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Are You Too Greedy To Take Care of Yourself?
A fundamental question in health care reform is whether people will be free to make their own decisions, rather than use health care systems selected for them by employers or governments.
That decision in turn depends on the "official" view of whether people would be responsible if allowed more latitude.
Here it's time to bring in a column from the New York Post, which provides a glimpse of what Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House, has to say on the subject.
In his book, Hastert has tough words for Clinton, Schumer and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.).
Hastert writes that Clinton appointed him to a spot on her health-care task force ? and then promptly ignored his suggestions.
When he told her about his support for private medical savings accounts, he says, she ruled out the idea by saying Americans are "too greedy."
"People are basically greedy and won't make the tough decisions," Hastert paraphrases her. In his interview, Hastert said, "Mrs. Clinton brushed me off. She said you can't trust people."
A Clinton spokesman last night denied she had made those comments.
Hastert said Clinton told him that people would avoid inoculating their kids or taking their spouses to the doctor's office because they knew they could keep any unspent money in their accounts.
In addition, "she said the federal government will spend the money better than the private sector can," Hastert claimed.
If those words were not actually exchanged, the sentiments live on in the debate over health care policy. In a country of 300 million people, a few people may be "too greedy," and prefer miserly hoarding over seeking care when appropriate. But making policy on the basis of what a handful of people might do is not a good idea. (Hat tip: KipEsquire's A Stitch in Haste).
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"Justice Louis D. Brandeis'?s metaphor of the states as "laboratories" for policy experiments ... had almost nothing to do with federalism and everything to do with his commitment to scientific socialism. .... To this day, it continues to inhibit a truly experimental, federalist politics." -- Michael S. Greve
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