A recent article in The Sun on Sunday discussed the new health care law passed by the Arizona legislature that would help small business owners provide medical coverage for themselves and their employees. The article stated that less than half of America's small-business owners provide health care for their employees as opposed to ninety-nine percent of big businesses. The article also went on to say that although it is the job of congress to correct this situation, state government can help.

Contrary to popular belief, nowhere in the United States Constitution does it state that it is the job of the congress to provide health care for individuals, and one would be hard pressed to find anything in the Arizona constitution ascribing that same responsibility to the state legislature.

In spite of this, though, the Arizona legislature passed a state law allowing the Arizona state government to provide upfront money to qualifying entrepreneurs seeking medical coverage for themselves and their workers. This type of legislation that goes on at both the national and state level is the very reason why this country and this state are going down the path of financial ruin.

When government at any level interferes in the marketplace like this, the long term results are disastrous even though the intentions are well meaning. This type of market interference only encourages individuals to become more dependent on government and their employer for their health care. As a result taxes must increase in order to pay for the upfront money to help the small business pay for the health care. The cost of health care then increases because now there is greater demand for health services than there would be otherwise.

Instead of helping the small business, government destroys the incentive of the small business to stay in business by increasing the small business's cost of doing business. As the cost of doing business increases there is even a greater outcry for government officials to do something, setting off a new round of increased costs.

Nothing is free in this world and it is a shame that government officials do not stress this to the citizenry. However, the individual cannot really expect the elected official to explain this concept since he or she is looking out for him or herself. Instead of looking at themselves as a servant of the people, they look at their position as their place of employment and want to stay employed as long as possible. As such, they give into the demands of the people clamoring for government to do something about health care and everything else.

Individuals must stop the insane belief that government is the salvation of their lives. Only the individual with help from others voluntarily, not through the point of a gun (legislation), can the life of the individual be satisfied.

Some will say that individuals have to live in the real world and not in some dream world where everything is perfect. It is precisely the fact that all individuals do indeed live in the real world where scarcity exists and not a dream world where government is a panacea that government officials must stay out of the individual's life and the individual must stop demanding that government officials pass laws to correct the inconsistencies of the market.

As individuals demand more corrections to the marketplace by government edict in not only health care, but education, transportation, and all other areas, the result is less quality health care, education, and transportation and the cost becomes prohibitive. Worse than all of that, though, is the individual is less free to decide for himself the amount and quality of health care he desires through the necessary increased taxes and regulations that come with the demand for more government.

Stop by the Yuma Civic and Convention Center this Saturday, September 30 from 10 AM to 3 PM for the annual P.L.A.Y. (People to Learn About Yuma) day to find out what is going on in the great city and county of Yuma.

Mr. Ricardo Valenzuela, advisor to recently elected president of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, president of Liberty Americas Foundation in Tucson, and former rancher, banker, and editorial writer, will be the featured guest at The Freedom Library Annual Education Forum November 2 at 7 PM at the Booth Machinery conference hall located at Araby road and 30th Street. His topic, "The Future of Freedom in Mexico and Its Impact on Arizona and the United States" is a very timely one.