Timing everything with health care bill

President Obama has been pushing the health care bill through as fast as possible. What other legislation that was so huge was pushed through so fast?

President Obama said: "It will provide insurance to those who don't." If this legislation is so important, then why do the benefits need to be deferred for four years? You'd think if it was so important, especially during a time of high unemployment, they would be racing to get everyone covered right away.

What's amazing is that while the uninsured are forced to wait four years, the cuts and taxes in the bill we go in effect instantly. Huh? Why do you think they would do that? The reason is that they want to be able to say that the health insurance bill is deficit neutral. They will also be able to say that the deficit will go down because of their legislation. What's the problem with that?

In three years we will be voting for the next president. Obama will be running again, but this time he will be running on his record. If he is able to show that the annual budget deficit has gone down due to the health care bill, that will look good. With all that money coming in and with the cuts in Medicare, we will be able to reduce the size of the deficit.

The problem is that once the benefits start being paid out, the "surplus" will disappear in a sea of government bureaucracy. When you have 10 years of revenue to pay for six years of benefits, it is easy to have a surplus. The problem is that the revenue will not cover the expenses on an annual basis. When we get to 10 years out we will not have the surplus and we will adding to the deficit.

All of this is designed to look good in the short term, but this is something that we have to deal with for a very long time. In three years President Obama will use this to get re-elected. Fast and curious.

Marc Johnson

North Aurora