Why are a majority of Americans now opposed to the current health care reform proposals making their way through the House and Senate? Why are some people so angry with the ideas being pushed forward by Congress that they are writing letters to their representatives or even joining the tea party movement? It may be because all of the various health care reform bills currently under discussion have three provisions in common that are frightening and indicate just how despicable the people are who are trying to foist them on us.

1. Virtually none of the reforms take effect until 2013, at the earliest. If there truly was a crisis wouldn't you think that they would want these wonderful reforms to take place immediately? The truth is that Congress and President Obama know that the American people will be so upset with what happens when these reforms take place that they have delayed them until after the 2012 elections.

2. Both the tax increases and cuts to Medicare resulting from all off the proposed bills take place immediately. Many of the tax increases will be hidden from view and will only show up in the increased costs of goods and services (like taxes on medical devices that will be reflected in increased health insurance premiums). The Medicare cuts will mostly impact seniors on the Senior Advantage program.


Medicare itself will not begin to be phased out until after 2013.

3. Congress has specifically exempted itself and its families from being in the plan it wants us to be in. Congress, of course, would never make itself and its families endure the long lines, bureaucratic delays and rationed care that it wants for the rest of us.

Many people have come to the conclusion that the health care debate is not really about health care it is about power. Our current batch of elected leaders wants control over our health care and by extension ... our lives. If that was not the case, the reforms would take place immediately (not in 2013), increased taxes and eviscerating Medicare wouldn't be necessary (since they are telling us it won't cost the trillion dollars many think it will) and the Congress and president would be the first to sign up for the plan (if they didn't believe that they deserved better than the rest of us).

If you don't believe what I have written, feel free to call the office of your congressman or senator and ask for a copy of the legislation.

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Ed Riffle is a small business owner and writer and co-publisher for OurLittleCornfield.com, an Internet-based comic strip.