 |
|
|
|
« Back to Opinion & Analysis
What Has Changed in our Citizens?
Editorial for the Houston Community Newspaper
Steven F. Hotze, M.D.
July 10, 2008
What has happened to our nation that the majority of citizens want civil government to solve their problems?
The leaders of the American Revolution were independent, hard working, God fearing men who loved liberty more than life. By signing the Declaration of Independence our founding fathers had signed their death warrants. Their actions were considered treasonous by the British Crown, deserving death.
Our forefathers were concerned about their God given liberties and rights over their security. Ben Franklin wrote, "Those who will sacrifice their liberty for security deserve neither." According to our forefathers' views, civil government was not the source of their liberties, God was. The purpose of civil government was to protect those liberties. They felt so strongly about this they incorporated the Bill of Rights into the Constitution which declared the individual rights of Americans.
Today, many look to government to solve their problems and give them security. Two prime examples of problems which people want government to solve are the cost of medical care and energy. These are problems which were caused by government interference in the economy in the first place.
The federal government has given us Medicare, Medicare Prescriptions, Medicaid and Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO). Since government involvement in health care began in the 1960s medical costs have risen dramatically. Over 50% of health care is already paid for by government. Many people and politicians want to socialize it altogether. This would lead to shortages and rationing of medical services.
The simple free enterprise solution is to promote the use of Health Savings Accounts (HSA) which put people in charge of their health.
An HSA, which is tax deductible, allows you to save up to $2850 individually or $5650 per family, each year, as long as you are covered by a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). The HDHP can have a deductible up to $5500 individually or $11,000 per family. Because of these high deductibles, the HDHP is much less expensive than standard medical insurance.
The federal government has banned most offshore drilling. Because of environmental regulations there has not been a refinery built in this country for over 10 years, nor a nuclear power plant. This is the reason we import over 70% of oil from other countries. The federal government confiscates over 70% of American oil companies' profits. Many socialist politicians want to increase oil company taxes or have the government take over the oil companies. What a disaster that would be! The cost of gasoline would increase dramatically, making $4 gasoline seem cheap.
It seems obvious we need to remove government restrictions on drilling offshore and on building refineries and nuclear power plants. The last thing we need is more government intervention in the energy industry.
Any government "solutions" must be paid for with tax increases run by bloated government bureaucracies. These are the very things against which our ancestors revolted.
Our current course can be changed only by reviving the principles, founded in the Christian faith, which inspired our forefathers.
About Conservative Republicans of Texas
Steven F. Hotze, M.D. is president of Conservative Republicans of Texas and founder of Hotze Health & Wellness Center in Houston, Texas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
