BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

When our magnificent democracy was founded way back in 1776 I thought the authors of our Constitution purposely created separation between the three segments of government: the Judiciary, Legislative, and Executive branches. The purpose of assuring clear guidelines of authority have served our government well over the years, and proved the Founding Father’s brilliant foresight.

I do not know about you, but I am tired of hearing the deceptive dialog connected with the pending legislation on Health Care Reform. Certainly there is general agreement that Health Care requires improvement, but what we are getting is an excessively expensive program that has a hidden agenda that is not supported by the majority of Americans. Just imagine what good could be rendered if we took all the special interest money being spent to push each side of Health Care just on television commercials alone?

Apparently we are going to get a liberal Health Care Bill whether the majority of voters want it or not. What really starts my heart to beat faster and my blood pressure to rise is the blatant disregard for our Constitution. Please show me where it is written in our Constitution the words that justify the inclusion of White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel into the final markup of the Senate version of the Health Care legislation? That role is clearly the responsibility of the Senate, and not the Executive Branch.

The Bills should be individually drawn up by the House, and then the Senate. Once the individual Bill versions are passed, they should go to resolution in a Conference Committee represented by a group of Democrats and Republicans from each body, and voted upon up or down. Then that Bill should go to the Executive Branch for the President’s acceptance or veto.

We the American people, who will have to live with whatever Bill is passed, will live with its consequences for decades. (It will take that long to undo the financial damage to our country.) The Bill will NOT apply to our elected officials. So now we will have the three branches of government, not to mention most non-union federal employees, who do not have to live under this Health Care Reform, or Social Security for that matter, because they will retain their cushy health insurance and retirement packages.

We never elected Rahm Emanuel to office, and he has no business in closed door meetings pushing the Executive Branch’s hidden agenda which is swayed by special interests. Why such a rush for passage?

The full impact of this legislation will not take effect for several years, but we will have to pay for its impact to our economy for a long time. By then, Rahm Emanuel and his ilk will be long gone collecting their inflated government retirement checks along with their leader. We will be left holding the big financial bag, and the best of it is health care will not be improved.

We the electorate have been totally banned by our elected officials in the formation of this legislation, and it just plain stinks. Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents best remember what has been rammed down their throats come Election Day.

Don’t you just love CHANGE?

COMMANDER GRANGER