Madison’s other great alternative is the Dane County Farmers Market around the Capitol Square on Saturdays during the warm months. There are also many other farmers markets in the area on different days of the week.

Then there are the CSAs – Community Supported Agriculture farms, which supply organic produce to individuals and families on a contractual basis.

There are also farm stands in various parking lots, especially now that sweet corn, melons, and other crops are ripening.

Last, and least is Trader Joe’s, pretty much like Whole Foods. I don’t shop there much, unless I’m in a pinch, and in the neighborhood.

I almost forgot, there are also the standard grocery stores, which have some organic produce, and I can get fresh filtered water refills, using my own jugs, cheaper than Willy St.

As far as the Whole Foods CEO opposing health care reform, it’s a bit curious. Usually a reform opponent has a money incentive lurking in the background. Some supposed “ideologues” harbor deep resentments against ordinary people, including their customers. I know this from much personal experience. One former employer, a John Birch Society organizer, cursed his customers when he thought they couldn’t hear him, cheated me on wages, and worked me like a slave. Another, a fake patriot, considered his sons to veterans because they went to a military high school. The list goes on.

What “conservatives” might want to ask themselves in a reflective moment is what exactly they want. In health care, for example, is the present situation desirable? Is monopoly or oligopoly the way to go? Is high-tech, pharmaceutical medicine sustainable and the only approach to medical care, or is it, in effect, a religion? Should “alternative” methods, like acupuncture, naturopathy, bodywork, herbalism, aromatherapy, shiatsu, nutrition, and ayurveda be included in a meaningful health care system? So many questions, so few answers.

One place an examination and debate is not taking place is the editorial pages of WSJ. I stopped counting, but for the latest editorials on health care – 14 were against Obamas plan and 1 was for it.

Okay, I took liberty reframing what Mackay says. But he states, “how can we say that all people have more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have to food or shelter? ” and he makes no mention of how to cover the currently uninsured. I read this to mean, he’s fine with large segments of our population being uninsured. To me that’s “tough luck.”

Okay I didn’t think this blog was about a conversation about health care, rather whether boycott is an acceptible form of protest. You say it isn’t. But here goes about what’s wrong with his ideas.

Mackey’s idea #1: Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs).

I own an high-deductible plan. I’m not necessarily against them, however they skirt responsibility in a number of ways. The $2500 deductible he mentions is only if you are single. If you are married it goes up to $5000. Additionally, after that deductible is met insurance only pays a percentage of the costs. What it means, if a person develops a health issue while they have insurance, they will have to pay roughly $10,000 per year to maintain health care (that’s even after the premiums are paid). Additionally, many HSA plans (like mine) have incredibly low caps on things like prescriptions. Mine is $2000 per year. That means if my prescription cost is $25,000 per year, I have to pay $23,000 regardless of my deductible.

Mackey’s idea #2: Equalize the tax laws so that that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned health insurance have the same tax benefits

I agree with him on this.

Mackey’s Idea #3: Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines.

Would someone please tell me which state has the insurance that solves all our problems. There isn’t any such state. If anything this idea would make insurance worse than it is now because it would be a race to the bottom for the insurance companies. They would all move to the state that had the most lax regulations. Additionally, it would be exceedingly difficult for a consumer to navigate the health care laws of 50 states to know what the insurance companies legal obligations are. This has to be the worst idea I’ve heard on health care reform.

Mackey’s Idea #4: Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover.

Again, how would consumers research every single possible procedure the insurance company will cover before they buy the policy. Like Nostradamus, they would have to know what procedures they will need at some unknown future point and check to make sure the insurance company covers it. It’s a la carte insurance. Bad idea.

Mackey’s Idea #5: Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

While I agree there has to be some form of tort reform, it hasn’t been demonstrated that this significantly raises the cost of health care. There are much worse inflationary drivers than this.

Mackey’s Idea #6: Make costs transparent so that consumers understand what health-care treatments cost.

I agree with this to some extent. That’s what HSA’s were supposed to do. With my HSA, I have a vested interest in reducing my health care expenditures. The problem with this idea is: even if the costs are transparent I’m powerless to do anything about it if I find the cost too high. My only choice is to refuse treatment which I do sometimes. Sometimes refusing treatment is a good idea, but it’s a gamble.

Mackey’s Idea #7: Enact Medicare reform.

I agree. The only people who don’t agree with this are republicans with their “Senior Bill of Rights”

Mackey’s Idea #8: • Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren’t covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Why not. However, these donations are already tax-deductible. Making it easier is nice but would have next to no effect.

Okay now what does Mackey not even talk about:

He makes no mention of individual policy holders difficulty in acquiring insurance and the higher rates they pay. He makes no mention of rejection for pre-existing conditions. He makes no mention of insurance companies freedom to withdraw coverage if a patient becomes too expensive. He makes no mention of mandatory coverage. He makes no suggestions for those who can’t afford even an HSA. He makes no mention of medical bankruptcy, which I believe is our generations moral equivalent to the civil rights movement. The bottom-line is that his ideas will not address the real problems with our health care system. He simply wants to expand high-deductible insurance plans. Those who currently fall through the cracks would continue to do so.

My high-deductible plan is really just a gamble. I’m gambling that I won’t have a long term health problem which would cost me $18,000 a year to cover the deductible and premiums. I’m gambling that I won’t have more than $5000 per year in prescription drugs. I personally don’t feel that I should have to gamble my future financial security with an insurance company that will do everything in it’s power to avoid paying for my medical bills.

Now I have a particular vantage point, being a middle-class self-employed person. I think sometimes those with more money or those with jobs that provide health care don’t really have an understanding of what it is like if you don’t. We can do better than this as a country.