Uncovering Perry's ill state

Barbara Shelly, a columnist for the Kansas City Star, recently wrote a commentary about Rick Perry’s opposition to health care reform and the state of Texas’ current health care in comparison to that of Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts. The commentary first appeared in the Kansas City Star, but can also be found in the Austin American Statesman under the title “Uncovering Perry’s ill state”. The commentary is a response to Rick Perry’s recent description of the Massachusetts health care system as “the model for socialized medicine” and aligns itself with opponents of Rick Perry. Barbara Shelly tries to discredit Rick Perry by giving facts about the health care system in Texas, which Rick Perry is currently the Governor of, but gives pro’s and con’s about Massachusetts current health care plan as well in the attempt to appear objective.

The argument is that Governor Rick Perry has no business attacking the health care system of Massachusetts when his state has the highest percentage of population that is uninsured in the nation. The assumption is that Rick Perry is against any health care reform and does not care to improve the health care of his own state. It is no secret that Texas ranks near the bottom in health care in the nation and Barbara Shelly takes advantage of this by giving percentages of children who go without annual checkups as well as the opinion of Dr C. Bruce Balone III, president of the Texas Medical Association who states that “Texas just hasn't proven it can run a health care system”. She goes on to paint Massachusetts in a much better light given that they are one of the healthiest states in the nation and have high percentage rates of children who receive immunizations and pregnant women who receive prenatal care. The commentary does admit that the cost of health care in Massachusetts is “undeniably expensive”, but argues that insurance premiums have fallen by 40 percent.

The commentary concludes that you would be better off being sick in Massachusetts where insurance is mandated rather than being sick in Texas and left to die if caught without insurance. Barbara Shelly clearly believes that the government should make insurance mandatory and that people will be healthier if they were forced to have insurance. The real political argument is not who’s health care system is better or not, but should government have the right to mandate private insurance to the entire population. While the commentary does a good job of giving facts about the two states health care systems, which make the health care system in Massachusetts sound convincing, it leaves out the fact that the majority of Texans do not want to be forced by the government to have insurance. It is no question that the health care system in Texas needs improvements, but the fact is that Texans embrace limited government and the power to choose. The question is will the rest of America agree with Rick Perry’s opposition to mandated insurance.

E-Verify and it's effects on Texas.

I recently read an immigration article in the Texas Tribune about E-Verify and U.S. Representative, Lamar Smith’s fight to require it nationwide. E-Verify is an electronic employment verification program used by business owners to verify the legal status of potential employees. It has drawn much opposition as well as support in its push through the House Judiciary Committee as the bill, HR 2885, also known as "The Legal Workforce Act".

The supporters as well as opponents of "The Legal Workforce Act" both have valid arguments, but the issue brings up much more discussion of immigration reform in the state of Texas. The requirement of E-Verify would ensure that employers in the state of Texas are following federal laws and would protect the employer against false information, but what would become of the millions of illegal workers in Texas who would no longer be able to find legitimate work? Would the countless legal citizens and residents of Texas who are currently unemployed step up to take these new open jobs that would be abandoned by the 7 million unauthorized workers?

The article is most interesting because it’s not just the simple pro’s and con’s of the E-Verify program, but how this simple program will bring about complicated issues and problems to tackle if it is required nationwide. It is a must read, because regardless of which stance you take on the issue, it will effect every one of us one way or another.