The Committee is acting on the advice of bureaucrats in our fourth branch of government. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities describes itself as a “non-partisan research and policy institute working on federal and state fiscal policies and public programs that affect low- and moderate-income Americans.” A statement on the group’s web site by Executive Director Robert Greenstein applauds the pending health care reform legislation for “redirecting existing spending and tax subsidies from less productive uses elsewhere in the health sector.”

Apparently one example of what Mr. Greenstein considers a “less productive” use of money is the flexible spending account, or FSA. In a study quoted by the Fox News article, a CBPP group wrote, “FSAs encourage the overconsumption of health care, which runs directly counter to a critical goal of health care reform.”

Reform sounds like a noble goal. I would like to see health care reform that provides greater pricing transparency, enabling a more competitive market in health services. Knowing what I’m about to pay for a service would help me make better decisions. I’ve also observed that in a transparent market, competition tends to lower prices–that’s a goal everyone can support. Higher deductibles and percent-of-cost copays make sense to me also. I’m not a health care expert, but I am a consumer of health care services, and I know that paying a flat fee to see the doctor encourages my family to visit the doctor more often than we need. And contrary to the findings of the CBPP study, my wife and I spend much more time thinking about how we’re spending those FSA dollars, because most services we buy with them are covered lightly or not at all by our employer-sponsored health insurance plan. Because I get the bills and pay them myself, I’m a diligent comparison shopper for FSA-funded services.

So I wonder, why go in the wrong direction? Why take even more of my money out of my hands and substitute national regulation for personal accountability? I want less government in my life, not more of it. For the record, I have not been consulted by Mr. Greenstein or any other member of the CBPP, House, or Senate. Yet without even evaluating the facts of my case, the actions of all of these groups demonstrate their agreement that my use of a flexible spending account constitutes a waste of resources that should be applied elsewhere.

I disagree. I use my flexible spending account primarily to pay for uninsured services and treatments for my autistic son. The $2500 cap currently proposed is far below my current election. Perhaps Mr. Greenstein and Mr. Baucus believe it inefficient to spend money on a special-needs child. I would prefer to think they simply cannot anticipate all the consequences of their decisions.

How could any of these federal policymakers anticipate the consequences? They are micromanaging American health care, one of the largest sectors of the largest economy in the world. The FSA reduction is only one, small sample of the dross imbued in this monstrous horse pill taxpayers may be asked to swallow. Our lawmakers label this effort reform, but I label it folly. Sadly, it seems my view is not shared by those in power at this time. If you, too, believe the current health care reform legislation is a massive overdose of the wrong medicine, ping your pols and tell them to drop this bill.

Those of you who know me, know I’m a poor golfer, with no more than 15 outings in my history. You may think it a shame to learn I played the Spanish Bay course at Pebble Beach this week. The scenery wasn’t wasted on me–most holes were within sight and hearing of the Pacific Ocean breaking on a beautiful, rough shoreline–but a beautiful course didn’t improve my game any. The root of the issue was the rented clubs, most likely….

Lord willing, our family will join several others from church on a beach trip the week before school. We’ll be at Gulf Shores in Alabama. Everyone is excited, and we are already planning and preparing. Then Drew and Alex will return to public school, and Matt will start at a new private school near us.

. . . And so did Chris and I! The first night Chris took me to an amazing restaurant, where the servers sang various Italian melodies and songs from musicals, WHILE THEY SERVED TABLES! I was beaming! That is just the perfect combination to me–awesome food, your honey sitting across from you, and the music you love best, being performed live! I will definitely visit Bergamo’s (http://www.bergamos.com/) again if I get the chance.

On Sunday, Chick-fil-A provided us with a Chris Tomlin concert, which I just could not have been more blessed by. Chris Tomlin and his worship leader (Louie Giglio) had such an obvious earnest desire to lift up the name of Jesus Christ that I couldn’t help but weep for a great portion of the concert. It was truly wonderful to be in a room with 3300 other Chick-fil-A Operators, staff, and executives just worshiping our awesome, amazing, Lord.

The theme of Seminar this year was “Great Leaders Serve.” I was inspired to manage my home better by viewing my obligation to serve my family as a unique opportunity to impact their lives and the lives of countless others who they will in turn touch. I was mostly struck with a great sense of thankfulness and amazement that I, through Chris, am allowed to be a part of Chick-fil-A, a company filled with people who look to God for strength and guidance for every business decision that has to be made and then turn around and give God all the glory for every success. I hope when I go back next year (Lord willing) that I can say that I have been more purposeful about setting a vision, providing an example, and creating an atmosphere in which our family thinks more about others than ourselves and tries always to help people around us. As you can tell, I’ve been inspired!

OK! Now back to the real world: I need to go cook dinner, and Tori just woke up, and she needs to go potty!

Tori:  No, I don’t!

Matt:  That’s right, you won’t get a backpack until you get to be a boy like me!

 Considering that the three people in our household who own backpacks are boys, I guess that this was a very reasonable assumption!