4A
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019
The Observer
OUR VIEW
All about
making a
statement
In terms of pure dogma driving a political issue,
the current impeachment proceeding of President
Donald J. Trump would be hard to beat.
And as an example of a sheer waste of time, the
effort to impeach the president stands alone.
Don’t get the wrong impression. Many of the
president’s actions and words since the time he
stepped into offi ce have been questionable, divisive
and, at times, embarrassing. His lack of knowledge of
history and his indifference to the truth are gravely
disturbing.
But now, dogma is driving efforts on both sides of
the political fence on this current federal legislative
fi ght, and that is truly discouraging.
Throughout our history the democratic foundation
of this nation weathered similar political ills, and,
when our legislative system works best, its hallmark
is compromise.
Our nation now, though, often represents an
unhinged element of democracy where the person
who can yell the loudest is the one who is listened
to. Facts are twisted and discarded. Our problems, it
seems, are almost always someone else’s fault. The
Democrats are to blame. The Republicans. Or mi-
grants are the biggest problem, or the Chinese. The
list of potential villains grows daily, and perfectly
well-educated people — men and women who are
products of our educational system — descend into a
dark chasm of political misinformation and warped
doctrine.
We have evolved into a mass of citizens who choose
a side and then believe whatever “facts” that political
clan proposes. Whether they are true doesn’t matter.
Which brings us back to the impeachment pro-
ceedings. The procedure is a simple one. Congress
investigates, then the House of Representatives
must pass — by a majority — articles of impeach-
ment. Once the articles are passed, the individual is
impeached.
Next the Senate tries the accused. If it is the presi-
dent, then the Chief Justice of the United States
presides over the proceedings. Conviction — which is
the key word — requires a two-thirds supermajority
vote of those senators present. The result of a convic-
tion is the removal from offi ce.
So why is it a waste of time in this case?
Simple. Democrats control the House. Republi-
cans control the Senate. The chances the president
would be convicted in the Senate are miniscule.
The chances he will be impeached in the House are
nearly a foregone conclusion.
So, in the end, it isn’t really about an unjust smear
on our system of government by the president. In-
stead it is about making a statement.
There is a built-in system to eliminate someone
who the voters believe no longer best represents
their views.
It is called an election.
MY VOICE
Health care — the way it could have been
H
ere are a few conservative ideas
regarding health care.
First, I propose two basic premises:
• Health care is not a right in the po-
litical sense of the term as defi ned in the
Bill of Rights. However, throughout my
career, we have always treated patients
regardless of their means. Government
has taken over and even, in many cases,
criminalized charitable care.
• Government does not run anything
wisely and effi ciently. This doesn’t neces-
sarily mean the government shouldn’t do
anything, but health care is too important
for any further government intrusion.
The ideas
• Malpractice and the patient’s right
to sue must remain in place, although
with some limits. As much as I don’t like
malpractice suits, they have shown to
be the best guarantee of the quality of
medical care in the long run.
• Remove most of the costly govern-
ment controls and regulations, which
add billions to the cost of health care
annually.
• Providers should be given tax incen-
tives for charity care.
• FDA is costly and often times inef-
fective largely due to intense lobbying
and incompetency in the agency. The
FDA creates excessive costs in getting
new drugs on the market.
• To reduce cost of new drugs, sug-
gestions would be to reduce the patent
period for new drugs, allow the purchase
of medications from foreign suppliers,
more over-the-counter drugs available
(like epipen) and more prescription writ-
ers such as pharmacists.
• Besides the elimination of most gov-
ernmental regulations and rules, promote
reduction and elimination of certifi ca-
tions, licensing, oversight, etc. All create
huge costs and diminish competition.
• More providers practicing indepen-
dently are needed. Nurse practitioners
and physicians have a huge monopoly
on who gets to deliver care. More compe-
tition does reduce costs. This loosening
of restriction, however, does create a
“buyer beware” mentality and responsi-
bility of the patient. This should be very
My Voice
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr. Tim Gleeson lives in La Grande.
He has had a long and active
career in the local
medical community.
Now semi-retired
from his work as an
anesthesiologist,
he practiced for 25
years at Grande Ronde Hospital
and served in many leadership
capacities.
My Voice columns refl ect the
views of the author only. My Voice
columns should be 500-700 words
or as space allows. Submissions
should include a portrait-type
photograph of the author. Authors
also should include their full name,
age, occupation and relevant
organizational memberships.
We edit submissions for brevity,
grammar, taste and legal reasons.
We do not fact check. We reject
those published elsewhere. Send
columns to La Grande Observer,
1406 Fifth St., La Grande 97850,
fax them to 541-963-7804 or email
them to news@lagrandeobserver.
com.
acceptable, since we have an extremely
educated public.
• More technology most often does
lower costs over the long haul with some
exceptions. Let the marketplace decide if
a new technology is worth it.
• All pricing must be made public,
and variable pricing must be posted and
the reasons for varying costs for differ-
ent patient groups. This really is about
unfair and unprincipled discrimination.
If private citizens became aware of the
various pricing schemes, they would not
tolerate it.
• More competition among insur-
ance companies. One way to do this
is to eliminate state line barriers for
insurance companies entering a larger
market. Another way is to mandate that
all medical bills be transacted between
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A division of
patient and insurance company, only. In
other words, a provider can no longer bill
the insurance company for the patient.
This sounds harsh but would simplify
and reduce costs and end medical billing
gaming.
• Preventive care is important, but
it is not new information that one
shouldn’t be an alcoholic, a glutton, a
drug abuser, a smoker or a sex-aholic.
OK, eat well, reduce stress and get
plenty of rest and exercise are also good
ideas, but not new.
• No more employer health care
insurance. The employer being respon-
sible for providing this makes no sense.
After all, your employer doesn’t buy
your life insurance, car insurance, home
insurance, etc. Instead, do not restrict
but in fact encourage and allow other
large buyer groups to form, such as all
nurses, CPAs, plumbers, single moms or
you name it. The bigger the group, the
more dicker power they would have with
insurance companies.
• HSA, HSA, HSA, HSA and more
HSAs — enough said.
• Maintain a safety net for those
who cannot pay for a more streamlined,
effi cient system. The safety net should
emphasize that local control is more
ideal, somewhat like medicine in the
“old days” with county health clinics and
hospitals.
• Medicare is the giant monster in
the closet (but real). The reasons it’s
the monster entails a very lengthy
discussion, but in the meantime seniors
should be able to opt out. I’m afraid that
“Medicare for all” would translate to
“VA medicine for all.” Although I know
many fi ne providers in the VA system,
it is plagued with endless problems that
systematically seem unsolvable.
• One fi nal thought. Whatever
scheme the politicians and regulators
come up with, they themselves must live
(or die) within their scheme. No special
medical care systems for the “special
people.”
These ideas are not likely to happen
since we are far along the path to the al-
ligator pit already, but it doesn’t hurt to
look at the “what could have been.”
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