Get is straight: Opposition to Single Payer/Public Option - They fear they will lose their jobs

[jsamuel]

The insurance industry is scared that they will lose their jobs or become no longer profitable if the public option is allowed. They know it will be so if single payer is instituted. Some Democrats in Congress oppose single payer, but not because of the costs or the benefits. They are simply opposed to it because some of them see themselves as defending their "constituents". Their "constituents" that work in business seem to be more important to them then their constituents in their district/state. Let that soak in... they really believe that keeping a business model working the way it has worked for years for the sake of the business is worth ignoring the positive effects of a new system for their other constituents. They both love and fear their business "constituents" and have a much closer relationship with them than they do with you. After all, they know their lobbyist personally. Some of them even used to be their colleagues. They also may be their future employers.

This is not about what is best for you and me, but what is best for those most connected to the business that will be affected by the change of law.

(BTW, I don't agree with this line of thinking, but it is all too obvious from the positions and remarks of some Senators, like mine.)

[Captain Hilts]

1. Or their 25 million dollar salary. nt

[jsamuel]

2. indeed

[FiveGoodMen]

3. If the US stopped using Mercs, a lot of Blackwater people would lose their jobs, too

Can't just screw the public forever in order to protect jobs that should never have been created.

[Captain Hilts]

4. 'Merc's?

[w4rma]

9. mercenaries (independent contractors) instead of U.S. soldiers (nt)

[jsamuel]

5. agreed

[WeDidIt]

6. I love the contradictory themes

GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE WILL MAKE YOU WAIT IN LINE TO DIE DIE DIE!!!!

BUT GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE WILL BE SO GOOD WE WON'T BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH IT!!!

:wtf:

[jsamuel]

7. yes, very good point!

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. Very good point! nt.

[sybylla]

10. Don't forget the corrollary

Government is full of waste and everything it does costs too much,

but...

Government health care will be so cheap we won't be able to compete with it in an open market.

[nichomachus]

11. They will also lose their jobs if people can't afford insurance

Why can't they understand that?

Right now, there are millions of unemployed people who are on COBRA. If they don't find a job with health care before COBRA runs out, the insurance companies are going to start firing people too.

[OregonBlue]

12. I was just saying the same thing this morning. It isn't that they think a public option would be bad

for the American people. It's that it would be too good and will drive the private health care companies into bankruptcy. They'd rather see us all subsidize health care CEO salaries or die for lack of insurance than put these guys out of their jobs.

If they were serious about the health of the American people, they would include a public option, pass it through reconciliation so they only need 51 votes and schedule the vote the day before the Christmas recess. No vote, no recess. But that wimp Reid will NEVER grown enough balls to do just that.