I noticed and read Tuesday’s editorial that was written about Obama being the correct candidate for the Illinois’ vacant U.S. Senate seat. I do believe that a candidate that takes education seriously is one that we should all consider, being current students and possibly having children in the education system in the future. However, there is a side to Obama that was not mentioned. In fact, few people outside the health care industry have probably heard this side. Back in February, Obama placed his name on a bill to go through the Illinois House. The bill is HB-2268, the Health Care Justice Act. (Information on the bill can be seen on the Internet at www.leginfo.org/bill?type=HB&nbr=2268 and www.legis.state.il.us/legislation/billstatus.asp?

DocNum=2268&GAID=3&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=3.)

If you, a parent or a sibling does not work in a hospital, insurance office or anywhere in the health care industry, you probably did not hear about this. Basically, what Obama wanted with this bill was to create a universal health plan for everyone in the state of Illinois. Yes, that is correct – Obama wanted a health care system like Canada and the U.K. have. There’s no private Blue Cross, just a plan run by the government. A system like this is great if you have an emergency (heart attack), but it is no good if there is not the potential of you dying (hernia). It may take a year for you to have the operation. Furthermore, how can a state afford to pay the health care costs of more than 12 million people when they cannot afford metal detectors in the Capitol Building?

But I guess this plan had a higher motive. The governor wanted to bring more businesses and people into the state. This is one way to bring people and businesses into the state. If this bill passes, there may as well be a big welcome mat placed along the state borders and below it can say: “Give us all your sick and ill; we will pay for your liver transplant.” Although this plan is great for bringing in the sick of the nation, you will lose many healthy people and their employers. There would be an exodus of people as all the health insurance companies (and their employees), doctors, nurses and insurance agents leave to practice in surrounding states.

Obama may have education on his mind, but he is not thinking of the people in the state that are paying his salary.

Justin Seivert

Senior, marketing