tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post8396334268488774347..comments2023-12-14T21:55:11.213-05:00Comments on Mitchell Langbert's Blog: National Health Insurance and FreedomMitchell Langberthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00722335216553899790noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post-91322033022751088572009-08-14T00:30:05.012-04:002009-08-14T00:30:05.012-04:00Dear Anonymous: I think you were the one who made ...Dear Anonymous: I think you were the one who made this comment. Since you and your ideological allies never identify yourselves it is difficult to know:<br /><br />"Are you willing to give up your privileges as a CUNY Faculty member? Your anti-government positions will have more resonance if you do."<br /><br />If not, there have been at least five people in the past couple of years who have contacted me with comments and e-mails. Some have said that I should resign from CUNY, some have intimated it and some, as you, suggested that anyone who disagrees with the social democratic party line does not belong at a public university.<br /><br />The beauty of electronic communication is that you cannot deny what you said.<br /><br />As far as health insurance, I have worked in corporate firms for nearly 10 years. I worked for "private" universities for 7 years, I have worked for CUNY for 11 yeaars and I briefly worked for the NY State Assembly for about six months. The best insurance I had was at Inco Ltd., one of my first employers, a large mining firm, Dowling College, where I taught in 1994 and the NY State Assembly. The worst is probably at CUNY. CUNY's providing me with health insurance is part of the normal compensation package provided to the majority of jobs in the country. If there are 45 million uninsured, there are 255 million insured, most of whom are insured by private insurers and who work for private companies. The plan at CUNY is barely market competitive.<br /><br />When you say "give us the same opportunity" are you saying that you have been unable to find a job with health insurance? Because for most of my adult life I have been covered by my employer and and the majority of years that was for private sector jobs.<br /><br />If you are having trouble finding a job, rather than advocating backward legislation like the Obama health plan, which hopefully will be just another welfare plan, and at worst will be the beginning of government control of health care, I can help you learn how to find a job.<br /><br />Generally, Americans who cannot find work have been crippled by the government run education system, which teaches that you can get something for nothing; that government creates wealth; and that if you are a failure, it is society's, not your, fault.<br /><br />I can help you learn how to find a job. There are many good jobs out there, jobs that provide health insurance. You do not need to be a beggar, looking to government to provide you with a welfare plan.<br /><br />But in order to to what I'm saying, you need a modicum of self respect and you'll need to speak to me in person.Mitchell Langberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00722335216553899790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post-53777089049526384582009-08-13T11:38:26.965-04:002009-08-13T11:38:26.965-04:00I once got into an argument with a gentlemen about...I once got into an argument with a gentlemen about nationalized health insurance. He called me a hypocrite, saying that if I opposed the expansion of governmental power, I shouldn't attend a state university (I was an undergraduate at the University of Florida at the time). I pointed out that, so long as state services exist, and I pay for them through my tax dollars (FL is funded through a sales tax, so my lack of income was not an issue), I am free to use state services as I please. It's worthwhile to point out that the existence of free government roads crowds out the private market for highways. What am I supposed to do, not drive?vakerajhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02479791534703115315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2555123713188257297.post-20643043264098064232009-08-13T11:28:24.540-04:002009-08-13T11:28:24.540-04:00Dear Dr. Langbert:
You say:
Advocates of the &quo...Dear Dr. Langbert:<br />You say:<br /><br />Advocates of the "you work at CUNY so you should favor big government" position are in essence saying that in a purely socialist economy no disagreement with socialism will be permitted since all jobs would be controlled by the government. <br /><br />You have twisted the words. My argument is that you have the choice of buying Health Insurance from CUNY. Just give us the same opportunity. You take what you want and deny the rest of us the choice of just considering the option that you have.<br /><br />Dr. Langbert give up your CUNY healthcare and buy insurance from the market. I dare you.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com