Lex takes on the USCCB

The bulletin at church this week contained a insert expressing the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' tenative support for Pelosi/Dear-Dope-a-care if the Stupak Amendment prohibiting federally funded abortion was adopted. Lex fired off the following to his bishop:

Dear Bishop D’Arcy:

I read with concern the USCCB’s bulletin insert on health care reform. While the USCCB’s stand against federally funded abortions is correct, does anyone at the USCCB seriously believe that the 9th Circuit won’t overturn the Stupak amendment at the first opportunity? The bulletin also misses the mark in several other areas.

First, the bulletin expresses the USCCB’s concern that none of the bills before congress, as currently written, provide adequate access to health care for immigrants and the poor. What evidence is there that the government will be able run the health care industry? What one current government program does the USCCB cite as proof that government is ready and capable of providing health care for the nation? The current flu shot debacle ought to give us all pause about turning any part of our health care over to another incompetent government bureaucracy.

Next, by turning the health care needs of the poor over to government aren’t we becoming a bit like Mr. Scrooge? When asked for a donation to help the poor, Mr. Scrooge replied, “My taxes go to pay for the prisons, and the poorhouses. The homeless must go there." If a government run health care system is adopted and supported by the USCCB, what justification are the Bishops going to have for asking Catholics for more donations to help the poor? One might argue, “Hey, we raised taxes on ourselves at your urging to help the poor. Why are you still asking for donations? Let the government do it.”

It seems to me that the Church and other private organization do a much better job ministering the poor than the government. I do not believe the question, “What have you done to help the poor?” is best answered by saying, “Well, I did what the USCCB urged, I paid more taxes.”

The best way to help the poor is to oppose any government involvement in the health care system (that includes the mismanaged and broke MediCare/Caid systems). We currently have the best health care system in the world. How is it going to help the poor by allowing a bloated inefficient incompetent and often corrupt federal government to destroy that system? Who will be helped when the best health care system in the world is destroyed?

Last, the USCCB bulletin mentions health care for “immigrants” but doesn’t specify legal or illegal immigrants. Which is it? Does the USCCB have in mind a number of illegal immigrants that ought to be allowed into the US? Maybe the USCCB ought to be like the captain of a lifeboat determining how many can be safely taken aboard before the boat capsizes and everyone drowns. Look at California. The “captain” there decided that not only could everybody get on board but that every need of everyone onboard the boat would be provided free of charge. Now that state goes broke every other week. That is what will happen to the US if any of this madness is made law.