The focus of the national agenda this summer has clearly become reforming America’s health care system. Bring it on! There is no question that our health care system needs to be reformed to squeeze out the much inflated expenses and to assure high quality care. The American healthcare system is the most expensive in the world. And it is clear that, by any statistical measure, we are not getting value for money. Not only do these costs put proper heath care out of reach for many middle class Americans, but these inflated costs are also making our products uncompetitive in the world economy, adding to our other economic problems.
Unfortunately however, in the proposals that have emerged, we seem to have taken our eye off the ball. The true challenge - the cost vs. quality issue - has become sidetracked. The debate has now become about health insurance, though this is only a part of the problem. Important as it is, insurance coverage is merely a way to pay for medical care. The focus should really be on the actual medical care delivery system, where the costs versus quality problems are to be found. To date, we have not touched those issues. We are, in effect, putting the cart before the horse. And if the acrimony over insurance is any guide, the storm from that debate will be even more ferocious than today’s.
With the August Congressional recess, Washington has suddenly gone quiet. The contentious debates on the issues of the day are still there. But they have moved off the Washington stage back out to the heartland of America. That is really where they should and will be decided.
This momentary lull is perhaps a good time to reflect on the nature of the debates and where they are taking us. Much is being made about divide between the Democrats and the Republicans, the liberals and the conservatives, the Blue Dog Democrats and the House leadership, business vs. government, the Congress vs. the Presidency and with the Supreme Court nomination, the role of the Congress vs. that of the Courts. Add to this the debates over specific issues and one gets a strange brew of passion, argument and hostile feelings.
But, at the heart of these debates there is a central theme that is often being overlooked. That is, what is the proper role of government and how can it and should it fit into our lives? This was the central questions that our Founding Fathers grappled with in their day. We know that those debates grew very heated and strained many of their personal relationships to the breaking point. It is therefore no surprise that tempers and passions boil over in today’s discussions.
Our Congresswoman, Carol Shea Porter proudly reported today that she had secured all of $1.5 million to fund two local New Hampshire projects. One million of this was for streetscape improvements in the Gaslight District in Manchester and $500,000 for infrastructure improvements for the Berwick Bridge in Somersworth.
Great, thank you! In the meantime, the State Department of Transportation has a Red List of 77 bridges most in need of repair. The projected cost, according to DOT, would be $403 million. The DOT estimates that there are resurfacing needs on highways that would cost $58.7 million. A quick calculation shows that this appropriation represents 3/10 of one percent of what New Hampshire needs.