California’s heavily Democrat legislature has twice in the past few years voted for a single-payer (that’s government-run monopoly) health care system. Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger vetoed. Even though he has advocated major government interventions into the health care market, they went too far.
There is little likelihood of the Democrats losing control of Sacramento's legislature. There is a strong possibility of the next California governor being a liberal Democrat, especially with the disappointments Arnold has visited upon the remaining Republicans who haven’t moved elsewhere.
San Diego Union-Tribune editor Chris Reed fills in the blanks.
Because [US Congress] Rep. Dennis Kucinich's amendment to the main health overhaul bill to give states the option of creating single-payer health-care systems looks like it has a good chance of being adopted. On July 17, the House Committee on Education and Labor voted 25-19 to approve the amendment. Allowing states to try single-payer is an easy way for Obama to mollify liberal Democrats who think his proposal is too modest. They believe that if states got a chance to go to single-payer, the results would be far superior to Obama's much more complicated approach and would show the need for a national single-payer system.
Reed also provides some experience from a leading doctor in our northern neighbor. For example: “… the vast majority of provinces now rely on American health care to provide radiation therapy. Provinces do this because the clinically recommended waiting time for treatment is often badly exceeded.”
Both the Democrat and Republican line-ups for 2010’s governor election are still fluid.
Look for, hopefully, this question to be prominently asked of the potential candidates. Of course, don’t look for it to come from most of our major newspapers or TV “news” stations. It will take a California centered Town Hall movement to demand clear answers, or expose the obfuscations and deceptions of the candidates.
Get ready.
