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safety
Protecting American citizens
should remain the first order of business for government
at all levels. Public safety is a broad topic and is
certainly the concern of government, but the debate
arises over the question: What level of government -
federal, state, or local - should be involved and to
what extent?
In the wake of the terrorism
of 11 September 2001, it is clear that the primary role
of the federal government in the realm of public health
and safety is to defend citizens against additional
attacks, particularly those utilizing nuclear,
biological, and chemical weapons.
State and local governments
are working in conjunction with the federal government
to prevent such attacks and to respond to them in the
event they should occur, but the process needs to be
more unified as to how the numerous government agencies
are coordinating their efforts.
The issue of affordable
health care is one of the most important for individuals
and families in the United States. And the problem is
worsening each year, as more than 44 million Americans
now do not have health insurance coverage, yet this does
not mean that millions of Americans are not treated if
they experience a medical emergency. Hospitals will
treat patients regardless of their insurance status, and
history has shown that medical costs increase markedly
whenever the federal government gets more involved.
One possible solution to the
problem of the uninsured is changing the tax code. There
currently is no tax break for health insurance obtained
outside the workplace. The employer-based system
encouraged by the tax code as it is now written prevents
true portability and continuity of coverage. In fact, a
simple tax credit of $1,000 would allow 85% of the
uninsured population to buy insurance in the individual
market. Such a tax credit would benefit low-income
Americans
Any reforms that the
Congress undertakes should be market-based and foster
individual ownership, personal responsibility, and
portability. These reforms could be within the managed
care system or with medical savings accounts.
If supply and demand of
health care could be determined by individuals and
families making the decisions, the costs related to
health care would be greatly reduced.
