Deal With Universal Health Care Later, There’s Something More Important Now

If you've got a pulse, you've probably got an opinion about the about the current conflict over universal health care reform. But here's a little secret: We're all wrong for even dealing with this issue now, and here's the reason:

-If you haven't noticed, our questionable economic practices (poor retraining of workers, lack of investment in core research and infrastructure, focus on debt rather than savings, etc.) have come home to roost. Nothing in health care reform will help these core issues, which in the end have to be addressed to pay for health care benefits through tax revenues, user fees, whatever.

-We Americans typically unite to get things done when there's clear, focused challenge. The current health care debate lacks any type of "go to the moon" inspiration, much less even a common foe (depending on your point of view of course).

-The health care debate is almost by definition, for the over 45 crowd because younger people don't have high illness rates. And yet this is the group that is being asked to pay for the care either in terms of taxes, user fees or insurance premiums they arguably won't directly benefit from.

There are other reasons that health care may not be the issue for these times, but what might be instead? Alternative energy development! It's got everything we need in a major issue to capture our support, unify our purpose and actually have short and long term value for everyone. As opposed to wishing for universal health care, which is a cost maker, creating a true scalable, domestic, non polluting energy system will be a cost saver. No more trillion dollar checks to the Middle East (wealth transfer really), no more global warming, no more not-in-my-back-yard movements against coal plants and nuclear facilities. And maybe no more smelly diesel and internal combustion engines. But more than that, we're talking an economic development effort that will change for the better the way we work, interact with one another and live. The result will be higher paying jobs, more overall resources and more freedom to do what we choose in life.

This is not some long away dream. Parts of it can happen fast (and really are). Take for instance, the recent "cash for clunkers" program. Trading in less efficient vehicles not only helped up against the wall General Motors actually call back workers to produce more cars, it has an immediate environmental benefit. Estimates say the traded in "clunkers" had an average 15.8 mile per gallon performance, whereas the new ones get over 25 mpg, 61 percent better mileage. If those averages held for every car, at our current consumption, we'd save something like 200 million gallons per day.

But that's nothing compared to the wholesale changes that a sustained greener, cheaper, more easily available energy supply could provide. Things like better land use with less costly transportation systems and ability to decongest our cities. Or a tremendous expansion of automation and re-channeling of production into more socially beneficial projects. Perhaps even a restructuring and leveling out of world trade as economic conditions even on the world stage. The excitement and opportunities it will generate for our nation's younger citizens will be captivating to say the least. And a natural part of this quest will be a potential reinvention of education as the demand grows for these creative young minds to be molded and directed toward the task.

We all want improved health system care that doesn't drain the pocket book, covers everyone and doesn't terminate benefits before we do. But perhaps now is not the best time. Let's instead tackle an issue that has more potential for immediate success and have a little fun doing it too.


About the author:
Lister McMillson serves as an efficiency and cost reduction consultant. An example of his many projects is his recent creation of a cost comparison website for services as opposed to goods and merchandise. It serves as a listing of quotes given to others by various service vendors that can be viewed in order to gain an initial understanding of costs before someone requests a formal proposal, quote or estimate. Examples building repairs/updates, customized insurance quotes, dental discount programs and related services like no waiting period dental insurance for individuals.