EDMOND —
Last week’s vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to repeal health care reform was little more than showboating for the cameras. The 244-185 vote does little more than put representatives on record — again for the 30th time — as to where they stand with the massive reform measure. We don’t really need yet another vote to tell us where our representatives fall on this issue.
What we do need is for Congress to deal with the mess they have made. It still seems as if the country fell down the proverbial rabbit hole into an alternate universe when the Affordable Care Act miraculously gained enough votes to pass. Businesses and individuals are scrambling to decipher the myriad new regulations. It creates uncertainty in almost every sphere of influence because no one truly knows what will happen next.
As more people immerse themselves in the details of the law, more people continue to unfavorably rate the act.
There are many ways to fix the problems with our current health care system, but we doubt that creating 20 new taxes, including one on the sales price of homes for those with incomes above a certain level, will ever actually solve real issues in the health care field.
While many expressed disappointment with the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, the fact that the majority opinion ruled the individual mandate as a tax may actually help Congress find a way to straighten out this mess. It’s an opportunity to take a new look at the law and legitimately re-craft the legislation into a bill that might make some sort of logical sense. We’re a bit mystified how a tax on tanning, for example, fixes the plight of the uninsured or the cratering Medicare system.
We need a health care law that does not exclude 80 percent of the insurance plans currently offered by small businesses to employees. We need a law that does not exclude 64 percent of large employer health plans. In fact, we need a law that makes the system easier to use and that encourages doctors to remain in practice, not one that makes them hate their job when they get up every morning.
Any time government tries to pass one-size-fits-all solutions, we’ve found that those solutions often fall far short of their promised goals.
Congress made this mess and Congress needs to start taking some responsibility to fix it instead of showboating votes that they know are meaningless before they even happen.
Our View
OUR VIEW: Vote did little to help
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Be Edmond needs your help
BMX star and local legend Mat Hoffman knows what’s it like to fall from great heights and find yourself at one of the worst low points in life. He also knows how to climb back up and tackle life’s problems head on.
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OUR VIEW: Be Edmond needs your help
BMX star and local legend Mat Hoffman knows what’s it like to fall from great heights and find yourself at one of the worst low points in life. He also knows how to climb back up and tackle life’s problems head on.
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OUR VIEW: OKPOP — great idea, bad timing
The Route 66 museum in Clinton has been such a success that Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society, said the turnaround project proves that popular culture is a best-seller when it comes to museum projects. It also proved that when a community gets behind a project and raises the funds to launch it, they all can reap the rewards of the increased tourism and recognition.
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OUR VIEW: Choice is clear
This Tuesday, Edmond residents are asked to go to the polls to choose between incumbent Mayor Charles Lamb and Richard Prawdzienski for the office of mayor. Voters citywide also will be asked to consider whether to retain Nick Massey as its Ward 4 councilmember or select newcomer Shilpa Abbitt, an engineer employed by Devon Energy in Oklahoma City.
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OUR VIEW: Line-item budgets should return
Some may have made fun of the nickname — the Doomsday deal — but the thought behind new Speaker of the House T.W. Shannon’s move to name a House committee specifically to monitor federal dollars coming into Oklahoma was right on target.
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OUR VIEW: Economic development plan deserves consideration
An economist recently told the Edmond City Council that the entire Oklahoma City metropolitan area has the potential to boom with economic growth in the next decade. Edmond officials are making plans now to be ready for that potential growth to ensure the city gets its fair share of the economic pie.
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OUR VIEW: Doing the right thing
On Wednesday, the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Senate swore in their newly elected and re-elected members in preparation of the 2013 legislative session. It was a moment for those elected to public office to savor their success, share their victory with family and friends who came to watch the ceremonies and be cordial with their new colleagues.
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OUR VIEW: Lankford, Jolley, McDaniel get our vote
Few times in American history have we seen people divided so politically as we have during this election cycle. The partisan gridlock of Congress and the relentless sniping of presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle are more than just fodder for late-night comedy.
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OUR VIEW: Say yes to SQ 766
State Question 766 poses one of the most drastic questions for voters to consider in state history. The language of this state question requires voters to say either yes, they don’t want a tax increase, or no, they do want one.
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