The waiting is over, the decision made on the Constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), known as ObamaCare, by the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS). Once again, by a 5 to 4 decision of SCOTUS, the American people will suffer the consequences of a poor decision. Suddenly Americans must accept the fact that the Federal Government has seized powers that were never intended by the Founding Fathers.
If you have never actually read the US Constitution, get a copy and read it now. If you have, you would know that the framers intended the states and the people to have sovereign power. The Federal Government was to have enumerated powers, only those enumerated in the Constitution itself. This decision has demonstrated how far we have strayed as under this decision, the federal government can force us to buy, or not to buy, anything by using the power of taxation to enforce their will.
It is clear that now the people and the states must assert their will under the Constitution to repeal ObamaCare by firing this president and those who would support his continual reckless assault on our freedoms and liberties. November 6 will be our opportunity.
In the interim, the states can, and should, assert their sovereignty by the refusal to comply with implementation of any aspects of ObamaCare in their respective jurisdictions. Part of the recent SCOTUS decision specifically prohibits Congress and the Federal government from punishing any state that refuses to proceed with the implementation of ObamaCare by withholding existing Medicaid funding. The way is clear for states to refuse this freedom-crushing, conscience-violating, abortion-funding reality.
Some states, including Florida, Pennsylvania and New York, have stepped to the forefront and have openly stated that they will not proceed in compliance. Regrettably my home state, South Dakota, is NOT one of them.
South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard said Thursday he was “dismayed” by the US Supreme Court’s ruling that upholds the federal health care law, but said he’ll work to protect the state from what he sees as the law’s harmful effects. He added:
“We don’t intend to implement any part of this legislation this year.”
Apparently Governor Daugaard has decided to continue his policy of saying one thing publically but doing otherwise just under the radar. Those who have followed this issue here will recall my previous commentary on this issue on February 20, 2012 and again on May 30, 2012.
The facts are that South Dakota has requested, and has received a total of $6.8 million dollars from the federal government and has already spent at least $1 million dollars to set up the healthcare exchanges necessary to implement ObamaCare in South Dakota. Yet Daugaard continues his denial rhetoric.
At the recently concluded South Dakota GOP Convention, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal was the featured speaker. Governor Jindal’s state IS one that has declared that it will not accept federal funding to set up a healthcare exchange.
The lame excuse has been offered that if South Dakota doesn’t set up a healthcare exchange in compliance with PPACA, then the federal government will. But even South Dakota’s Attorney General Marty Jackley has stated, “I don’t agree that the Legislature and the state will necessarily have to implement Obamacare.” Yet Daugaard continues the march to implementation.
Governor Daugaard recently said expanding Medicaid “is something I’m not very enthusiastic about.”
I’m not enthusiastic about supporting Governor Daugaard.
***Ed Randazzo, is a nationally syndicated author. He has been a conservative activist and consultant for over 30 years and is currently the Chief News Editor of Life and Liberty Media and Co-Producer of Liberty Today, a weekly television program seen on cable systems in most of South Dakota***
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