troll. So, were some readers of this column correct in claim- ing that I believe the media while ignoring what Trump supporters claim to be fake news? I think, in that respect, I am guilty as charged. I have been writing this col- umn since 1964 and believe what I read in the media ... Fox News and a certain local col- umnist to the contrary. There- fore, I seriously doubt I am a victim of confirmation bias. A show of hands please? • • • Speaking of presidential bearing, I bet German Chan- cellor Angela Merkel wished she had been somewhere else during her photo op with Pres- ident Trump the other day. As she was snubbed by our leader who apparently did not offer to shake her hand, I wanted to shout "Fer Chrissake ... shake her hand!" At least our president did not lead the chant, "Lock her up!" • • • Our dog lady Tomasina has gone to her reward, but I find another elderly lady is cover- ing her route and peering into trash cans in hopes of a can or two. She is not wearing a hat with a flower or layered cloth- ing, and instead of a shopping cart with three dogs attached she uses a walker sans dogs to manage her appointed rounds. I admire her tenacity but re- gret her activity, which ap- pears to be an act of survival. However, perhaps she thrives on the lifestyle she has chosen? • • • Speaking of dogs, or the lack of same, W. Cornelius regaled us recently with a list of the bow wows he has owned over the years. It pales in the face of our family dog count of course, but we are older than Bill and have had more years to accu- mulate greater numbers. However, I am impressed with the variety of his pets and his total recall of names over the years. But, as he and his missus are currently without a pet at the moment, I would like to call to their attention a nonprofit group of pet healers of which I was not previously aware. The nonprofit goes by the name of Deserving Pets Rescue and by the initials DPR. Their stated mission is, "To save the lives of the abandoned, in- jured and sick pets of Tehama County that would not survive a shelter situation." Their bro- chure continues, "We provide immediate medical attention and treatment. Once healthy and old enough we spay or neuter them. Once rehabili- tated we are dedicated to find- ing their forever homes that they so deserve." Is that a noble cause or what? In any case, I urge read- ers looking for dog or cat com- panionship to contact the group at P.O. Box 371, Red Bluff, CA 96080 or via email at deservingpetsrescue@gmail. com. As an aside, I note that all dogs included in their bro- chure had suffered horrendous breaking of bones, and all the results of being hit by cars. So, errant pet owners, keep them on a leash or keep your gate shut. • • • The Poetry Corner lives. Spring is here, Spring is here ... for many hers and his. But I can't help wondering ... where all the birdies is? And ... Go hang yourself, you old M.D.! You shall not sneer at me. Pick up your hat and stetho- scope, Go wash your mouth with laundry soap; I contemplate a joy exquisite I'm not paying you for your visit. I did not call you to be told My malady is a common cold. Ogden Nash of course • • • Friends, Romans and coun- trymen, lend me your ears. I come, not to praise Caesar, but to inform you that I have let my Notary Public license ex- pire. After noting how few nota- ries I have been doing the past year or so, I realized that the cost of securing the license, and time taken to go to Red- ding for testing, was not pay- ing off. There was a time when operating as a full service bro- ker with a large office staff, said Notary license was imper- ative. Now, as the lone ranger sit- ting here in opulent solitude, and doing only commercial sales and leasing, it is no lon- ger needed. Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine and author of the "The Knocking Pen." He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail. com. I say Who's guilty of confirmation bias? Sounding off Alookatwhatreadersaresayingincommentsonourwebsiteandonsocialmedia. ThereisabigcampbehindtheRentalGuys on Antelope, too. It's said that people that live without an address don't keep their "camps" clean. Desi Munoz: Comment on Facebook.com/ rbdailynews Two ignorant humans and a dog pays the price. The person who followed the guy who walked off needs to be charged. If the other person turned his back and walked away from the fight, the other guy should have too. The dog was protecting his human. Who knows? ARK Vision: Comment on Facebook.com/ rbdailynews, about a dog being stabbed Robert Minch StateandNational Assemblyman James Galla- gher, 2060 Talbert Drive, Ste. 110, Chico 95928, 530 895-4217, http://ad03.asmrc.org/ Senator Jim Nielsen, 2634 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico 95928, 530 879-7424, senator. nielsen@senate.ca.gov Governor Jerry Brown, State Capital Building, Sacramento 95814, 916 445-2841, fax 916 558- 3160, governor@governor.ca.gov U.S. Representative Doug La- Malfa, 507 Cannon House Of- fice Building, Washington D.C. 20515, 202 225-3076 U.S. Senator Dianne Fein- stein, One Post St., Ste. 2450, San Francisco 94104, 415 393- 0707, fax 415 393-0710 U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, 501 I St., Ste. 7-600, Sacramento 95814, 916 448-2787, fax 202 228- 3865 Local Tehama County Supervisors, 527-4655 District 1, Steve Chamblin, Ext. 3015 District 2, Candy Carlson, Ext. 3014 District 3, Dennis Garton, Ext. 3017 District 4, Bob Williams, Ext. 3018 District 5, Burt Bundy, Ext. 3016 Red Bluff City Manager, Rich- ard Crabtree, 527-2605, Ext. 3061 Corning City Manager, Kris- tina Miller, 824-7033 Your officials Chip Thompson, Editor How to have your say: 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 no more than two double-spaced pages or 500words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section will be published. Email: editor@ redbluffdailynews.com Fax: 530-527-9251 Mail to: Daily News 728Main St., Red Bluff, CA 96080 Facebook: Leave comments at FACEBOOK.COM/ RBDAILYNEWS Twitter: Follow and send tweets to @REDBLUFFNEWS OPINION » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, March 24, 2017 » MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A6