By R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D
Feb 20,2023
Representative democracy is a process where the people select representatives to vote for them at a legislative body such as a Congress, Parliament, or a General Assembly. The process only works when the elected officials know the will of the people and vote accordingly. In a pure democracy the people vote directly on issues before the legislature. Let’s examine how representative democracy is working in North Carolina by reviewing the issue of Medicaid expansion.
Medicaid is a failing social program that the socialist Democrats have been pushing to expand for at least the past ten years; initially as a part of Obamacare. Medicaid was created ostensibly to provide healthcare services to people in the lowest income brackets who supposedly could not afford to pay for their own healthcare. Essentially, like most social programs, taxpayers are required to pay for services received by others. A typical transfer of wealth program. Medicaid expansion will add from 600,000 to one million North Carolinians to the Medicaid rolls, greatly increasing the cost of the program. Initially, the funds to do this will come from the federal government money printing (actually your taxes) and will require adding to the already overwhelming federal deficit of $32 trillion and counting. Like all social programs, it will serve as a disincentive to work, increase dependency on the government, move us towards nationalized healthcare and towards socialism. Which is of course, what the socialist Democrat Party wants. No true conservative who loves this country should be for this.
Given these facts, it is understandable why Republican legislators have opposed Medicaid expansion for the past several years in spite of Governor Cooper’s efforts to get it passed. In the spring of last year, the Republican controlled N.C. State Senate did a complete flip-flop and voted to approve expanding Medicaid to the shock and dismay of many Republican voters. The N.C. House of Representatives deferred taking a vote until after the election. Unfortunately, last week the Republican controlled House voted to expand Medicare. I am pleased to announce that our two local Representatives, Steve Tyson and Keith Kidwell voted against Medicaid expansion, as well they should have.
A limited survey I conducted in June 2022 showed that close to 90% of Republican voters were opposed to Medicaid expansion. National surveys have shown that up to 65% of voters are opposed to Medicaid expansion one they learn the reality of its impact. Now it is pretty clear that Republican and other voters do not want Medicaid expanded. If we truly operated as a representative democracy, this information would determine the vote of our elected officials and Medicaid expansion would not pass. Elected representatives who ignore the wishes of their constituents should not be returned to office since they have betrayed our trust. Of course, it is our responsibility to let them know where we stand on the issues through telephone calls, emails, letters or direct contact. Also, they have the responsibility to find out where their constituents stand particularly when they are changing their vote as is the case with Medicaid expansion for most Republican Senators/Representatives. Otherwise, our faith in them is undermined to say the least.
Contact your state Senator and let them know where you stand before it is too late! Let us make sure representative democracy is working in North Carolina.