Imagine that you are suffering from a serious illness but your physician avoids discussing it for fear that you will choose another doctor. Treatment to cure your condition exists but it involves discomfort. Rather than risk your displeasure, your doctor foregoes the cure and treats the symptoms. Your condition worsens, of course, making the ultimate therapy increasingly difficult and risky.
This may be malpractice in the medical world but our national ills are receiving exactly this kind of care from Congress. Both our Democratic and Republican representatives are unwilling to honestly confront the inevitable problems facing our nation. They will only prescribe legislative sedatives. Actually treating the underlying condition is out of the question. That would require political risk.
The crisis we face is one of an economic nature but the overall fallout will threaten the well being of our children and the very foundations of our government.
-Currently the health care system represents approximately 14 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP). By 2030 this will rise to 25 percent of GDP. Most of that spending will be on people aged 65 or older with the majority of the bills being paid by those of ages 19-64. This spending will represent a larger and larger portion of the federal budget, leaving less and less for the other priorities of those of working age (i.e. our children); less for the environment, education, infrastructure, and defense.
Both the Democrats and Republicans are unable to propose meaningful long term fixes for these and multiple other problems. They bicker and defame each other. They are only able to come together when pandering with temporary, feel-good, unfunded programs such as the current economic stimulus package. This isn’t surprising in an election year. Proposing difficult solutions may cost them votes.
Solutions do exist to these problems which would strengthen the health of our country.
The most fundamental and long lasting change needed, however, is in our politics. Both parties have failed the citizenry. We need representatives who will work collaboratively for the “common good,” not those whose paramount concern is remaining in power.
We need representatives with a willingness to confront Coloradans and all Americans with honest but frequently unpleasant facts. Each of these solutions will require sacrifice and therefore some pain. That is the plain and straightforward truth. In return for this sacrifice, however, representatives must provide value.
It is not too late to begin undertaking truly curative measures. It is not too late to avoid leaving a life to our children which is of lesser quality than that which we were given. But with each passing election cycle the solutions become increasingly costly and painful.
Both the Democrats and Republicans in Congress have failed to provide necessary leadership. Delivering unpleasant news is difficult but is a leader’s responsibility. Elected officials must strive to bring the best out of society even, and perhaps especially, when it places them at political risk.
Stephen H. Shogan is a physician with Colorado Neurosurgery Associates.
