We have deemed education a basic value in American society as a means to a productive society. The D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program offered an elite-level educational environment to the District’s underprivileged students from failing schools. Even in a quick glance, we can see that the competitive program gets very positive results for the 1,700 participants and their communities. The president and Congress tossed off school choice in D.C. earlier this year – demonstrating that they aren’t okay with administering provisions to government and private options for better opportunities through vouchers and scholarships to underprivileged citizens.
Like access to education, Americans value access to healthcare, and we are all the better for it. Now a GOP Senator is working through proposed legislation to offer a similar opportunity for healthcare to American citizens. For those without employer-based health insurance, the government would provide a voucher for individuals or families to purchase a personal, private health insurance plan in any state from a competitive market. The program would be funded by the $700 billion of TARP funds expected to be paid back over the next five years – not increasing the federal deficit by “a single dime.” Let’s hope that this plan, or at least its ideas, are entertained with more consideration than its education predecessors.
