Socialized Auto Repair and Car Care

The dictum finally came down from the lord Barack Obama, the messiah, the most merciful that all the land should be taxed and part of the proceeds would be used to fund socialized car care.

Mac the mechanic, who had been an auto mechanic for at least 30 years received notice in the mail that he would no longer be able to bill people directly for his services, but would rather have to send a monthly claim to the administration of car care and auto repair. Mac had always pretty much run a cash and carry service. His loyal customers would bring their cars in for service. Mac, who was very competent and very well liked, would go over the problems with his clientele, make the authorized repairs, get paid in cash, and everyone was happy. If any unexpected problems occurred, Mac would do his best to make things right.

Well, suddenly, Mac found out that the gubment would not accept paper claims from him. The gubment required that Mac submit electronic claims. Poor Mac did not know a thing about computers. He called the car care and auto repair administration to complain but was told that this was "change he could believe in" and that he would be required to buy a complete computer system, the latest gubment claim submittal software, and a high speed internet connection, as well as hire a technician to train Mac and his staff on the proper utilization of the system.

Bewildered customers began to appear wanting their cars repaired. According to the latest gubment rules, Mac was no longer allowed to accept their money, but would be paid based on the primary problem with the car. Mr. Jones brought in his car because it was missing. Mac found it needed new spark plugs. While under the hood, Mac also found a leak in the radiator and a worn brake pad. Mac was surprised to find out that the gubment would only pay Mac for the new spark plugs, and only about 40 percent of his usual and customary charge for labor. They would not pay him anything for the radiator repair and installation of the new brake pad. His payment was based only on the primary problem.

After Mr. Jones drove the car off the lot a fan belt broke. Mr. Jones brought the car back to Mac. The gubment now informed Mac that he would not be paid anything at all. They were denying his claim entirely stating that Mac must have done something to cause that fan belt to break.

After a time, Mac started refusing to service older cars. There was so much wrong with the old cars that he could not make anything trying to service them.

Pretty soon, people started bringing in cars for Mac to see even when there was nothing wrong with them. This was because all the people were told that they could have their car serviced for FREE. With their new gubment car care plan, they would be charged NOTHING!

Many of Mac's previously loyal customers started to get angry with Mac. They had seen gubment run ads on TV stating that greedy auto mechanics were the cause of high costs and inefficiency in the system, and that further reform and regulation needed to be done to take care of greedy people like Mac.

In the next few months, Mac received a notice that he was going to have to start doing customer quality surveys at his own expense. The results of these surveys would be used by the gubment to determine the quality of auto care. Those mechanics with high marks would receive more pay while those with lower marks would receive less. The criteria and questions would be formulated by "experts" at Harvard and Yale. The results would be posted on the internet for all to see.

Some of the larger auto repair places were able to hire consultants to help them get better survey scores. Unfortunately Mac could not afford such consultants so he ended up getting paid even less. Some of Macs previous customers started going elsewhere because of Mac's lower scores reducing his income even further.

Eventually, Mac went bankrupt and was forced into early retirement. His only means of support now is social security which turned out not to be as much as he had hoped since the gubment raised the full benefit age to 88 shortly before he retired. Also, Mac found that his 401K money had been spent by Barack Obama to fund his new healthcare plan.

So that vile, greedy, auto mechanic Mac, finally got his just rewards.

For those of you that are smiling at my work of pure fiction, realize that this is exactly the way that the gubment deals with doctors and hospitals. And the Dimocrats wonder why we look at them with so much disdain when they suggest a gubment run healthcare program.

For related articles, check out my diatribes:
What I Believe - The Solution to the "Healthcare Crisis" - Part 1
What I Believe - The Solution to the "Healthcare Crisis" - Part 2