Running a red light fine a good deal

The U.S. Senate Finance Committee will vote next Tuesday on a 10-year $829 billion legislative proposal that would expand health insurance coverage to 94 percent of eligible Americans.

Regardless of what side of the debate you are on regarding national healthcare reform, the truth on either side is that the final proposed legislation will cost American taxpayers about $1 trillion and vastly expand the role of government in our health care decisions while limiting choices.

Case in point regarding choice is that beginning in 2013, Americans would be required to get health insurance, through an employer or a government program or by buying it themselves. Wealthy people, for example, would not be able to assume the risk and self-insure. Neither would anybody else. Failure to obey this requirement would result in penalties of up to $750 per family.

Images are dancing through my head of a young father coming home in early December and breaking bad news to his young children that they will not be getting any Christmas presents from Santa Claus this year because he was fined $750 by the federal health insurance police for not having the correct type of health insurance.

On the brighter side, this proposed $750 fine will make the running a red light fine a good deal.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum