‘Pooling’ would aid our schools

To the Editor:

The Pioneer Press article Oct. 17 titled “Prognosis improves for public insurance” summarizes the resurfacing potential of a federal government-run insurance plan as prospectively “bright.” Great.

All options should be on the table.

As it states: “Any public plan is likely to have a relatively narrow scope, as it would be offered only to people who don’t have access to coverage through an employer.”

It would be “just another insurance plan offered on the open market.”

Why are people afraid of this style competition?

FedEx and UPS seem to fare well versus the U.S. Postal Service. Plenty of examples of private businesses competing with public have arisen throughout this debate.

When we have issues or needs in America, it seems “conservatives” love it when we call in private to assist public but can’t tolerate the “competition” of allowing public services to be brought in when private fail us.

Presidential wannabe “Tim Palin-ty” considers it ludicrous to encourage public vs. private competition on the health insurance front while he encourages cross-state consumerism that invariably pits providers against one another when each state “pools” and provides differently, which would inevitably lead to a publicly run health care pact facilitator that would likely have to intervene competitive “fairness.”

In essence, a whole “new can of worms.”

This from the governor who won’t sign the statewide education health insurance bill that would allow the very type of “pooling” the pacts might provide.

This bill would not solve all the financial problems of any school district, but it would be the greatest step forward to reducing public school referendums by allowing, especially outstate districts like Red Wing, to “pool” all districts’ insurance needs just like those in state government may.

The only thing “ludicrous” in a public option in a federal health insurance bill lies in the ridiculous nature of hypocritical and self-contradictory commentary by the globe-trotting “former governor.”

At least Sarah Palin was bold enough to step down when she wanted to move on. Minnesota should be so lucky.

Tim A. Bowes

Red Wing

Tags: health care reform, opinion, letters, pooling