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There is a new senator in Massachusetts. He is Republican. It hasn’t happened since 1972. Martha Coakley was supposed to be a sure thing. She wasn’t. I have been trying to figure out what I think about this. I posted something about it on Facebook and thought it was interesting to see my friends–some extremely conservative, some much, much more liberal–line up on opposite sides of the fence. Apparently, either Coakley’s defeat and Brown’s election is an answer to prayer or it is a sign that we didn’t pray hard enough.
I find that I am not of one mind. I can’t celebrate the election of someone who supports waterboarding as an interrogation technique and opposes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. It is hard to feel happy to see the chances for more Americans to enjoy health coverage decrease. On the other hand, I didn’t like the looks of the “reform” bills coming out of the House and Senate. While these bills accomplished things that were important to me, (for example, no denials based on pre-existing conditions and healthcare extended to more people) they seemed to do it the wrong way. Where are the promised cost savings? How will these plans be sustainable in the long term given ever rising medical costs? How will we pay for it? I am frightened and appalled by our massive debt and deficits.
Unfortunately, the healthcare reform I favor–public option and rationing at a minimum and hopes for single payer in the future–isn’t politically possible. The question becomes: if we can’t do healthcare right, is it best to do it wrong and try to fix things later or is it better to stick with the status quo? Without healthcare coverage, many Americans are suffering greatly today. With massive debt and a messed up health care system, we will all suffer in the future. Being realistic about what is possible politically, which way is best? I don’t know. That’s why I don’t know what to think about Scott Brown.
I do know that I was surprised to see the citizens of Massachusetts ( supposedly a U.S. model for universal healthcare coverage) vote as they did. I need to learn more about why.
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One Response to “Massachusetts–Good, bad, ugly?”
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yup… it’s all so convoluted. I read about this Massachusetts stuff this morning in the paper and also a report on a local hospital’s executive bonuses about to be paid — and it certainly appears that the executives are not hurting.