Those who wonder what Big Government socialised health care and the “public option” will be like need look no further than the public school system. In any discussion of health care, one can substitute “public schools” anytime someone argues for the “public option.”

– It is often characterized as “free” but those that pay for it know otherwise.

– You are forced to pay for it whether you use it or not.

– The quality is poor in comparison to other industrialized nations.

– There are not that many private schools to choose from in each locality.

– If you wish to pay for the quality that a private school can offer, you must still pay for the lower quality option which you did not select.

– If private schools perform poorly, you could take your business elsewhere.

– Private schools, to stay in business, may fire teachers who perform poorly in order to stay in business. Not so with the public “option”. The public option is guaranteed to keep itself going through higher and higher taxation.

– Big Government bureaucrats decide what is “best” for the students.

– Any shortcomings are addressed by spending more and more money.

The reason that the so called “public option” in health care will not work is the same reason that the public option in schooling does not work – if you are dissatisifed with its performance, there is nothing that you can do to fully opt out. All you are left with is being forced into spending more and more of your money on something which you may view as a failure. It is at times such as these that one must question the specific Constitutional authority under which these Big Government bureaucrats believe they are acting.