Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but as the old saying goes, never ask a barber if you need a haircut.

Is the health care mandate constitutional?

81% of respondents to this Pilot poll say “no.”

The interesting part here is, of course, the comments. A good number of people seem to think that requiring Americans above a certain income level to purchase health insurance (if they are not covered by an employer plan) is the same as requiring all Americans to buy a GM car. That claim is patently ridiculous, of course. Requiring health insurance for users of the health care system (which we ALL use) is much more similar to requiring auto insurance for drivers of cars.

So, uh...who's going to pay for this? (photo: Wikimedia Commons)

All of us who drive have a legal obligation to purchase insurance, not because we might wreck our own cars, but because we might run into someone else’s and end up costing them a lot of money. It’s a law that makes sense, but you can opt out of it if you choose not to drive a car.

It’s absurd, on the other hand, to assert that you might opt out of ever seeking medical care. You can argue that, I suppose, right up to the point of your first heart attack, or until the day your diabetes becomes unmanageable. At that point you become, like it or not, a burden on the health care system. And if you don’t have insurance then one of three things will happen: 1 – someone else will pay for you (which isn’t fair), 2 – you’ll pay for yourself (which could easily drive you into bankruptcy), 3 – the government will pick up the tab (which means that all of America pays for you). Unless you are particularly rich and option 2 won’t empty your savings account, then your lack of health insurance just became a cost to the state. So that’s why requiring Americans to buy health insurance is not the same as requiring them to buy a Chevy.

Asking average people to rule on constitutional matters, especially when they have a financial interest at stake, is not likely to arrive at a meaningful conclusion. For example, if you asked whether a state or federal income tax was constitutional, you’d probably get an overwhelmingly negative response. If you asked whether it was constitutional to require drivers to have liability insurance you’d probably hear a resounding no, especially if the liability insurance bill had recently been paid.

The real problem here is that, sadly, the fundamental problems of our health care system were not resolved by the recent health care bill. We have a fundamentally weird system of employer-provided health care administered by a Chex Mix of private companies and insurers. It’s confusing, stress-inducing, and unfair in many ways, and none of that changed. All this bill did was try to find a way to extend health care to those who didn’t already have it. A better plan might have been to scrap employer plans and simply require all individuals (who are not in poverty) to buy health insurance, one way or another. The other alternative is to nationalize the system and pay for it with taxes. I’m afraid we’re going to be arguing about the health care system for another decade or two before we get around to trying anything more creative than what we have today. In the meantime, I’m just happy that I don’t have to buy a Chevy.

Lie detector tests are now standard for fishermen in big tournaments

That’s just pretty funny.

With home sales faltering, apartments are booming

I guess this is good. I always wanted an apartment with a swimming pool, but I lived in New York City so instead I got an apartment with a bathtub in the kitchen.

That’s crab house, not crack house

John T. Johnson won a moral victory of sorts two years ago when he staved off an attempt by the city to take his property, Johnson’s Crab House, and demolish it to make a waterfront park near the Portsmouth Naval Medical Center. Well, the city wasn’t done with Johnson–from March through May this year the Portsmouth police entered Johnson’s Crab House with hidden cameras and bought a few thousand dollars worth of crack and heroin from Johnson and his wife. The couple pleaded guilty yesterday to 18 charges of selling illegal drugs from the property. Now the city is likely to take the property as a criminal asset under state forfeiture laws rather than by eminent domain. Looks like a win for the good guys to me.

Openings downtown!!

Things are finally getting back in shape on Granby. The rail construction is nearing completion, and business owners are sighing with relief. We’ve even got some new guys.

A big welcome to Grow Interactive, which recently moved into their new building on Granby Street. It’s a gorgeous contemporary interior in a renovated historic building with high ceilings and fun amenities (roof deck party, anyone?). Just before it opened I walked by and snapped this photo, which tells me that these guys are really out to achieve the impossible. Go Grow!

Does Grow provide ropes for swinging from desk to desk? Cool! (photo: BC Wilson)

Next, over on Boush Street in the old Eagleton’s building we have an exciting new surprise for downtown: our very own School of Rock. They are in the soft opening stage right now (you can see from the photo that they’re not quite ready for the world), but I’m eager to drop in when the doors open and check out the space. If my kids don’t want to take lessons, maybe I can finally indulge my inner Jimmy Page and start rockin’ like Dokken. Word.

Opening soon on Boush Street downtown (photo: BC Wilson)