Pay attention!

You’re swamped. I’m swamped. Work, kids, parents, sports, Iraq, vacation plans, tax season, Anna Nicole – there are hundreds of urgently important things filling your time, demanding your attention.
Health care reform is too complicated, too big, too partisan, too much to think about.
It’s also going to affect you, your family, your income, our economy and quality of life more than any other issue on the table today.
Health care reform is the biggest, most influential issue facing America today.

Make no mistake, we are going to have health care reform.
It may be small and incremental, it may be huge and wrenching. But it’s going to happen. If we’re aware, and alert, and thoughtful, and proactive we can participate in the debate and influence the direction. Even if you don’t participate in the debate, you’d better know what’s going on.
Health care is 16% of our economy. The cost burden is dragging down our manufacturing and commercial base, hurting our ability to compete in the global economy. That affects your job, no matter what you do. Health care costs are a major driver of local property taxes as well as state and federal income taxes. Employment-based health insurance is slipping away, especially for people working at small businesses.
Meanwhile lobbyists for physicians, small business, hospitals, drug companies, unions and the Fortune 500 are flooding the halls of the Capitol and your state buildings. Some of them may have your interests at heart, most don’t.
If you want to base your opinions on ideology, fine. If you’re more pragmatic, that’s fine too. Read, watch, listen. Form an opinion, base it on logic and reason, discuss it at home, at work, on the train and while standing around watching kids sports.
Because it will affect you more than anything else going on in the US today.