Massachusetts: A Beacon of Logic

Let me introduce this young political ace to you. I met Matthew at a Fair Tax Rally/ Tea Party last spring. He had rallied a carload of friends to drive to Missouri to attend the rally from New York! They were amped up over the debt and taxes they would owe on the new debt BHO was creating. Fast forward almost a year, Matthew has gone to work for State Representative Sue Allen. I invited him to write a column for my site, so enjoy!

By: Matthew Schumann

What happened yesterday is Massachusetts was nothing short of a miracle. The once far-left socialist state has come through for the Republican Party, the Tea Party, and all Americans of sane mind. People always criticize the voter base as easily swayed by the political tides. This is somewhat true, as seen with the election of a left-wing radical to the executive. However, when push comes to shove, this election proves that at the end of the day it is logic and sound reason that rules the day.

This election was clearly a referendum on Obama-care. The Healthcare Bill is a series of backroom deals, bribery, and corruption. In its 2000+ pages, it also mentions something about health insurance reform – but it is lost in the word jumble that has resulted from the former. The spirit of the law has been lost. The spirit of reform, the spirit to create a rationale system of healthcare for all Americans has been lost in a partisan struggle. Clearly, providing all Americans with affordable access to health insurance is not as important as satisfying the whims of the powerful labor unions and further tarnishing the US Constitution. This legislation has turned a noble idea and perverted it into a means of expanding the federal government to unprecedented levels – into the business of the states and individual citizens. It seeks to put a choke hold on society, on individuals – making them mere clients of the state. This legislation seeks to create a nation for and by the government rather than for and by the people. As Alexander Hamilton, one of the great founding fathers once warned: “In the general course of human nature, a power over a man’s subsistence amounts to a power over his will.”

The state Massachusetts has enacted legislation quite some time ago that nearly amounts to universal health coverage provided by the state. While many may take some issue with such a system, it is within the state’s sovereign right to enact such broad and expensive coverage. Arguably, this system functions rather stably in Massachusetts. What works for Massachusetts does not work in other states. Differences in demography, economy, and dominant ethics may lead to a different value system region to region. To assume that all 50 states are the same and should be treated as such is preposterous. This is why our system operates under duel federalism with strong state governments. Massachusetts is not Missouri because Missouri is Missouri. After all, it was the great Thomas Jefferson who urged the need for a decentralized national government and power to state governments in order to better serve the diversity of a large Republic.

What America needs is private, innovative, state-based solutions to healthcare. Healthcare must adhere to each states unique condition. The possibilities are endless – group buying, bulk buying, and other mechanisms both private and public. Qualification shall also vary by state, from vast to minimal, based on each unique condition. However, the federal government is not without a role. It needs to further deregulate healthcare in order to allow states to achieve these means. For example, the preposterous inter-state trading barriers must be eliminated.

But I digress. The people of Massachusetts saw this. They saw that their state’s programs suited them. A national plan would have negligible effects, if not hurt them. The Bay-Staters stood up for there right to govern themselves. They stood up for state sovereignty. Logic and reason won on January 19, 2010. Let us all view this as a “course correction” and not let ourselves fall victim to the tides of demagoguery.

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