Manchester Journal
By: Chuck Gregory, Springfield
Representative Cynthia Browning ("Reliable Investments in Health Care Reform," 3/16/14) writes, "I am not sure we can afford the risk and uncertainty, the massive tax increases, and the system disruption of the state run "single payer" GMC." Ah, yes, the old "affordability," the main reason why the US, with the world’s No. 1 GDP has to be No. 37 in health care adequacy. I searched through the GDP and health care rankings of nations and compared them to Vermont. Our little Vermont’s GDP in 2012 was higher than that of 92 countries – of which 25 had better health care systems, among them the Solomon Islands, Bangla Desh, Belarus, Nicar agua, Macedonia and Palau.
These are not wealthy First World countries, yet they have mastered the "risk," "uncertainty," "massive tax increases," etc., that Representative Browning so greatly fears. I think her opinion of what Vermonters can do could be a lot higher. If we lived up to her misperceptions, we would still be huddled in shelters, whimpering about Hurricane Irene and eating food donated by Palau.
Her fellow Democratic and Progressive legislators are going to bat to bring us out of a Second World health care status. I wish she would get a grip.