A Trigger Is An Affront To The American People

With Senate Majority Leader now saying he thinks a trigger is “pretty doggone good idea” it is important to know what supporting a trigger says to the American people. To support the trigger idea you first need to already accept most of the arguments for a public option. You must believe that it could bring down cost, provide competition, and/or be less likely to use unethical practices. If one simply doesn't think a public option would be able to work they should oppose it in any configuration including as a possible trigger.

To support the trigger idea you must also believe that even after the new regulated marketplace is put in place there is still a distinct possibility that insurance companies will continue to rapidly increase premium and treat costumer badly. You must believe that it is possible that our new health insurance marketplace could turnout to have many problems, because of the lack of a public option.

When a politician says they support the trigger idea they are telling their constituents, I know insurance companies treat their clients bad and charge way too much for their products. I know there is a way the government could create a public option that would help millions of Americans with these problems, but helping people is not my top priority. I think it is much more important to give large for-profit corporations another chance to screw over the American people.

Of course, most politicians who claim to support the trigger idea are really opposed to the whole idea of a public option. They support a public option because they are cowards unwilling to be honest with the American people and say they are against the public option. Their goal is a trigger that will never be used, so they can trick their constituents into believing they stand with the vast majority of the country, which supports a public option.

Supporting the trigger idea is an affront to the American people. It is infinitely worse than opposing the public option. If a member of Congress honestly opposes the public option for philosophical reasons or because they think that it would be an unworkable policy, they should make their argument and let their constituents decide. The voters will eventually judge them for their stance.

Supporting a trigger is telling your constituents that there is this great idea which could help millions of Americans get more affordable health care, but I think it is more important to give the large for-profit health insurance corporations another chance to pay nice before providing regular people with relief. To support a trigger is to stand proudly with the health insurance industry against the middle class Americans.