There was an article in the Detroit Free Press this week, “Some Michigan libraries join nationwide trend: Eliminating late fees on overdue books.” Here’s an excerpt:Libraries in metro Detroit, Michigan and across the U.S. have or are considering joining the nationwide trend of eliminating fines for overdue materials. Or, at least going partially fine-free.
Larger library systems, including the Detroit Public Library, Kent District Library and Grand Rapids Public Library, and smaller ones, such as the Ferndale Area District Library, Grosse Pointe Public Library and Chesterfield Township Library, either have eliminated overdue fines for all patrons or have gotten rid of late fines for certain patrons, such as children and teens.
The main reasons for this trend is that (1) the threat fines have proven to be largely ineffective, (2) the money collected from fines tends to be less than the money it takes to collect them, and (3) people who can’t afford the fines often avoid checking out materials altogether.
So what I came away with is this bit of hopefulness: It is still possible in America to change a system to make it better. If data suggests an adjustment or elimination, we can go ahead and make that adjustment or elimination. If something in onerous, inefficient, and ineffective, suffering through it is not the only option.
Why does this not seem to apply to healthcare?
John Auchter draws cartoons. Lots and lots of them. You can find them at his incredibly popular website auchtoon.com. You can also find his stuff on Michigan Public Radio’s website under Opinion.
Republicans do not want you to have access to health care if a dime comes from their pocket. They want you to pay your own way and if you can’t you die. Until they say of thinking changes nothing will change. Don’t see that happening.
My departure from the party really picked up speed during the 2012 Republican primary debates when one of the candidates was asked if what they were saying about Obamacare meant that they thought someone should die if they can’t afford care, and someone from the audience exasperatedly yelled out “Yes!”
Proudly yelled. It was clearly a strongly held opinion of this person that would overcome an audience member’s natural restraint to insert themselves into a debate on a stage. This was clearly an important thing to this person.
Now you can hold a lot of opinions about health care, but if its actually that people who can’t afford it should die that excites you into spontaneous and public action… I don’t think you and I belong in the same ideology.
Yup…those who think that way, are all talk until they themselves need “affordable” health care. Very hard to stomach these folks!
Reminds me of the farmers who wear their red MAGA hats as they take their socialist bailout money for the damage from the trade war.
$28,000,000,000 in taxpayer money collected from taxpayers and redistributed by the government to people that can’t support themselves, aka: Welfare.
And not a Tea Partier in sight.
Hmm, wonder what could explain that…?
(Spoiler: I don’t really wonder)