Comments on: Stepping up as conservatives to help Utahns in need

By: Defining necessity | Sutherland Daily

Defining necessity | Sutherland Daily — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:55:09 +0000

[...] are real and serious, it seems we are not seeing the whole picture. Still, we should probably choose to give to those in need, whether in Africa or in our own communities, but ideally using the most direct [...]

By: yintercept

yintercept — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 23:02:00 +0000

I read the PDF on Charity Care. I wrote a blog post on the article.

The problem I see with this proposal is that it attempts to define the exception before the rule.

We should render charity care for those people who are underserved by the main stream health care system. This system has become so convoluted and corrupt that we end up with top-heavy proposals like the CHF to overcome the corruption of mainstream care.

Charity care does not need to be as top heavy or as political as the CHF.

I think Sutherland is on the right track with its emphasis on charity care for the unfortunate; however, I believe that one should look at the rule before the exception.

Currently, health care is dominated by employer based insurance. This has created a perverse market in which most health care is funded by a politically connected third party. When people are not employed, they are cut out of the system and left floundering.

Your article said that this proposal fell on “deaf ears.” In my opinion the reason for this is that the proposal is starting at the wrong end of the puzzle. Since you are trying to solve the health care puzzle by starting with the exception, the CHF appears to be just another political entity grubbing for power.

I believe that you could make the argument for charity care stronger if you started with a more complete model of health care.

BTW, I contacted the Sutherland Institute to propose a meeting on a project called “The Medical Savings and Loan” which just happens to be a complete mathematical model for funding health care. The Sutherland Institute might be interested in this project.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:35:00 +0000

Good point. Here is an example of “a more structured system for charitable care” we have proposed for the health care arena:

http://www.sutherlandinstitute.org/uploads/Charity_Care.pdf

By: yintercept

yintercept — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:31:00 +0000

Prior generations of Americans understood charitable care. Modern discourse, public schools and what-not have messed up our minds to such an extent that people no longer are even capable of understanding the western tradition of charity.

IMHO To make the argument for charitable care, one needs to develop a more structured system for charitable care.

By: Laura Warburton

Laura Warburton — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:06:00 +0000

Thank you for this article.

Two points.

1. I’m very familiar with the struggle Theo is going through. I can say without hesitation, he was able to speak with you because he could tell you wouldn’t hurt him. Even though I don’t know Theo, I can say with surety he was bullied in Jr. and Sr. High School. Which brings me nicely to my next point.

2. The more we are willing to allow government to take care of our neighbors the more we rob ourselves of the gift of a charitable heart. Arguing for higher taxes (although generally well meaning individuals do so) to tend to the poor is an inadequate substitute for the experience of personally being involved with the needy. The more we can bring back community into our lives, the better off we will all be.

Again, thank you for this needed discussion. In Utah, we seem to be living under a cloud of anger and that makes me sad. All that can change if we just turn and ask, “What can I do for my neighbor to make their day a little better.”