ASK A HORSE Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 Dr. Hunter, Excellent observations. Baucus 'plan' is one more attempt to force-feed health care reform regardless of public opposition. It looks like precious little more than another power grab rooted in elitist arrogance laced with maneuvering to garner votes - votes to remain in office. No compromise. Why should we believe people in government have more competence and understanding in health care matters than ordinary citizens and health care professionals? Not saying tere are not some savvy folks in halls of government. I worked with more than one. But - - - power is intoxicating. It is especially intoxicating when it includes power to confiscate other people's property (money) by legislation, taxation, and regulation. Why would we expect government to be more effective keeping insurance companies or other businesses more honest than we, consumers have power to keep them honest? Government-imposed documentation, alone, in almost every aspect of our lives may consume more billions of dollars than anyone knows how to measure accurately. How much quality improvement results? Again, all but impossbile to quantify or otherwise assess. Nothing is free, save, perhaps, unconditional love of dogs for their owners or mothers for children. Ardent government-imposed health care proponents and their ilk constantly berate health insurance providers and most businesses as greedy, pernicious, evil doers. Anyone who's ever run a business knows businesses can't survive without profit. Anyone who's ever run a business knows you have to be able to set prices for goods and services based on cost of doing business. Not telling you folks anything, I'm pretty sure. What to do? Laws are laws, not choices in grocery stores or Walmart. People lose all options except those allowed by law when health care is legislated. Reports of polls being accurate, some eighty percent of Americans are happy with their health coverage. No doubt things could be better. However, allowing Congress or commonwealth/state legislatures to revamp our entire health care system when eighty percent of consumers are happy is just plain ludicrous. Worse, it would be tantamount to surrendering our fundamental power of government by people. All politics is, essentially, local. Simplistic, but true. We keep our national government under control when we keep our personal representatives under control. Neither presidents nor governors have any powers. Lawmakers bring everything to bear. Governors and presidents can do nothing lawmakers do not allow them to do. Lawmakers are lawmakers by acceptance of their constituents. Hang Tough and Press On. Best Wishes, Len Ritchey