Healthy Wisconsin is the Democrats way of introducing Wisconsin to Universal Heath Care in a “wolf in sheep’s clothing” kind of way. By slipping this $15.2 billion mandatory tax into the State Budget in stead of discussing this issue like real leaders they have decided to use our health as a “political football.”

I attended a meeting yesterday in Kenosha staring Senators Erpenbach, Wirch, and Lehman for the purposes of having them tell us why this plan is so good. To be honest they didn’t tell the audience anything new.

Their plan is a payroll tax plan that will take 4% of an employee’s paycheck and send it to the State of Wisconsin. The employer is MADATED to pay 10.5% of an employee’s paycheck to the State of Wisconsin. You have no choice but to participate, this is MANDITORY for all “gainfully employed” Wisconsinites.

They repeatedly stated that is was “not an optional plan” that one could opt out of. In Wisconsin you will only have one choice for health care and that is the State of Wisconsin’s Healthy Wisconsin plan. Sure you can buy additional insurance over and above the plan but the State plan is first.

They believe that this plan provides “personal responsibility.” I don’t see how mandating anything shows personal responsibility. They said that this program (which they later say is “not a government program”) makes sure that people “pay their fair share” when it comes to health care. Um, 93% of Wisconsinites already have health care; this isn’t needed for us because we are already paying our share. They said it’s the “right thing to do.” While I believe that we need to look closer at health care, I do not think that having the government mandate a program to all is the right action to take!

I asked a simple question: “Tell me if I’ve got this right, the State of Wisconsin is going to MANDATE that all gainfully employed Wisconsinites must pay into this system and use it but that this is “not a government program”?”

“Yes, that’s correct,” was the response.

I’m very sorry but anyone that believes that the government “mandating” anything provides “personal responsibility” and is “not a government program” has been in the sun too long.

I go by the old adage if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck, it’s a duck.

In this case, if it looks like a government program and acts like a government program, then it is going to cost far more than anyone has estimated and will be as helpful as a trip to the DMV.