Try this picture: Here sits an older model vehicle filled to overflowing with passengers but the vehicle will not move. Tires are bald, carburetor is clogged, oil is leaking but the passengers need, and are in fact, demanding transportation.
Just across the street sits a charter bus. It is robust and capable of moving the passengers packed into and overflowing the jalopy but they remain firmly ensconced on that vehicle. The bus has comfortable seats, air conditioning, solid suspension and is more than capable of moving the passengers in a considerably more comfortable, safer and efficient fashion.
On the street, around and under the hood of the jalopy, there is frenetic activity. One gentleman is spraying Armorall on the balding tires, another is windexing the fogged headlights. Still another is pouring fresh oil into the reservoir, some one is attempting to clean the spark plugs but no one seems to notice that just a few steps away sits the charter bus, keys in the ignition, fuel tank full, vehicle ready to do what it was created to do.
That seems to describe the current debate around healthcare in this country but more importantly to us, in this state. Let’s continue to tinker with the jalopy of government sponsored, run and delivered healthcare while completely ignoring the fact that just across the street sits a robust vehicle capable of meeting the health care needs of Texans – that vehicle is, of course, the free market health care community.
Until we are willing to begin to seriously ask the question: how do we get all these people off of this vehicle and into that one, we’ll never figure out how to build that bridge. In a state dominated by politicians who say they champion free market solutions, there’s a glaring lack of ideas being mentioned much less seriously discussed in this regard.
Meanwhile Texans continue to grapple with the real hardships wreaked on a society that expects government to meet our needs. IT CAN NOT! We desperately need our leaders to move courageously towards the introduction and discussion of the very ideas they profess to believe when they asked for our vote.
Some ideas that should be on the table:
- Repeal mandates on health insurance in Texas
- Repeal some licensing laws to allow patients and families direct access to healthcare providers
- Reject the temptation to offer subsidies and repeal existing credits and exemptions.
- Establish a fair, transparent and just tax system without carve outs, subsidies and exemptions as they only seek to distort the market and cause poor allocation of the resources of labor and capital.
Let’s allow the market to dictate the healthcare needs of the state. Industrious, hard working Texans will respond in kind with new and innovative services as well as civic and volunteer service.
