West End News April 5

Now that March is in the record books, it's not surprising that this March was officially the warmest since records have been kept. Setting aside all the economic and political ramifications, this is the kind of phenomenon that meteorologists live for. Minnesota Public Radio meteorologist Paul Huttner is a frequent visitor to Tofte and the BWCA Wilderness and author of the popular Updraft Blog. Recently, he wrote about all the weather records that were smashed last month. At the end of the posting, he quotes Tofte resident Jessa Frost, who said "This winter is like a bad boyfriend. They never come around when you want them, and just when you're done with them they show up unexpectedly."

Along with the rest of the nation, I followed the Supreme Court case on the Affordable Health Care Act with great interest. I am frustrated by the conservative opposition to the law's requirement that everyone carry health insurance. This was originally a conservative idea and accepting it was a significant concession from the many people who think that health care should be a single-payer system operated by the government. If the so-called mandate is struck down by the court, the whole concept health care provided by private industry is in doubt. A private insurance system can only work if the mandate is in place to spread the risk over the entire population.

Keeping the current system will not work either. Costs are rising so quickly that it will bankrupt our economy if nothing is done. The economy is also stifled by the millions of people who are stuck in their current jobs because they don't dare to risk losing their health insurance. This unintended side effect has severely depressed the entrepreneurial spirit that we used to be famous for. The old system also allowed insurance companies to drop you if you became seriously ill, which defeats the whole purpose of insurance. It has also led to health issues being the number one reason for bankruptcy.

I often hear the argument that if prices for health care were publicly posted, people would seek out the cheapest care and costs would be contained. This really makes no sense to me. Health care is not a normal product. Think of it this way: If your child were diagnosed with cancer, would you shop for a bargain basement treatment, or would you seek out the very best and probably most expensive care you could get your hands on?

Given the choices before us, it seems that if the Supreme Court strikes down the Affordable Health Care Act, we will have little choice but to move to single payer system, like most of the rest of the world’s developed countries. Even now, between Medicaid, Medicare, the Veterans Administration and the Indian Health Service, well more than half of Americans are covered by government funded health care. Our wonderful local clinic is partially funded by the federal government, which allows either directly or indirectly, the fantastic care that we get here in Cook County.

If the conservative justices on the Supreme Court strike down the Affordable Health Care Act, perhaps it will galvanize the country to support a truly universal, fair, sustainable and affordable health care system for America.

We had our first canoe rental at Sawbill this week, setting another early season record. This is normally a very quiet time of year back in the woods. The road bans are in place, fishing season is closed and the muddy ground usually makes camping unappealing. This year might be an exception, at least for a few people who want to experience real solitude and a chance to how nature is adapting to the wild weather.