Motormouth Online

I can't speak for automobile manufacturers, I have no inside information and to my knowledge the fight for universal health care is not an official position of any American automobile manufacturer.

But it should be.

I too am concerned about the tremendous rate in which government is spending money. Trillion dollars spent on a war combined with billions spent on the financial and auto industry may make health care reform seem too expensive at this time.

However, American business cannot afford to wait. American people cannot afford to wait. It is time for a change. In order for this economy to experience lasting recovery, the burden of providing health insurance must be removed from employers.

Several years ago, the cost of providing health care and legacy costs outstripped the cost of steel in an American automobile. Now well over $2,000 per unit this lug on American automobiles places us at a global disadvantage. American remains the only industrialized country in the world where the employer is responsible for footing the bill of medical coverage for employees. If General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are to compete and survive, this uncompetitive burden must be lifted.

Lately we have seen an unusually harsh hatred of government by otherwise patriotic Americans. A healthy distrust in government may be essential for a free enterprise capitalistic system, but with some, there appears a blindness to the reality that government can and should provide legitimate social services. We do not want a "for profit" police force or military. Most of us see the necessity of free universal public education for all children because we understand that education for all, benefits all of society. Public Parks, public roads, public fire protection are all valued by citizens, as worthy of public funding. In a society where human life is valued and founding documents speak of an unalienable right to life, public health care should not be in question.

As medical technology and pharmaceutical costs increase exponentially, group health plans provided by individual employers must be replaced by the only organization large enough to spread the cost. Without health reform legislation, almost all policyholders will see a radical increase in private insurance rates for 2010. Only government is large enough to take advantage of the "law of large numbers." As a former insurance professional, I learned about the "law of large numbers." Costs are reduced when risk is spread over a large number of people. Underwriting which excludes pre-existing conditions and high-risk individuals may increase profit and performance of a particular health insurance company, but the greater expense is born by society at large.

I am urging immediate passage of health reform legislation.