Inspir.es

Mike D, owner of SMASH in Des Moines, in a letter to the editor not published in the Des Moines Register:

To the Editor,

Chuck Grassley says that a public option in health insurance is not an option for him because “the public option is an unfair competitor” with private industry?

I guess I’m confused, Chuck: I thought a government program would be cutting off the wrong limbs, using pliers for tooth removal, making people wait for days while they bleed in the lobby, and thus would be a total disaster. Now this bumbling government system would prove a threat to the mightily efficient, popular, and cost-effective private health care system?

As the owner of SMASH, a small business in Des Moines, why would I wish the horrors of socialized medicine on myself and my employees when I am so happy with private health care? That’s like saying I’m going to send my kids to cesspools of socialized education like Roosevelt or Valley!

There’s actually nothing to fear, Chuck. I couldn’t be happier with America’s current health care. From a business perspective, it makes perfect sense, and has so many great features. For instance, I love that full coverage is about 6%-25% of after gross pay, even for young and healthy 20-somethigs like the people here at SMASH (good thing we don’t hire any 45 year olds!); I love that if we ever actually use the system our rates go up; I love that if we DON’T use the system our rates go up; I love that if you get contract a serious illness before you get insurance, the insurance you can get will exclude care for that illness; I love that they can make money off of people like me, and dump the actual sick people on Medicare (which company runs Medicare again?).

Most of all I love that America’s health care executives are business people, concerned about what business people should be concerned about: their profit, their market-share, and avoiding government intervention.

So Chuck, I can see where you’re coming from, but I wouldn’t worry too much. With such a rock-solid health care industry, I can’t see a single person switching to a government program, so it won’t cost us anything.

Therefore, you have my blessing to support a government health care program. After all, you don’t want any of those Pinko nuts thinking you’re in the pocket for big health care or something!

Mike then received an invitation to present before Congress.