ObamaCare Widening Disconnect

It is staggering to consider that, within a brisk walk of each other, so much money, power and influence is amassed — and even more staggering to consider the impact these have on our lives.

Those lives are not anecdotes but knee-weakening realities, as in the case of Genevieve Ward of Belle Vernon.

Her insurance company informed her last week that ObamaCare would force her out of her existing plan, leaving a sad choice: reduced benefits or increased costs.

The 84-year-old widow, whose husband worked at now-defunct Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel, saw her payment for out-of-pocket expenses go from $3,400 to $6,700; the copay cost for a hospital stay went from zero to $200 a day.

“I think it's terrible. They shouldn't be canceling what I have,” she said. “They are raising my prices and taking away privileges.” She and her friends were so distraught that they skipped their weekly card club, she said.

Ward's letter contradicts President Obama's repeated promise that, if you like your doctor and your health-care plan, you could keep it, “Period.”

Our relationship with government is in shambles, our feeling of disconnect with Washington at an historic level.

Yet the real problem is not a health-care website that doesn't work. The real problem is a president and a Washington culture which both believe it is OK to lie to get a bill passed.

There is no connection between such behavior and the values of most Americans beyond Washington, for whom getting what you want usually results from hard work, honest bargaining and a little compromise.

Our relationship with government is in shambles, our feeling of disconnect with Washington at an historic level.

Oh, I don't think I feel "disconnected" from Washington .... there are far more descriptive words that can be used to describe the anger and rage I have at the current Government (R's and D's alike.)

I imagine it's similar to that which our Founding Fathers experienced shortly before they broke out the tar, feathers and rope I imagine.

The real problem is a president and a Washington culture which both believe it is OK to lie to get a bill passed.

ia The real problem is that “the press” coalesced into a Borg when the Associated Press formed and took over journalism. The consequence of which is nicely predicted by Adam Smith:
People of the same trade [in this case, journalists] seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion [let alone for the express purpose of cooperating in their conduct of business], but the conversation ends [in the case of journalists, runs continuously for over a century and a half, and counting] in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices. It is impossible indeed to prevent such meetings, by any law which either could be executed, or would be consistent with liberty and justice. But though the law cannot hinder people of the same trade from sometimes assembling together, it ought to do nothing to facilitate such assemblies; much less to render them necessary. - Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations (Book I, Ch 10)
Wire service journalism is a conspiracy against the public, specifically a conspiracy against anyone whose accomplishments compare favorably with the mere criticism of journalists. And in favor of politicians who cooperate with journalism in their criticism behavior. Comfortably ensconced in their monopoly position, journalists for the wire services - and for member newspapers of the wire services - label politicians who don’t go along to get along with them “comfortable,” and glory in “afflicting” them. Which also afflicts the public which is represented by those politicians.

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