Not long ago, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Big Labor) introduced his Medicare For All bill, and thank goodness it's dead on arrival. Congress isn't going to touch it. The massive thing would blow the national debt to the moon. (The debt has already reached the sky.) They say Bernie Sanders' idea would cost more than $32 trillion.
Thirty-two trillion dollars.
On Wednesday, we were surprised to see an op-ed from President Donald Trump in USA Today talking about the disaster that would be Medicare For All. And while we agree with his sentiments, there was no need to exaggerate horrors about the idea. Suffice it to say that, in his op-ed, the president . . . overstated things a bit.
The downside(s) to Medicare For All don't need to be oversold. And the problems aren't limited to the outlandish promises Sen. Sanders makes. It's their cost. Free college would be a wonderful benefit to many students. But the cost to taxpayers would not be. Free health care would also be a great benefit to many people. But the cost would not be. A free unicorn with unlimited wishes to every home would be amazing, but . . . .
The price tag and higher taxes that would be required to pay for Sen. Sanders' plan are aggravating features enough. There's no need to cry "two wolves!" when one is standing at the town gate. Voters get it.
Editorial on 10/13/2018