In his race for governor, Republican Randy Brock has failed to gain traction on an issue that should have been a slam-dunk: challenging Gov. Peter Shumlin on his plans to move the state to a universal health care system.
We have been supporters of Gov. Shumlin’s proposals, and continue to be, but the consequences of the proposed changes are unclear and continued debate could reveal serious flaws. In our political system, that should be the job of the challenger and of the opposition party.
Should the state, for example, be promoting a single-payer health care system in which the state’s objective is to eliminate the insurers and reduce the high cost of administration, but not emphasizing the prospect of universal coverage. The first goal may have its problems, but will likely reduce costs. The second part of the goal, however, will certainly add cost to the system, which might not be adequately covered by charging more people for their insurance. Might it be better to phase in universal care so the state doesn’t bite off more than it can afford?
Does the Green Mountain Care Board have adequate public or legislative oversight? What mechanisms might make that tenuous process less troublesome for consumers and more effective for those in the medical community?
And Brock could be out there more effectively advocating plans that would encourage Vermonters to engage in healthier lifestyles and activities, eat nutritional foods, and develop more workplace or community based incentives to exercise, not to mention advocating specific ideas to tackle the high costs of medical malpractice insurance.
His latest attack, on the other hand, was to whine about how many days the Governor has been out of the state in his first two years in office. Brock is an intelligent man with political and business experience, but that’s no way to earn the public’s vote as the prospective leader of this great state.
Angelo S. Lynn