Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveZ
...If this system - HR 3200 - is so good, then what's wrong with trying it first in Massachusetts, or all of New England, or California, with even a different plan tried in Texas or Illinois? Better still, fix one of the state systems with federal assistance and then expand it if/when it works to a greater number of states or an entire region. Prototype and Beta Test!
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Too bad you and I aren't in charge, Steve. If I was the benevolent dictator and you were my consigliore--or vice versa--a state-by-state or region-by-region test might be an OK idea. Then you and I could choose where it would be tried out and for how long. But we've got "the 435" involved in this thing, and they'd all want the test to be in
their district or
their state.
To some extent, whatever reforms are finally agreed to will wind up getting rolled out over an extended period of time. I've read somewhere that whatever changes are agreed to might not take effect until as late as 2015. That would be plenty of time for people to disect the programs and demand changes. Heck, we'll have a presidential election and three Congressional elections before then. I'm looking for some small solace in how long implementation might actually take.