VALLEY CITY, N.D. -- On Interstate 94, two signs on buildings outside Valley City express opinions on the health care debate. They are appropriate enough -- from the perspective of someone facing north, the signs are on the left and right of the city, the same ends of the political spectrum they represent.
A sign supporting a "universal single payer" system is on the north side of I-94 west of Valley City. The project was initiated by Sharon Clancy of Valley City and is on Richard Munson's farm.
Clancy said that of the $850 spent on the sign, a little more than half came from donations of friends. For the rest, she approached District 24 Democrats.
East of town, Keith Colville of Valley City helped make the sign opposing government health care -- "No Obamacare," it reads. Colville, a member of local group called Committee for Community Involvement, and friends put up the sign on an old granary on Mark Ertelt's farm.
Clancy and Colville shared their opinions on health care and what motivated them to put the signs up.
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"I believe that good health is a right, not a privilege," Clancy said, "and to me, that means universal health care. We already have single-payer on many levels: congressional, state Legislature, state public employees, the military and Medicaid. Medicare is a blend of government, private and insurance."
Colville said, "The one big thing I don't like about government health care is one of our checks and balances is the courts. Through the private sector, if you've got a beef,you go to the courts. Have you ever tried to sue the government? It takes a lot of bucks and time, and it doesn't get done very often."
Clancy said, "I have experienced national health care in England; I have friends and relations in England, and friends in Canada, and it works just fine."
Colville agreed the health system has problems.
"Oh sure, our system is not good, but government-run health care is not good at all," he said.
Colville said measures such as allowing competition between states, tort reform and controlling illegal immigration would help restrain health care costs.
On the subject of costs, Clancy said, "I think we're all about one health care issue away from bankruptcy."
