Saturday, September 12, 2009
the health bill and our food industry
My husband Matt and I said jokingly the other day that the real solution to our health care problems would be to put a sin tax on Doritos. But apparently Michael Pollan thought of the same thing--and he was serious. He wrote a great piece in which he argues that forbidding insurance companies to drop people from care could be a powerful incentive to change our food subsidies. Because it would mean that for the first time since the corn revolution, there would be a powerful, monied group that had an interest in keeping people healthy. And the simplest way to do that is to improve our diet by dropping corn subsidies and decentralizing our food industry so we eat more local food. And if that were the only accomplishment of this bill, it might be worth it just for that.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
health care, taxes, and christian love
I've never written about health care reform here before, partly because it's not an issue I've ever been too concerned about, and partly because I never thought of it as an issue of Christian environmentalism. But as I've watched this debate gain heat over the last few weeks, culminating last night in the president's speech, I'm beginning to change my mind. Health care may not be an environmental issue, although it certainly overlaps. But it is a Christian issue.
My biggest concern after hearing the speech--and, I suspect, many people's biggest concern--is the question of how Obama plans to pay for the changes enacted in this bill. He claims it can be done mostly through savings and without adding any new taxes, other than allowing some tax cuts to run out. I'm neither an economist nor a legislator, but it seems counter-intuitive to me: something this expensive costs money, and governments get money from taxes. That's just the way they work. Government is a non-profit.
And the objection that I've heard over and over again to this plan is the financial aspect. "Why should MY money go to pay YOUR health care?" is the complaint I've heard over and over. And that is where the Christian aspect of this issue comes to the forefront, so that is the question I want to address. Why SHOULD your money pay for someone else's health care?
Do I really need to answer that question?
Hasn't the Bible answered it for me? In passages like Psalm 82:3: "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless." And Proverbs 14:21: "Blessed is he who is kind to the needy." Proverbs 22:16: "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich--both come to poverty." Isaiah 1:17: "Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Matthew 19:21: "Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." I John 3:17: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
How indeed.
Oh, you say, but I want to give money to the poor. I DO give money to the poor. I just want to choose where to give it. I give to my church and to charitable organizations that help provide health care to the poor.
Great. You get a tax deduction on that giving. You don't have to pay twice for other people's health care.
Which brings me to taxes. Americans hate taxes. America was practically founded on a hatred of taxes. I can understand this--I don't like taxes either. I've always believed that government should be as local as possible. But the reality is that private charity isn't covering the need. It isn't solving the problem. It isn't working. And if something isn't working--if there are children dying of preventable diseases--then something needs to change.
And I think the real problem with the argument that so many people make is right there in the question about "my money" going to pay for "your health care."
Because, if you claim to be a Christian, then you ought to believe it's not really your money. In fact, if you look at what Jesus said about taxes, you could argue that it's not even God's money. Jesus said it was Caesar's money. And our bills have pictures of presidents on them too.
By the way, I have health care. Really good health care from a private insurer, supplied at very low cost to us by my husband's job. My coverage is so good that when I go to the doctor, the receptionist always comments on how good my plan is. "Wow," she'll say, "your copay is really low! And you have no deductible! You have a great plan."
And--I'm almost ashamed to admit this, because it's so unfair--but the truth is we don't even need such great care. I've gone to lots of doctors who don't accept any health care and who aren't covered by my plan, but we could afford that. We were able to pay for that. We are nothing like the thousands of people in this country who can't afford to pay for any care at all, let alone paying to choose specialty care.
And so my response to the president's speech is heartfelt. Yes, pass your plan. Offer universal health care. And if you can't cover the cost with spending cuts, then please, raise my taxes to help pay for it. Use "my" money to pay for someone else's health care. I'll consider it money well spent.
My biggest concern after hearing the speech--and, I suspect, many people's biggest concern--is the question of how Obama plans to pay for the changes enacted in this bill. He claims it can be done mostly through savings and without adding any new taxes, other than allowing some tax cuts to run out. I'm neither an economist nor a legislator, but it seems counter-intuitive to me: something this expensive costs money, and governments get money from taxes. That's just the way they work. Government is a non-profit.
And the objection that I've heard over and over again to this plan is the financial aspect. "Why should MY money go to pay YOUR health care?" is the complaint I've heard over and over. And that is where the Christian aspect of this issue comes to the forefront, so that is the question I want to address. Why SHOULD your money pay for someone else's health care?
Do I really need to answer that question?
Hasn't the Bible answered it for me? In passages like Psalm 82:3: "Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless." And Proverbs 14:21: "Blessed is he who is kind to the needy." Proverbs 22:16: "He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich--both come to poverty." Isaiah 1:17: "Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Matthew 19:21: "Jesus answered, If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." I John 3:17: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?"
How indeed.
Oh, you say, but I want to give money to the poor. I DO give money to the poor. I just want to choose where to give it. I give to my church and to charitable organizations that help provide health care to the poor.
Great. You get a tax deduction on that giving. You don't have to pay twice for other people's health care.
Which brings me to taxes. Americans hate taxes. America was practically founded on a hatred of taxes. I can understand this--I don't like taxes either. I've always believed that government should be as local as possible. But the reality is that private charity isn't covering the need. It isn't solving the problem. It isn't working. And if something isn't working--if there are children dying of preventable diseases--then something needs to change.
And I think the real problem with the argument that so many people make is right there in the question about "my money" going to pay for "your health care."
Because, if you claim to be a Christian, then you ought to believe it's not really your money. In fact, if you look at what Jesus said about taxes, you could argue that it's not even God's money. Jesus said it was Caesar's money. And our bills have pictures of presidents on them too.
By the way, I have health care. Really good health care from a private insurer, supplied at very low cost to us by my husband's job. My coverage is so good that when I go to the doctor, the receptionist always comments on how good my plan is. "Wow," she'll say, "your copay is really low! And you have no deductible! You have a great plan."
And--I'm almost ashamed to admit this, because it's so unfair--but the truth is we don't even need such great care. I've gone to lots of doctors who don't accept any health care and who aren't covered by my plan, but we could afford that. We were able to pay for that. We are nothing like the thousands of people in this country who can't afford to pay for any care at all, let alone paying to choose specialty care.
And so my response to the president's speech is heartfelt. Yes, pass your plan. Offer universal health care. And if you can't cover the cost with spending cuts, then please, raise my taxes to help pay for it. Use "my" money to pay for someone else's health care. I'll consider it money well spent.
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