Hey BO -- Forget FedEx -- Have a Look at Safeway and Whole Foods

FedEx and UPS compete with the US Postal Service?! Come on, Obama. Everyone knows that overnight service is just one aspect of mail delivery. You can't walk up to a FedEx box with a letter that has a stamp that cost you only 42 cents and send it to the other side of the country in just a few days.

Rather than grasp for these poor examples of how private industry competes with the government -- why not switch it up altogether? Rather than continue beating the dying horse known as Obamacare (you know, that 1000+ pages bill that you haven't actually read) -- why not have a look at other successful models in the private market?

Two CEOs have stepped forward to present their own ideas for health care reform. Op-eds by Steven Burd, the CEO of Safeway, and John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, have appeared in the Wall Street Journal in which they explain the plans that their respective companies use to secure health care for all their employees who wish to have coverage -- while also cutting costs. They make a case that these methods can be applied to health care reform for the whole nation.

The proposals they make are similar to those presented by conservative pundits, but these two men have the advantage of showing that these models work, as their own employees are benefitting from these plans without bankrupting their companies in the process.

But are these men's proposals being given due consideration by liberals? To the contrary -- rather than actually examine these plans, and perhaps make suggestions about tweaks that can be made... Nope, instead there has been a call to boycott Whole Foods. For the crime of suggesting that there is another way -- even though it's a way that has been successfully put into practice (actually more likely the crime of daring to disagree with their Beloved Leader) -- the President's supporters are going to look elsewhere for their organic milk and alfalfa sprouts.

Now, I think we have to remember that these plans are working with healthy, employable people. Many of the uninsured in the U.S. don't fall into that category -- people with severe health problems that prevent them from being gainfully employed. But that doesn't apply to the vast majority of the citizens of this country.

If the supporters of Obamacare used these examples as a starting point, certainly we can come up with a system that will work for everyone. If they just use those open minds of theirs and actually look these ideas over, they may see another way that will still meet their goals without raising the ire of over half of the country, that can be paid for, and that won't turn into yet another bureaucratic boondoggle.

Boycott Whole Foods?
The “OPEN MINDED” Liberals are devouring thier own.

I was at the farmers market this weekend, and talked to the market organizer. Told her about the Food Safty act and that “Brown Shirt” Baired voted for it. She couldn’t believe a Democrat would vote for it.

A little known piece of history was PMG Bill Bolger's research into having USPS provide it's own health insurance plan to its employees.

The (then and) current system is to make use of the OPM sponsored program whereby government employees select from an array of private sector health plans. In USPS the employees pay 10% of the cost and USPS pays 90% of the cost. Federales pay 25% (as do retirees) and the federal government pays 75%

Bolger's research was, to say the least, astounding. Shifting responsibility for initial administration from OPM to USPS raised costs. Simply giving employees direct vouchers to take to vendors also raised costs. Giving employees a raise equal to that of their medical insurance and turning them loose to fend for themselves in an open market ALSO raised USPS costs (in part, I believe, due to the transfer of activity from private medical care to USPS paid Worker's Compensation). Although most of the analysis was kept confidential word leaked out that EVERY OPTION cost more than the current arrangement ~ it was as if "change" itself increased costs.

It's worth noting that some of the health care plans available to USPS employees are sponsored by USPS employee labor unions.

Apparantly the experience of America's largest single employer of African-Americans has not been instructive to America's first African-American President.

Reverend Wright, you failed in your mission!

That’s not splitting hairs — that’s totally accurate!

I use the “Forever Stamps” — they don’t have the value on it, so I forgot.

Will change it on the blog...

Thanks.

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