For Mitt Romney, who’s been campaigning on his ability to create jobs, this study from the conservative Beacon Hill Institute can’t be welcome. From the Boston Herald:
The Beacon Hill Institute study found that, on average, Romneycare:
• cost the Bay State 18,313 jobs;
• drove up total health insurance costs in Massachusetts by $4.311 billion;
• slowed the growth of disposable income per person by $376; and
• reduced investment in Massachusetts by $25.06 million.
The method used:
The institute analyzed trends in health-care costs before and after the state law was passed. Researchers compared the Bay State’s numbers to national health-care cost trends. They found that instead of reducing health-care expenses as advocates had promised, Romneycare actually increased costs by $4.3 billion. Using computer modeling to determine the effect of those increased costs on businesses and Bay State residents, the institute concluded that the law has cost Massachusetts an average of 18,313 jobs.
Ridiculous. This is all a pack of lies designed to bring down the greatest conservative leader since Ronald Reagan.
I'll bet this study was bought and paid for by that dumb hick texan Rick Skerry.
If anyone thinks this study is true then you want obama to win in 2012, because romney is the only republican who is electable!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIt's part of that liberal media attack machine. They'll print anything as long as it hurts a conservative! Especially someone as conservative as Romney.
I look forward to sheryl and Old Fan offering a thoughtful, objective, and fact-based refutation of this attack story.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseThese are joke posts, right?
...Right?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseFirst thought that that entered my mind after reading your comment was Jack Nicholson, "You can't handle the truth!" LOL
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBetween Romneycare (which he stands by); global warming (which he believes); and entitlements (which he demagogues), what room is there for President Romney to govern as a conservative? This is a serious question.
PS: kudos to Ms. Trinko for actually posting something negative for Romney.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseYou forgot ethanol subsidies, which he supports.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseUggh yes ... a candidate's position on ethanol subsidies is a prime test of whether the candidate puts principle over pander, or vice versa.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhen one compares alternatives, one needs to compare what would have happened to what did happen. For some reason, everybody is messing this up in MA. If Romney hadn't managed to get a moderate plan through, MA would now have Universal state paid healthcare and the state would be destroyed. Context matters.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Using computer modeling to determine the effect of those increased costs on businesses and Bay State residents, the institute concluded that the law has cost Massachusetts an average of 18,313 jobs."
The study may be correct, or it may not be. Computers are wonderful tools, but they are not infallible, nor are the people who input the data.
Every time I read of computer modeling, I am reminded of "Climate Gate." A healthy bit of skepticism is always helpful.
FWIW I have not completely settled on a candidate. Still watching, listening and waiting.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWhy do NRO and Trinko only say nice things about Romney and mean things about Perry? Why oh why oh why? Its clear theyre in Romney's backpocket!
(Yes, this is all tongue-in-cheek.)
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnd the Romney supporters still can't figure out why their candidates continued insistance that RomneyCare was good for MA, is a drag on his candidacy.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOn the plus side, Obama would have a hard time using this against Romney in a campaign commercial.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI recall getting a call from a Massachusetts resident when I was a seasonal tax representative for TurboTax. He was calling about the Massachusetts tax return, where all Mass residents must document that they have health insurance, who they have it through and determine whether the required amount met the government's threshold for "health insurance". He had questions regarding this and couldn't figure out how his tax return wasn't balancing out. I stated that the mandate has made doing taxes harder and that it is not achieving its objectives. He disagreed and stated that the mandate has been a net plus for the state. It never dawned on him that him having to account for his insurance on a tax form when he didn't have to do it prior to Romneycare and his confusion on how to complete this section is also part of the "success" of Romneycare.
The fact that Romney continues to defend this scheme only speaks to his arrogance as a technocrat first, Republican second, Mormon last.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI'll be voting for Perry, but I won't be holding my breath for him to repeal ObomneyCare, secure the borders or reduce the size of government. The GOP establishment never fails to disappoint.
Romney, on the other hand, isn't even campaigning on promises of limited government and individual liberty; he's actually promising a bigger government that will intrude even further into our lives. And since "conservative" politicians are always much further Left in office than they sounded on the campaign trail, that makes Romney toxic.
So the one who at least pretends to be conservative gets my vote.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse“I look forward to sheryl and Old Fan offering a thoughtful, objective, and fact-based refutation of this attack story.
I don’t think it’s an attack story.
These are the stories we should be talking about. Romney hasn’t retreated yet about talking about Romneycare so I don’t expect him to start now.
Plus maybe this finding will finally, after almost six years of the plan being in place, generate a large coalition of MA citizens to form a Tea Party like opposition to repeal the law.
Why it hasn’t yet I dunno. Or why has no politician in the state run a campaign on repealing Romneycare like so many ran campaigns to repeal Obamacare did in 2010?
I do know that Romney is the kind of leader if still Governor of the state, he would listen to the citizens (unlike Obama) that have concerns about this report just as he did when he listened to their concerns when he enacted the law.
Perry & others will surely boast about this as they should.
But Perry has some real problems in his state on this topic, so I’m not sure he should stick his chest out so proud on his leadership on this topic.
But the GOP needs a good debate on this subject. I'd like to see a one on one with Romney & Perry. I hope Romney calls for debate.
Texas healthcare system withering under Gov. Perry:
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Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseHealth insurance is not the same as health. Texas may have a high rate of uninsured due to large numbers of immigrants, relatively young population, and high number of small business jobs (less likely to include insurance), but life expectancy in Texas is right about in the middle of the pack compared to other states.
External Link
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"the greatest conservative leader since Ronald Reagan."
Ronald Reagan who enacted the federal healthcare mandate in 1986 called The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.
Maybe they should do a study on what that has cost America.
Or maybe the Republican Party is truly now about letting someone who didn't get health insurance die, like how the Tea Party crowd yelled and clapped over on Monday.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Maybe they should do a study on what that has cost America."
They have and it has been determined that this act is a big driver in the free rider problem with healthcare.
"Or maybe the Republican Party is truly now about letting someone who didn't get health insurance die, like how the Tea Party crowd yelled and clapped over on Monday."
You mean like how one person jumped and said that, but you're extending that to everyone. We don't need more people like you. There's an entire party that will demagogue people like that.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSheryl, have you already forgotten your pledge to ignore my comments about romney?
I have to say I agree with you partially - we should see what romney would do about this now if he were governor. To that end, romney should give up his presidential aspirations (he's going to lose anyway - again) and go back to run for governor of MA and 'fix' romneycare.
That would really show he's a leader and not just an opportunist who will do or say anything to get elected.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI suppose the test for Romneycare is not the damage it has done and continues to do, but whether it caused less damage than some other piece of legislation. Not sure I'd want to run on that platform. Personally, I'd prefer legislation that does no damage while doing something useful or, in most cases, no legislation at all--I don't believe the government knows best.
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