Universal Health Insurance

Why don't we insure everyone?  Why don't we have a separate plainly visible tax to pay for it?  Why don't we relieve the Medicare / Medicaid burden from the government's general fund?  Why don't we relieve corporations of the burden of providing health insurance?  Why don't we relieve state governments of their budget breaking burden of Medicaid.  Unions will experience relief likewise.

Wouldn't our corporations be more competitive internationally if they didn't have to burden their products with the costs surrounding health insurance?  Would't that mean our country would have a chance to correct the balance of payments we have with the rest of the world?

So how can we do this.  There is a solution.  First everyone gets a card that can be used to buy an insurance policy.  That allows everyone to choose their health insurance carrier.  It allows them to fire them as well and go to another carrier.  This is a good thing.  The federal  government can set minimum standards for any policy that can be purchased with this card as well as the reimbursement level provided.  The federal government can act as the last re-insurer of catastrophic diseases.  All this is paid for by a national sales tax.  The level of the sales tax is set annually to cover the expected medical expenses of the country.

Where's The Grid?

Obama promised us a green future.  And any rational vision of a green future includes a national "Smart Grid."  The estimated cost of the grid is in the neighborhood of $100B give or take.  The stimulus bill contained a smidgin of money for the grid.  Imagine what things would be like if Obama / Pelosi had taken the grid seriously.  Again I ask, where is the grid?

Is Iraq Obama's hidden foreign policy failure

Before he was elected, Obama criticized GWB about pressuring the Iraqi political leaders to settle their differences and create a stable popular government.  He claimed that setting a date certain would put sufficient pressure on them to get off the dime.  Now after eighteen months of being in charge, he declares an end to combat there and he still doesn't have an agreement.  Why doesn't anyone question this failure?