LJWorld Reader blogs

Ultimately the government's ability to force people to comply with its regulations involves the threat of imprisoning those who refuse to comply. If the Democrat controlled Congress decides to arbitrarily force some people to purchase health insurance will it adopt severe measures to insure compliance with its requirement.

Will any government requirement to purchase health insurance include the threat to imprison those who refuse to purchase insurance or pay a fine? Will government confiscate money or property from those who refuse to purchase health insurance or pay a fine?

According to Joint Committee on Taxation Chief of Staff Tom Barthold anyone failing to purchase insurance would face a year in jail or a $25,000 penalty.

President Barack Obama falsely compares the purchase of health insurance to auto liability insurance. "What it's saying is ... that we're not going to have other people carrying your burdens for you any more than the fact that right now everybody in America, just about, has to get auto insurance," he said.

I don't know if Obama is deliberately lying or he is so ignorant he doesn't understand the difference between auto liability insurance and personal health insurance.

States don't require everyone to purchase auto liability insurance. States only impose the requirement on those who want to own and drive motor vehicles to insure that drivers who cause injury or property damage will be able to compensate those who suffer loses. Motorists typically have the option of substituting proof of financial responsibility, such as posting a cash bond, in lieu of insurance.

Different couples with the same income might not have the same ability to pay for health care. A young couple might have two large student loans to pay off and still want to start purchasing a house or newer vehicles. A couple might decide to take the risk of going without health and life insurance to start their own business. Some couples may be providing assistance to a disabled parent.

Many of those who could afford insurance do without it because they believe their healthy lifestyles reduces their need for medical care. They don't want to have to pay to subsidize the habits that increase medical costs like smoking, unhealthy eating and drinking habits, failure to exercise, etc. Insurance companies use money taken from healthy people to pay for the medical care of unhealthy people. Democrats who favor compulsory insurance should ask themselves if they want to be forced to pay for Rush Limbaugh's prescriptions.

Who is best able to determine if someone can purchase health insurance -- wealthy members of Congress, government bureaucrats or individual couples?

Is this still the land of the free or is it a police state like the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany?