Apparently it is as conservatives fear, according to a self-described liberal supporter of "universal health care." John Cassidy of The New Yorker has written a candid assessment of the current proposal to reform health care. Though he supports the current administration's attempt to overhaul the health care system (he regards the expansion of the government's safety net as "ethically essential, economically justified, and long overdue"), as an economist, he also feels obligated to "count the dollars," as he says at the end of his essay.
Some of his more startling comments:
A. If this health care reform goes through as currently proposed by the Democrats, top wage earners could face a 60% tax rate in some states (after factoring in state and local taxes, social security, and Medicare).
B. We will be dealing with the consequences of this reform "for decades to come."
C. Some "subterfuge may be necessary" to enact "great reform."
D. The Obama Administration is creating a new entitlement program which, if enacted, "will be virtually impossible to rescind."
Nevertheless, Cassidy still believes that "expanding health-care coverage now and worrying later about its long-term consequences is an eminently defensible strategy."
Here's the article in full.
"Some Vaguely Heretical Thoughts," by John Cassidy
The New Yorker, November 4, 2009
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