Guest Post by Lee Talley
I stand to issue a direct challenge to Tim Phillips, Trixie Averill, and Americans for Prosperity.
I write this on the eve of Autism Awareness Month after reading the latest email from my friends at AFP referring to the autism insurance reform bill that was amended by Governor McDonnell and sent back to the Virginia General Assembly for approval. While I praise Trixie for her efforts to speak against the bill while trying to show understanding of our struggle; I take great issue with anyone referring to this bill as “Obama-care lite”.
The Tea Party and AFP opposition to this bill as stated is based on the fact that it’s a “mandate”. I find this disturbing on many fronts. It makes me ask the following questions:
1. How can AFP have a lady who could benefit from several mandates (Pap Smears and God forbid reconstructive breast surgery in case of cancer are just two of them) attack this mandate? If one mandate is bad aren’t they all?
2. How can AFP advocate for liberty and freedom while allowing insurers who really aren’t free market businesses but regulated semi-monopolies to deny coverage for properly prescribed medical treatment solely based on diagnosis. Covering our grandparents for speech, occupational, and physical therapy doesn’t break the bank yet covering children (limited even to children between 2 and 6) does? Virginia Power has regulations to follow if they want to do business in Virginia. Why shouldn’t Anthem or other health insurers have the same? I don’t see people complaining that Virginia Power’s liberty is being infringed.
3. Why does AFP choose the prosperity of one group while directly affecting the prosperity of others? AFP feels that mandates violate the individual liberty of people and businesses. However, by advocating against this bill you are condemning a generation of Virginia’s future leaders to a future where they cannot achieve the “pursuit of happiness”.
4. Why does AFP not want to put a undue burden on small business but in not supporting this bill they will eventually put an extreme burden on the taxpayer as this children grow up and become wards of the state at considerable cost to all of us?
I could be angry and just blast Tim and Trixie as tools of big business and insensitive and other liberal hyperbole. I could just say conservatism is not for me anymore. I could just be angry and fume.
Well let me tell you what…
I challenge AFP and / or their designated representative either (Tim, Trixie, or you can even bring Ben Marchi out of retirement) to an open debate on the merits of mandated insurance coverage for Autism. Our Republican Party is at a crossroads. We have rejected the real socialism of the Obama healthcare bill yet we have taken on this cookie cutter philosophy of saying NO to everything. I became a Republican because I believe in this party’s conservative solutions based core. No is not a solution! I know there are smart folks at AFP whom I agree with 80% of the time. A friend you agree with 80% is still a friend in my book. It’s time to put forth the conservative solutions. Where is your plan, your ideas? I’m not talking about pie in the sky legislative wishful thinking like a la carte insurance coverage and buying coverage across state lines. What is your solution to the issue using the existing laws in Virginia and at the Federal level to solve this problem of covering our children and not placing an undue burden on small businesses?
Tim or Trixie please email me at [email protected] and tell me when and where we can have this debate. I’ll meet anywhere in the state and you can even make the event a fundraiser (50/50 split with AFP and the Virginia Autism Project or Autism Speaks would be nice).
It would be great to have this debate in April as its Autism Awareness Month. I look forward to your correspondence and I know this is a great opportunity to grow the conservative message that much more via vigorous debate and examination.
