Two columnists appeared in print on the same day in The Washington Post. To the left of the fold was EJ Dionne, the dean of liberal pundits, saying the health care bill stinks. His message was that progressives should bottle their anger and save it for the next health care fight. He believes the public option and abortion funding will be back in-play in the years ahead. (Also, as a humorous aside, Dionne doesn't like the parliamentary rules of the U.S. Senate requiring 60 votes -- unless they're being used by Democrats to block George W. Bush's federal judge appointees.)

To the right of the fold, conservative Robert Samuelson writes that the true costs of health care reform are unknown and are likely underestimated.

Read both op-ed pieces here: http://tinyurl.com/yemd34p and http://tinyurl.com/ybhg9za

Both writers (who've both been guests on WSAU's Feedback program) have come to the conclusion that health care reform spends a tremendous amount of money while making no one happy. For Republicans in congress, this shows their inability to stop anything. For Democrats, it shows that when push comes to shove they can achieve only hollow victories on major agenda items. For taxpayers, the costs are tremendous.

You have already heard from several political commentators that the taxes to begin paying for health care reform will begin immediately, although most of the benefits won't begin flowing for another 4-5 years. Now consider something no one is talking about. Do you think the 4-5 years of tax money will be stashed away to pay for upcoming health care costs? Or do you think congress will borrow against it, like it does with the social security trust fund? That money has already been spent. Just like social security is now funded with treasury note IOUs, so too will your health care starting in 2013.

Chris Conley
Operations Manager, Midwest Communications-Wausau
12.22.09