The Healthcare Tragedy

A friend of mine is running for congress. If elected, he will fill Congressman Pete Hoekstra's office.

Here's a picture of him and his family. My daughter's babysit his daughters who attend our school. The two oldest girls were flower girls in my daughter's wedding. (Seen in the sixth photo of this post.)

Here is what Bill said about yesterday's decision before it passed by the narrowest of margins. (If just four of the Democrats who swore they would not vote for the bill until the language was added to ensure no federal funding of abortion had kept their spine and promise, it would not have passed.)

On the Issues: The Healthcare Tragedy

The Problem: As I write this email [sent Sunday], the Congress of the United States, elected by you and me, is preparing to vote on a bill that if passed will be a national tragedy.

This bill will not reduce costs, improve the health care system or reduce our deficit. When has the federal government ever operated more effectively and efficiently than individuals making their own decisions in free and open markets? What this bill will do is place more of our individual healthcare decisions and our lives in the hands of bureaucrats in Washington D.C.

Wherever there is an industry or business that is inefficient ... you'll find a business or industry with government fingerprints all over it. Government-created monopolies, government-created regulation, government-created tax policy, set-asides or subsidies are what renders capitalism ineffective.

The freedoms endowed to us by our Creator and protected by our Constitution are slowly and methodically being taken from us. This is being accomplished almost voluntarily, without a single shot ever being fired.Through the proposed healthcare legislation, our elected officials are attempting to control an ever-larger percent of our economy.

In 1910 our government consumed about 8% of GNP (Gross National Product); in 2009 it was 44% of GNP. If the majority in Congress is successful this weekend, it will almost certainly exceed 50% of GNP. All of the wealth that politicians fight over the redistribution of in Lansing and Washington D.C. was created by the free enterprise system. We are now dangerously close to destroying the very system that has made America great.

The Solution: Successful business owners are inherently leaders; leadership is not simply self-proclaimed.We need to elect leaders who have experience creating jobs, prosperity, successful businesses and strong economies. Business owners are forced to live with the consequences of their actions on a daily basis. Business owners must make critical decisions everyday in order to survive in a world that has a 90% failure rate. Conversely, politicians live in a world where more than 90% of all incumbents continue to get re-elected. Over-spending and career politicians have gotten us into the horrible mess that we are in. More spending and career politicians are not the answer to getting us out of it.

Who should you support? Only one candidate...

Has a proven track record of success in the private sector, creating several different businesses and hundreds of West Michigan jobs over 25 years
Has successfully met 1,300 consecutive payrolls
Has been an Entrepreneur of the Year finalist with four different companies
Has proven he is a fiscal conservative with his actions, not just words That candidate is Bill Cooper.