Posted on 06/28/2009 7:48:58 AM PDT by Mobile Vulgus
Six states are currently looking to add an "opt out" law to their books to protect citizens from the possibility of a national healthcare plan imposed by federal fiat.
Arizona started the ball rolling by introducing the Health Care Freedom Act, a voting initiative that will be put before voters on the 2010 ballot. If accepted by the majority of the voters, Arizona will be able to opt out of any federal healthcare laws passed by Washington. Indiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota and Wyoming are considering similar measures.
The arrogance of Congress and the president worries many of these state lawmakers, some even consider Obama's healthcare policies a naked power grab...
Read the rest at Publiusforum.com...
This is the way it should be. All of the problems we’re having in this country is because the federal government is out of control. We need to return to federalism. States should just tell the feds to pound sand and exercise their 10th amendment rights to SCOTUS. Otherwise, why even have states then? Might as well just have one contiguous nation.
That might be either the resolutions calling for a balanced budget amendment or the 10th amendment resolutions. I would expect that a resolution to call a constitutional convention was be more to the point.
Good idea. Let’s do it.
Actually, a 3/4ths vote of the individual States would be very hard, indeed, to radicalize. Neither political party has come close to having 3/4ths of the State legislatures, since Reconstruction.
However, at the same time, and right now, there is national, bipartisan agreement among the State legislatures, that the power of the federal government has far exceeded its authorization, and that it is both unlawfully taking away State authority, and making endless unfunded mandates for the States to pay.
This goes to my point of the constitutional convention being focused on reducing federal power.
Importantly, even at the national level, there are a lot of federal officeholders who have discovered that even they cannot stop the explosive growth of government, as if it had taken on a life of its own. For example, many senators and congressmen are very frustrated with the national intelligence agencies, who are in many cases out of control and have no limiting power over them.
The combination of federal momentum and inertia has snowballed into being an uncontrollable monstrosity. Only the individual States have the authority to stop it.
Arguments against a constitutional convention, based on risk, are legitimate, but my argument is that when it happens, it will literally be because there is no other choice. At which point, arguments against it become moot.
They should “opt out” of a lot more than just communist-care. I’d love to see 6 or 16 or 26 states “opt out” of the forced withholding federal income tax from their constituents’ pay checks.
What they should do is simple - quit the medical business, declare their self a minority, and then live off the public dole. When a sufficient number of people finally "go Galt", the system will collapse.
If other states don’t add to this list I will move to the one that has this.
If state opt out laws were possible, there would be no “need” for or possibility of ObamaCare. Instead of having to opt out of national (how would that work financially and legally, anyway?), the states that want ObamaCare or HillaryCare or RomneyCare would just implement it on the state level.
Of course, they know and understand that it would shift costs to their state and shift income to other states as business and people relocate, so some states definitely want a nationally imposed mandate.
This cost and income shift (which states will pay and which will benefit) is the best way for Republicans in Congress and on the state level to explain to people of most states, and to fight the one-size-fits-all no-choice / anti-choice nationalization of industries and services.
“federal fiat”
Is that the new name of Chrysler, after bankruptcy?
Nobody is going to compete with a government run program.
It will drive private insurers out of business.
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BINGO!
If government were to run government grocery stores they would soon be like government schools. Yes, there would be small private grocery stores to serve three niche groups that serve private schooling: those with special religious or cultural needs, and the rich. However....The vast majority of private grocery stores ( or private schools) will never have an opportunity to grow roots because the government monopoly is giving a product away for no direct cost to the consumer.
We will see the same thing in medicine. The government health care will be like the government schools. It will choke off private competition making it impossible for private health care to grow roots. There will be niche private care for the rich, and those with special cultural, political, or religious needs.
Minnesota? It’s one of the most liberal states in the country! Minnesotans LOVE socialism, it is like manna to them. Thus, I am very surprised Minnesota is even considering an opt-out clause.
... and I will move to one of them... and fight for it if I have to.
I really appreciate your posts; me and my brother & sister-in-law want to leave California - he lived in a Southern state for 4 years and absolutely loved it & plans to return. I was up at a mountain lake yesterday; at Muir beach two weekends ago... LOVE this state but need to live/survive around some reality-based sane people w/out the 10%+ state income tax & have the freedom to defend my own home w/out fear of losing my 2A & just all the other insanity...
I’m thinking that Texas could probably be energy independant if they chose to secede.
Come to AZ? Do you need any 50+ male accountants? I would hate to leave OK, but my spouse is not having much success in finding another job. At our age, the last thing we want is government health care.
[[I’m thinking that Texas could probably be energy independant if they chose to secede.]]
Great point- wouldn’t it be cool if they produced/distributed gasoline below the national average? Stuffing it in the face of the government and the oil speculators who artificially drive up oil prices whenever there’s a slight hiccup in world markets? Of course the government would probably pass some assinine law preventing, or making it illegal for states to produce and distribute their own oil
...and how do you opt out of a federal madate?
...how do you opt out of a federal mandate?
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