can DUers please help me respond to this ?

[peacebird]

the Constitution of the United States of America is very clear on what the federal government can do. the first 9 Amendments to the Constitution clarify what the federal government cannot do. the 10th amendment is key... powers that are not explicitly given to the fed in the Constitution are left to the states or the people. This means that most of what the federal gov't (congress) has done for at least the last 50 years is unconstitutional. but for a squinty-eyed view of the interstate trade issue, we would not have most of the bs output from congress. this isn't a republican or democratic issue by the way... both are equally guilty of trashing the Constitution.
As for health care being broken, I would disagree most strongly. My wife has gotten excellent care without a peep from the insurance company, who is taking it in the shorts. Are there problems? yes
could things be improved? yes
does the entire healthcare system need to be upset to solve these problems? no
would legal system reforms help here? absolutely
are the chuckleheads in congress the right people to solve the health care issues? no
is the amount of "detailed analysis" they are putting into this issue sufficient given the magnitude of the change they are proposing? not even laughably close! if they had even read the Cliffs' notes version I would be happier.

question... when has the federal government ever taken on something of this magnitude and been successful?
bonus question... how efficient is the federal government at doing anything?
double bonus question... how many new drugs will be created if congress and obama create a climate that is unfavorable to pharmaceutical companies efforts to recoup the astronomical costs associated with bringing new drugs to market? (hint: very, very few)

[LARED]

1. Tell them he/she made some pretty good points.

Franky I agree with much of what he/she said.

Are changes needed, yes, but it seems to me Congress is throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

[PA Democrat]

2. Here's a link to a GREAT summary of why this is a faulty argument.

http://www.aflcio.org/mediacenter/speakout/marcia_angell.cfm

<snip>
The pharmaceutical industry portrays itself as a model of American free enterprise, but in fact, Big Pharma is utterly dependent on government-funded research and government-granted monopoly rights and other special favors.

The industry claims to be innovative, yet only a small fraction of its drugs can be classified as original. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined nearly 80 percent of drugs approved in the past seven years were no better than those already on the market. Some 70 percent were old drugs in slightly new forms.

The industry’s principal output is minor variations or combinations of old drugs—“me-too” drugs. These drugs cash in on already established, lucrative markets. For example, the world’s top-selling drug, Pfizer’s Lipitor, is the fourth of six cholesterol-lowering drugs of the same type.

The industry’s most innovative and key drugs stem from research done at government or university labs, usually in the public domain. Even within me-too families, the original drug typically is based on government-funded research, often done decades ago. So consumers pay twice for their drugs—once for research, and then at the drugstore

[peacebird]

7. excellent! Thank you!

[eridani]

3. The government created the computer industry, the aviation industry

the interstate highway system and the internet, for starters.

[peacebird]

8. :-)

wonderful! Thanks!

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. Socialist (sic) Security?

>>>>>Question... when has the federal government ever taken on something of this magnitude and been successful?
bonus question... how efficient is the federal government at doing anything?>>>>>

That's what some RWers called it.

Back in the day.

[Union Yes]

5. Answers..

question... when has the federal government ever taken on something of this magnitude and been successful?

Social Security, Medicare, Interstate Highway System, Our Military, The FBI, The IRS, Army Corp of Engineers.

I can go on and on but these are a nice start, to answer your question.

bonus question... how efficient is the federal government at doing anything?

Social Security's solvency is projected to at least 2030. That's 100 years of success. The only real safety net for our seniors. Medicare has been very successful and will remain solvent through at least 2020 but is in need of reform as is our entire HC system.

Our Interstate Highway System is the lifeblood of commerce in America. Interstate commerce would be impaired greatly without it. That highway system is credited with the economic explosion of America. That's how efficient it's been.

While our income tax in it's current form is very regressive, the IRS and the Income Tax have been very successful at funding our government. Our roads, streets, schools, military, infrastructure etc all rely on funding raised by the income tax. In essence the IT built America into what it is today.

Our government manages and has built our nations infrastructure. Highway, rail, seaway, electric grid, gas pipelines. Thats quite alot to manage and build.

double bonus question... how many new drugs will be created if congress and obama create a climate that is unfavorable to pharmaceutical companies efforts to recoup the astronomical costs associated with bringing new drugs to market? (hint: very, very few)

http://www.sweden.se/eng/Home/Business/Facts/Biotechnology-and-Pharmaceuticals-in-Sweden/

Sweden is the gold standard of what big pharma should be in America.

[peacebird]

9. Thank you!

[izquierdista]

6. triple bonus question

How many new drugs will be created if pharmaceutical companies can't get a free ride by licensing research that was funded by the government? (hint: very, very few)

[alfredo]

10. my reply

the Constitution of the United States of America is very clear on what the federal government can do. the first 9 Amendments to the Constitution clarify what the federal government cannot do. the 10th amendment is key... powers that are not explicitly given to the fed in the Constitution are left to the states or the people. This means that most of what the federal gov't (congress) has done for at least the last 50 years is unconstitutional. but for a squinty-eyed view of the interstate trade issue, we would not have most of the bs output from congress. this isn't a republican or democratic issue by the way... both are equally guilty of trashing the Constitution.
As for health care being broken, I would disagree most strongly. My wife has gotten excellent care without a peep from the insurance company, who is taking it in the shorts. Are there problems? yes

--A survey of one proves nothing.

could things be improved? yes
does the entire healthcare system need to be upset to solve these problems? no

--The whole healthcare system is not being upset.

would legal system reforms help here? absolutely

--Legal reform would hurt the injured party by capping awards.
Let's see a quadriplegic victim of malpractice live on $250,000 for a year. Too often the award won't even pay off accumulated bills. The injured party will never be able to be insured again. No insurance company will want someone that has sued another insurance company. Tort reform is a big payoff to the rich and powerful. It removes the penalty for incompetence. In Texas they have tort reform and it didn't deliver the lower premiums promised.

are the chuckleheads in congress the right people to solve the health care issues? no

--They are the ones that write the laws, and they are elected by you.

is the amount of "detailed analysis" they are putting into this issue sufficient given the magnitude of the change they are proposing? not even laughably close! if they had even read the Cliffs' notes version I would be happier.

--Some do read, but most of the time they have their staff read and then advise the lawmaker on what is in the bill. A skilled staff is what makes congress work.

question... when has the federal government ever taken on something of this magnitude and been successful?

--The highway system, the military, Social Security, national parks, to name a few.

bonus question... how efficient is the federal government at doing anything?

--Medicare and Medicaid is much more efficient than the private sector. Overhead is under 5% as opposed to 20 to 30% in the private sector. Head start has been very successful. BTW, congress is designed to be inefficient. If you want efficiency, try a dictatorship.

double bonus question... how many new drugs will be created if congress and obama create a climate that is unfavorable to pharmaceutical companies efforts to recoup the astronomical costs associated with bringing new drugs to market? (hint: very, very few)

-- Your tax dollars pay for the basic research of those drugs.
The big drug companies do not pass that savings on to you.