Why highways, not health care? The national highway system is open to everyone regardless of income. It is safe, reliable and mostly seamless. Most Americans never give it a second thought.
However, its creation was a conscious decision to eschew the free market, where profit is the driving force, in favor of government control, where usefulness and service are the driving forces. No one questions this decision to make highways a right instead of a privilege, only for those who can afford to pay for them.
Why then is the most important part of our lives, health care, driven by free-market forces that emphasize profit instead of usefulness and service?
Every American, rich or poor, should get up in the morning and be no more concerned about access to quality health care than they are about whether roads will be there for them to drive on.
The free market has never done this with health care and never can. Until this is realized, this country will keep hopelessly spinning its health-care wheels.
John Locatelli, Maple Valley
Health-care reform: highway to health
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