Deadlines are necessary

I know deadlines seem completely arbitrary, but the reality is that deadlines are often necessary to get work done. How many of us wait until April 15 to pay our taxes? Without a deadline, we would probably wait even longer.

The same is true for health-care reform. Like taxes, it is a painful process. There are potential winners and losers. Politicians are making many difficult decisions as part of reform, and people typically don't like change, especially if they don't think it will benefit them. The strategy is then to delay. Delay can often weaken reform, or when there are competing priorities, delay can shift focus elsewhere. A deadline forces all parties to come together to make a decision. It is true that too early a deadline can result in a bill that isn't ideal. But let's face it...no one bill is going to address all the problems with our health-care system. There are going to be many bills necessary over many years to continue to refine the changes. We need to start somewhere, and making people take action by an imposed deadline is an effective strategy to get work done! For those who say the deadline is not feasible, I say let's go ahead and see!

By John J. Whyte  |  November 17, 2009; 3:53 PM ET  | Category:  Health Care Reform , Presidential leadership , Taxes Save & Share:                 
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