New York power freak Andrew Cuomo |
As Governor Andrew Cuomo faced a spirited challenge in his bid to win New York’s 2018 Democratic primary, his political apparatus got a last-minute boost: a powerful healthcare industry group suddenly poured more than $1m into a Democratic committee backing his campaign.There is a very important lesson here.
Less than two years after that flood of cash from the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), Cuomo signed legislation last month quietly shielding hospital and nursing home executives from the threat of lawsuits stemming from the coronavirus outbreak. The provision, inserted into an annual budget bill by Cuomo’s aides, created one of the nation’s most explicit immunity protections for healthcare industry officials, according to legal experts.
When power centers are created, those close to power will benefit.
The only way to end this cronyism is to end the power centers themselves.
In this particular case, the question must be asked: What the hell is New York State doing setting up terms of lawsuits against hospitals and nursing homes?
What is wrong with allowing free markets to set terms? Under free markets, we are likely to have a myriad number of options from different organizations instead of a power center taking the weapon of options and alternatives out of the hands of consumers and, in this case, making Andrew Cuomo the great decider for all (after money is stuck in his campaign pocket).
-RW
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