Waivers and subsidies-lets just wave them goodbye!

Thursday – May 19, 2011

Waivers and subsidies – lets just wave them goodbye!

The most recent waivers for Obamacare have been granted to many companies, eating establishments and even a Health Spa in Nancy Pelosi’s (D) home district in California. Though the Democrats say these waivers have nothing to do with politics, it brings the total number of companies who get to opt out of Obamacare to 1,300.

Obamacare was created to insure the 30 million Americans who don’t have health care coverage. The other 230 million Americans who are not part of this number will continue to pay the price, even in a mandated system. When waivers have to be extended, because companies say that they cannot afford the cost of the plan, then something is structurally wrong with the plan.

It is our government who continues down the road of structural impropriety in its programs and it is our government who continues to pick winners and losers. In this case, 1,300 companies are the winners and the tax payer is still the loser.

The case of Obamacare is not over with. Court challenges and the threat of repeal by the Republicans and the upcoming elections will ensure that this story will continue. I only hope that the companies in Pelosi’s district are listed along with their campaign donations, if any. I hope that the 1,300 companies who are getting the waivers are made public in this debate. I hope that the transparency that was promised at the on set of the Obama administration becomes part of the record when the reasons for these waivers become the question especially when more companies get them going forward.

The Democrats want to stop the subsidies that are being given to big oil companies. The Democrats want to tax the handful of large companies who, according to them, make grotesque profits. The Republicans on the other hand want to continue with the subsidies and want to provide an environment for exploration and drilling with these subsidies here at home.

The price of gas has begun to fall. It is falling, because the demand has gone down and the speculators can no longer afford the risk. When the price of gas falls it is not because of government. However, when it rises it becomes the fault of government because we do not have an energy policy. The President has failed to create an effective energy policy. Light bulbs and electric cars do not make an energy policy.

A true and effective energy policy will be one that promotes demand and that can deliver energy in many forms at the most cost efficient and most productive means available. Part of the equation is competition.

Competition works every time. Competition will bring the cost of healthcare down and competition at home in the oil industry will not only provide for more oil but will keep the cost of a gallon of gas permanently down.

If our Congressional Representatives and the members of the Senate can be convinced to get rid of all waivers and all subsidies in all industries and for every business, I believe competition will work. Most of the corruption and favoritism will stop and the American people will have plenty of choices not only in where to purchase their healthcare needs, but also the amount of gas they buy and where they buy it.

The big picture is the structural improprieties that occur when government gets involved in our lives. When improprieties exist, government has never been there with the answer to cure them government only expands them out of fairness. When structural issues in society exist, government has never been there with the answer to cure it government only expands them out of of fairness. I don’t know about you, but I see no benefit in making these waivers a part of the solution. I see no benefit by giving subsidies or keeping them going, not only in the oil industry, but in all industries.

Nothing will really change, because the same old things are going on. The same old style of partisan games and decisions are made because of lobbies, unions and campaign cash is still how things work in Washington. Until these structural impropreities are cured we will not only have Obamacare, but we will have more waivers and more subsidies given to those who don’t really need them at the cost of our treasured resources and our treasured wealth as a nation.

Gregory C. Dildilian
Founder and Executive Director
Pinecone Conservatives

A footnote: Everyone has an opinion on the cure, but no one wants to cure the obvious because the ones that can cure don’t want to say good bye to the waivers and the subsidies because that’s what generates votes!