In the end, there was one [...]]]> As most have reported the Health Care summit was a bit of a show, with both sides trying to push their agendas and no real bi-partisanship.    This, being the Republicans first time with a national spotlight on their plans, allowed them to stand out.  Even David Gergen recognized this.

In the end, there was one back and forth early on that got some news coverage.   It was the “discussion” between the President and Lamar Alexander.   Mr. Alexander stating that insurance costs would rise 14% and the President stating that they would drop 20%.  Was this a simple disagreement?   You can dig into the details behind the two numbers (FactCheck.org has it here).    And almost all research you do you will bump into this statement in some way, “CBO said well over half of those buying individual policies would get government subsidies that would reduce their costs well below the premiums that would be charged for such policies under current law.”  So does this prove the President’s point?

Only is so far as the raw numbers.   And in this is the teachable moment, “get government subsidies that would reduce their costs.”  Just where did that “government money” come from?   Taxes on others, including Cadillac plans.   This is simply redistribution of wealth, nothing else.   You may agree with it but Paul Ryan was right that they are hiding socialist plans behind capitalist words and using tricks to hide the facts.

No matter how you read the numbers you need to also come away with this simple fact.  They are both talking about insurance costs.  Health care costs are not being reduced.  The cost curve continues to go up.   The only way to control costs of insurance is to control the costs of services.   [Insert typical complaint about corporate profits here.  L. Alexander put it in context... 100% of the profits from all Health Insurance would pay for 2 days of services.] You simply cannot create a edict to limit profits within a specific industry.   Unless you take it over, which is again the single payer model with price controls.

Add to this that the subsidized government plans will continue to be funded from taxes on the private sector and on private health plans.  This will cause the private plans to offer reduced coverage to compete in a unfair market.  This will cause a larger and larger shift towards the public plans, destroying the private industry in just 5-10 years.

What this summit showed clearly is that Single Payer is the goal.  This redistribution is intentional and was on full display during the summit.  Paul Ryan put in well in the Summit that “there really is a difference between us.  We do not think the government should be in control of all this.”     He hits this point head-on on in an MSNBC interview.

As would be expected, the left is all about taking away freedom, demanding helmet laws and ignoring personal responsibility and risk. They will compare this freak accident to other head traumas and add it [...]]]> I have heard all the tragic stories surrounding Natasha Richardson’s death but one thing is missing from every story I found.

As would be expected, the left is all about taking away freedom, demanding helmet laws and ignoring personal responsibility and risk. They will compare this freak accident to other head traumas and add it to the statistics of 50,000 deaths. But most of those are car accidents or blunt trauma to the head. If you look at skiing accidents and death, you drop to 50 or 60 a year (out of 8million+ skiers). Of those most are risk takers on black diamond runs or collisions [and they will equate this to those]. Most [I dare say no others] are a simple fall on a beginner slope. It is like comparing jumping off a swingset to jumping out of an airplane. Where are the calls for helmets and parachutes on playgrounds? Helmets and five point harnesses for all passengers in cars? There are degrees of risk and adults accept those risks when the undertake actions. It is called personal responsibility [dare I use the word Freedom or Liberty] and this country was founded on it. I hope the her family can come to grips with this freak accident and find peace in their lives without joining the media in trying to take freedom from others.

But what part of the story is missing? Let’s take a look at the timeline. Richardson had a skiing accident at a resort 80 miles outside of Montreal, Canada. Thinking nothing was wrong she was accompanied to her hotel by the instructor and a member of the ski patrol. An hour later she said she didn’t feel well. She had a headache, so we sent her to the hospital. An ambulance was called and Richardson eventually was transferred to Sacre-Coeur hospital in Montreal. Richardson was then flown to New York.

This is what I noticed. She was in Canada where heath care is the envy of the American left and she flew to New York. She did not stay in Montreal where her husband was filming. She did not fly to England, the country of her birth. She flew to New York. The capitalist home of expensive health care [Not to mention the best heath care with the best facilities and most researched doctors in the world].

This accident is truly a time to reflect and learn. Not about helmet laws but about the quality of health care in the world and the choices people make in a time of need.