I am disappointed that my raising questions has caused me to be called a “nay sayer”.  I do not object to or endorse universal health care until I know what is meant by the term. 

“It was no accident that Mr. Obama emphasized that reducing costs would be ‘the starting point’ of his efforts.”  I certainly have no problems with this statement.  I do need to know how before I can support just any change to reduce costs.  One way would be to deny services and that will reduce costs.  I don’t know what else is planned and before I endorse a change I need to know the consequences.

“Mr. Obama said his health plan would be ‘intimately woven into’ his administration’s economic blueprint. And he directly confronted those who might ask how the country could afford a major expansion of health coverage in times of shrinking revenues and burgeoning deficits. ‘I ask a different question,’ Mr. Obama said. ‘I ask how can we afford not to?’”  This sounds good, but leaves the question of where the money comes from.  Our country is on the brink of economic collapse and more deficit spending brings us closer to the brink.  Will the total collapse of our national economics help health care?  I want to make sure that the cure is better than the disease.  If we fix health care, what do we hurt in the process?  Until I know that I cannot endorse just any solution to fix universal health care.  Rhetoric and promises do not solve problems.  It takes real plans, and I want to know what they are.  I like the objectives provided we have a way of reaching them without causing more problems than we relieve.

“Less certain, of course, is how to pay for it. During the campaign, Mr. Obama said he would get about half of the necessary total, estimated at more than $100 billion a year, by raising taxes on those making more than $250,000. The rest was to come from savings generated by various efficiencies (their value is a matter of considerable dispute).”  I’d like to see more details on how the costs were determined, where the savings will come from, and how much additional revenue will be really raised.  People with lots of money have many ways to avoid taxes.  Many have changed residences to countries with lower tax rates.  Warren Buffett is said to pay a smaller percentage of income on taxes than many of his direct reports.  If I see the details and believe them, then I can probably support this health care plan.  However, right now I am not able to see that there is a way of paying for the increased costs.

I am extremely concerned about the deficit spending that has continued and even increased over the last eight years.  Where do we borrow the money to continue deficit spending?  What will this do to inflation?  How will that increase health care costs?  I do have lots of questions before I can accept any particular solution to health care costs.  I don’t think there is any free lunch.  God bless.