Common Sense? What a Concept.

As we watch the hurtling train wreck of Health Care "Reform" slam its way through Congress, The View is over-whelmed with a sense of helplessness. How do we stop this juggernaut before we all end up in socialized medicine hell? I could write to my Congressman, but he is high atop the liberal bandwagon, and our Senior Senator is Ted, "Public Health care is Us", Kennedy.

As we clutch for some thread of good news, we happened upon Peggy Noonan's article in the weekend edition of the WSJ. Essentially, Noonan takes a step back from the minutiae of the health care maze and focuses, instead. on a more practical analysis:

I think the plan is being slowed and may well be stopped not by ideology, or even by philosophy in a strict sense, but by simple American common sense. I suspect voters, the past few weeks, have been giving themselves an internal Q-and-A that goes something like this:

Will whatever health care bill is produced by Congress increase the deficit? “Of course.” Will it mean tax increases? “Of course.” Will it mean new fees or fines? “Probably.” Can I afford it right now? “No, I’m already getting clobbered.” Will it make the marketplace freer and better? “Probably not.” Is our health-care system in crisis? “Yeah, it has been for years.” Is it the most pressing crisis right now? “No, the economy is.” Will a health-care bill improve the economy? “I doubt it.”

Read the rest of the article, and give it some thought.

This morning on This Week, George Will described the President of being ubiquitous. We would agree, he is everywhere and into everything. He has taken his election victory and sees it as a carte blanche to involve himself anytime anywhere. At this point, even the Democrats are looking for relief. Witness his chiming in on the Gates flap in Cambridge this week. He may not know the facts, but "Skip" is a friend of his" which means the Cambridge PD must be stupid. One of his staffers might have read the POLICE REPORT before he jumped in. The proposed solution? Gather the participants at the White House for a "beer" Then they can all bump fists and have a photo op. For a guy who is anti-profiling Obama seems quick to generalize that a drink of beer would be appropriate for Sergeant Crowley, an Irish cop. That kind all like beer, right?

Maybe the new Surgeon General should prescribe some Ritalin to her new boss.

Good Ideas at Plymouth Town Hall

State Lieutenant Gov., Tim Murray, accompanied by members of Municipal Affairs Coordinating Cabinet (MACC), rolled into Plymouth last Friday for a discussion meeting at Plymouth Town Hall. Billed as a "listening tour", this meeting is part of a state-wide effort to develop ideas of ways for the state government to work more closely, and efficiently, with local governments.

There was at least one very familiar face among the panel members. Former Plymouth town manager, Mark Sylvia, now Director of the state Division of Green Communities, happily greeted many of his former co-workers. At one point, Sylvia shared a moment with Selectman, Dicky Quintal. We're not sure what they discussed, but we suspect it was not the $101,000 payout that Sylvia received on his way out the door last winter, as they both appeared to be smiling.

One of the more interesting presenters was Dolores Mitchell, Executive Director of the Group Insurance Commission. Essentially, the GIC helps municipalities save significant money by providing employee health insurance through the state process, rather than group policies negotiated by each individual group of employees. Due to the available economies of scale, Cities and Towns can save significant money by providing employee benefits through the GIC. But individual employee groups have been slow to accept the new approach. According to Mitchell, only 26 municipalities are presently taking advantage of this money-saving option, presumably unwilling to trade local control for significant savings to the taxpayers. perhaps if this trade off were re-cast, it might be better received. Mitchell mentioned that the Town of Swampscot saved enough money from the switch to the GIC that it was able to avoid twelve teacher layoffs. If some thought were given to splitting the savings, we might even achieve a win-win result.

Enduring Conservatism

Do Conservatives prefer the past to the present? Writing in today's GLOBE, staff writer, Drake Bennett attempts to paint American conservatism as being firmly ensconced in the political wilderness, bereft of "ideas" with which to counter the flood of new legislation from the democratic legislative majority. While it comes as no surprise that the democratic party is flexing its new-found muscle as it promotes its ultra-liberal agenda, the frantic pace at which massive bills are being rushed to a vote, often without allowing adequate time for thoughtful review, or even a cursory reading, evokes widening skepticism. What's the rush? If they believe in the value of their ideas, why not subject them to a thorough vetting and introduce them in a orderly coherent form?

Writing in the Introduction of "The Future of Conservatism", Charles W. Dunn lists ten Canons of conservatism, the first of which reads:

"Continuity stands out as the most widely accepted canon of conservative thought because conservatives place a high value on order in in society. Preferring organic change to revolution, conservatives oppose large-scale and abrupt alterations that disrupt and unsettle society. Their respect for the past reflects a desire to incorporate change within existing community institutions, standards and traditions, making continuity from generation to generation the most essential canon of conservative thought."

Thus, it may be argued that conservatives do not prefer the past but, more importantly, chose to build on the important lessons so learned. In addition, this tenet is evidence of the fact that the basic canons of conservative thought are as applicable today as they have been in the past.

The rush of "new" liberal ideas will appeal to many who are impatient with the traditions of society. The siren song of politicians, offering quick fixes to complex problems, can be irrisistible, especially to those with limited forsight. Eventually, however, reality reasserts itself and the utopian promises are revealed for the unworkable fiascos that they are. This re-balancing process is already beginning as the American people have started to realize the terribly pervasive financial burden of the so-called Cap and Trade proposal. Similarly, the reality of the stupendous costs, both financial and in terms of access, associated with the clamor for a national healthcare system, are beginning to emerge through the fog of liberal rhetoric. And this is just two of the multiple liberal proposals being rolled out in a manic fervor. As the reality continues to emerge, look for public opinion to shift back to a more prudent and conservative point of view.

Senator Franken ?!?!

.

Not, "God Bless America"





But "God Help America."

.