State of the Union and Term in Review (Partial)

My son and I watched the State of the Union Address last night. I watched the State of the Union and Lil’ Brown was practicing growling at the TV. This was one of the better speeches, and although I’ve been tough on the President the last couple years, his administration has accomplished quite a bit. I salute his leadership, although I don’t agree with a number of his policies and leanings. Unlike many who hide behind computer monitors, tablets, and smart phones, I don’t name-call or berate him. I respect the office he holds and pray that God guides his decision-making.

 

Up to this point in his presidency, there are some things I have opinions on:

 

1.        Bailing out the auto industry: I was dead wrong about this one, however I’m still ticked GM is making unsafe vehicles (check the recall log). Overall, under the President’s leadership, the industry has been overhauled, revived, and is once again thriving. I was in the camp of letting them fail, but over time, I learned and experienced grace and mercy. The employees didn’t ask to be in the situation. They had families to support and were working under failed leadership. Good thing I wasn’t a lawmaker at the time, right?

2.        The Affordable Care Act: Some love it. Some hate it. I’m on the fence about it. I like it because it eliminates the discrimination based on pre-existing conditions and it makes insurance available to those who normally wouldn’t be able to get insurance for themselves or children. I dislike it, because it didn’t close all the loopholes. The President stated that the public, at-large, would be able to keep their physicians and nothing would change – but he forgot to write that into the act. Providers can still determine which plans they accept from which carrier. Example: Before switching my son’s coverage, I asked his Pediatrician’s office if they accepted my UHC plan. The reply was, “We accept all UCH plans, except the ‘exchange’ plans.” Come to find out, that office doesn’t accept any exchange plan, only premium and group plans. Some physicians I talked with didn’t like the ACA plans because they either required too much paperwork (and less time for patients) or the negotiated payouts were lower than the industry average on many services and procedures.

3.        Free Community College: This one may need some further discussion and explanation. On paper and in theory, it sounds great. My question: How will it be funded?

4.        Raising Taxes on the Rich: I’ve always been one who has hated taxes, but believe in paying my fair share. I believe it’s past time for the rich to do so. Will the Republicans see it that way, though?

5.        “I Won Both of ‘em”: The most brilliant line of the night. As you can see, the Commander in Chief has zero you-know-whats to give at this stage! He almost forgot where he was. It was a moment that will be talked about for years.