Running Government like a Business
We’ve all heard the common quip that “government ought to run like a business.” You’d think that if that was going to happen anywhere, it would be Idaho where the Governor and much of his cabinet (like Mike Gwartney and Richard Armstrong) are former business executives. But I’ve noticed in recent weeks that government policy and private sector behavior in Idaho are taking wildly different paths. Consider:
- The Governor is opting out of the high risk insurance pool.
- Idaho has joined a lawsuit against the United States government challenging the Constitutionality of federal health care reform.
- An utterly bizarre new law authored by Chuck Winder of all people, granting health care providers the right to ignore living wills and other advanced directives. The message: don’t die here.
- $247 million in reduced Medicaid spending in the state.
Meanwhile, here’s what is happening in Idaho’s private sector related to health care:
- Massive new investment by St. Alphonsus in area hospitals and clinics.
- A 36% increase since 2005 in the number of beds in assisted living facilities.
- $5 million in new spending at St. Lukes Mountain States Tumor Institute.
I’m not here to advocate for policy one way or another. I just want to point out that just maybe Idaho’s leaders - ostensibly concerned with economic development and economic recovery - might want to take a look at where the private sector is investing. In Idaho, that’s in health care.
Tags: Health Care
Economic Development, Government, People | admin May 4, 2010
