Here’s Our Guv addressing DiMasi’s health care plan tonight:
"I think people are familiar with my positions as related to taxation.I don’t want to see taxes rise. I want to see taxes lowered. I sharePresident Travaglini’s concern about raising taxes on businesses." [my emphasis]
He apparently feels no such compunction about raising taxes on individuals. As David just said, the personal mandate is equivalent to a tax. Who cares if you’re sending it to the state or to a private insurer? It’s money that comes out of your pocket regardless.
We are not opposed to taxation paying for expanded health care. The best systems in the world do it that way. But the burden must be shared. Anybody who supports any of the "progressive" proposed health care solutions (single-payer, MassACT, whatever) has already stuck their necks out and said we accept that burden. It’s a good-faith gesture, which recognizes that our fates are intermingled, that we will take care of each other, our economy will prosper because of it, that we live in a Commonwealth.
By the way, here’s a line from one of anti-health care groups:
"We don’t support an employer mandate," said Eileen McAnneny ofAssociated Industries of Massachusetts. She said the bill would makeMassachusetts the only state other than Hawaii with an employerinsurance mandate.
Right, so we should take our cue from the crappy systems that other states have? Great idea. I remember what Mom said: "So if all your friends jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge…" etc. Thanks, Mom.