How do people who are under universal healthcare feel about it? No need to go to Canada or Great Britain to get thoroughly depressed. We need only to go to Massachusetts to find an answer. As far as universal healthcare programs go, this is a good one.

A recent Rasmussen poll shows that 26 percent of people in Massachusetts believe the reform has been a success. This is the best statistic for universal healthcare in this entire poll. However, 37 percent believe it has been a failure, and a bunch of people are undecided on it at this point.

People were asked if healthcare is now more affordable or less affordable. This is the big selling point for universal healthcare. It’s got to be more affordable or it’s no good. Remember, the big push by Obama now is that our country is on an “unsustainable path.”

Twenty-one percent say it’s more affordable now; 27 percent say it’s less affordable now. Looking deeper into the demographics, you will find there’s only one group who actually finds it more affordable by pay scale.

Let’s see, wouldn’t that be the poor? No — 29 percent of the poor say that the healthcare reforms have made healthcare less affordable, to 27 percent who say it’s more affordable.

The only group who has a positive answer to that question saying that overall it’s been more affordable are people who make over $100,000 per year. Everyone else says the exact opposite, that either it’s right close to equal or it’s made it less affordable.

How about the quality of your healthcare. Certainly Barack Obama isn’t running on a plan that he would admit makes healthcare worse, right?

Massachusetts has been living under it and what they found is 10 big percent of people have found that it’s increased the quality of the healthcare.

The problem with that, three times the amount of people, now 29 percent, say it has made the quality worse. If you have children at home, 32 percent say that the quality has become worse. Five percent say the quality has become better.

Let’s break it down by income. People making between $20,000 and $40,000: 23 percent to 9 percent say the quality has become worse. Those who make $40,000 to $60,000: 29 percent to 8 percent the quality has become worse. And as you go up the scale, it gets more and more embarrassing. Between $60,000 and $75,000: 51.3 percent say the quality’s become worse. The next income scale up, it’s 39 to 2 percent, and over $100,000, even they will admit, 21 percent to 7 percent say the quality has become worse.

Have you noticed the difference in the language of the president? He used to say you’re going to be able to keep your old doctor. Now he’s saying we want you to be able to keep your own doctor. Have you noticed that? Subtle difference, but a huge difference!

This is the program that the government is trying to implement. These are the effects of this program, and, again, this was a good program as far as universal healthcare programs go.

This system of healthcare hasn’t worked well anywhere on the planet. Someone please explain to me how it’s suddenly going to work here.

Dave Edinger

Peachtree City, Ga.

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