The Nixon Tapes – The Shifting to the Right of America Politics - National Health Plans

The Washington Post section on politics revealed today just after President Richard Nixon delivered his first address to the nation about Watergate on April 30, 1973 Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush were recorded on the infamous secret taping machine giving Nixon the support. The final 340 hours of these tapes have just been released to the public. You can go to this Washington Post site to see more details.

We know that Nixon really was a crook and left office in disgrace. Strangely I find that I have some fond thoughts about some of the work he did in his presidency, which reflects the nations shift to the right in politics no matter what party with which you are affiliated.

In February 6, 1974 President Nixon addressed congress proposing a Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan. You can read that complete address here. My summary follows.

Nixon argued that citizens cannot realize their full potential unless they had adequate health care. He said there should not be economic, racial or social barriers that would block that health care. He said that he had proposed such a plan to the congress 3 years earlier but resulting in no legislation. He then goes into the rising costs of health care in the nation the pale in comparison to today’s health care costs. He talked about those who were uninsured, 25 million.

Nixon then laid out 7 principles on which his national health care proposal rested:

First, it offers every American an opportunity to obtain a balanced, comprehensive range of health insurance benefits; 

Second, it will cost no American more than he can afford to pay; 
Third, it builds on the strength and diversity of our existing public and private systems of health financing and harmonizes them into an overall system; 

Fourth, it uses public funds only where needed and requires no new Federal taxes; 

Fifth, it would maintain freedom of choice by patients and ensure that doctors work for their patient, not for the Federal Government. 

Sixth, it encourages more effective use of our health care resources; 

And finally, it is organized so that all parties would have a direct stake in making the system work--consumer, provider, insurer, State governments and the Federal Government. 

Nixon talked about how every employer would be required to offer full-time employees the Comprehensive Health Insurance Plan with employers beginning by paying 65% of the cost and the 75% of it. He also sought to improve Medicare and how this program would be funded.

President Nixon said this was an idea whose time has come for America to have all American to have access to high quality health care.

It was a more comprehensive program than what we are engaging in now with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Acts, a.k.a. Obamacare; the plan that the members if Nixon’s party leaders have voted against 40 times.

Clearly the nation has moved further and further to the right under the leadership, money and power of the wealthy involved in our health system, the most expensive in the world.

Now I still think a single player system as is used by most developed countries for universal health care is still the best and gives the biggest bang for the buck; but improvements have been talked about for years.

True, Nixon was a crook who betrayed the trust of his country in his paranoia. But he was also a president that make great strides in beginning work with China and had more progressive social care programs that his counterparts today. So, who is the real crook? 

Oh yes, the maximum tax rate under Nixon for incomes over $200,000 was 77% to 70% and Capital Gains Taxes ranged from 27.5% to 36.5%.