A RAID ON YOUR POCKETBOOK

It may be futile to try to write a blog about Plainfield’s Council meetings and the city’s administrative branch.

Once again, I am not able to open any of the supporting material for Monday’s business meeting.  Not that it matters since the posting seems to be an exact unchanged copy of last week’s agenda setting postings. The control of spending vast sums of money will not be questioned.

Of note that in line with this government's policy of being public friendly and transparent the meeting time has change from 8pm when people would have no meal conflicts to 7pm. Of course, this time is convenient for the Councilors who will conduct their business in less than an hour. Collect their compensation and spend the better part of the evening at home.

The Mayor this week wrote in favor of universal health care. This is one of the favorite pitches of politicians who do not care how they spend the public’s money.

Health care is a society’s responsibility. It has been met in the past by charitable institutions, voluntary contributions and to a smaller extent through governmental grants.

Universal health care is an expensive socialistic program which societies are unwilling to pay for and can bankrupt that society unless taxes are raised.

In New Jersey there is a cap on how much taxes can be raised each year but as the Council will vote for Monday night Plainfield will be able to increase its taxable budget by another percent. With a decreased taxpayer base individual property taxes will rise significantly.

Universal Health care will be funded through federal taxation in addition to present taxes or by increasing the deficit for another generation to meet. This of course does not worry our local, state, and federal governments who increase sending by increasing debt.

Controls for Universal Health Care include reduced payments to vendors and providers, limiting access and services all of which negatively impact the level of care. Examples today are long waits for appointments, use of Practice assistants to treat patients and restrictions on the freedom of choice of physicians. The list goes on but to this old doctor the net result  is poorer medical/surgical care for the individual patient.