The balloon that was health care reform - I'm tempted to say the hot air balloon - seems to be deflating. And that gives me cause to pause because I have mixed feelings about it.
NorthBay sees more than its share of uninsured patients. In the best of all worlds, all patients would have some kind of insurance. So I was hopeful new innovative ideas would emerge from the legislative process in Washington.
Instead, what surfaced was a bloated bill promising much more than financially reasonable or advisable, given the fragile state of the nation's economy. It was particularly infuriating to see states like Louisiana and Nebraska get political payoffs for their senators, which would have added costs borne by other states, including California.
This year I also serve as chairman of Vacaville's Chamber of Commerce, so I know full well the struggle small businesses would have in meeting mandates in the proposed health reform bill.
Some requirements would probably be enough to make the difference between staying in business and closing the doors - not a good choice ever, but especially not now.
The President seems to be signaling a retreat from pursuing expansive health care reform, turning instead to focus on creating jobs, instead of making it difficult for existing businesses to keep their employees.
That would be a good move. Health care reform must be revisited, but in a more thoughtful, incremental and reasonable way. Without political payoffs. With realistic solutions and some element of personal responsibility.
Reform should not create more problems than it solves.
