A letter from a reader:

Mark, you’ve been making outstanding points in the S-CHIP argument. What the Democrats are saying is that nobody should have to sacrifice for healthcare, nobody should have to work for healthcare, nobody should even have have to plan for healthcare — maybe Hillary’s slogan should be HEALTHCARE HAPPENS. Truth to tell, I wasn’t thinking about the long term effects 30 years ago when I was sitting in a re-enlistment lecture in the Army. But even then I knew that having a baby delivered for $23.75 was a pretty good deal that I wouldn’t be getting outside the Army — that it was a benefit that made up for low Army pay. And those long years of service — I might not have been thinking about it at the time, but now when I’m retired from the Army and I pay a $9.00 co-pay for a $362.00 prescription for my wife, I think about it.

Exactly. Ideally, people wouldn’t be stuck in bad jobs (not that the Army is a bad job, just a tough one) just because of good benefits — though nobody seems grateful for the silent taxpayer who works to take care of their families even when they don’t want to. That’s why I think tax credits to pay for private insurance are a good idea. Not only would it allow more people to be insured, it would create a more mobile, dynamic workforce — and still allow you more choice and freedom in determining how you’re family is protected. But alas, it still requires planning on our part, rather than the government taking care of all the details. I wonder if the people pushing S-CHIP have thought about what the long term consequences of making people rely on the government for healthcare are. There’s a big difference in outcomes when people are in charge of their own healthcare destiny, rather sucked into a government system that gives them limited options. But if you trust the same people who brought you the TSA to take care of your children, I really can’t help you. UPDATE — A reader responds:

Well, if the TSA were to become responsible for our healthcare, at least there would be a good reason for us plebeians to disrobe in a public place.

Hah!