A letter from Dr. Ed Schweitzer, President and Founder of Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories
August 18, 2021
I established www.fairfreeflatopen.com this morning to fulfill a particular need to defend our freedom to choose insurance options regarding long-term care. In 2019, Washington state voters voted 63 to 37 percent to repeal the Long-Term Care Act. This was a vote on economic and political freedom. Unfortunately, Olympia proceeded to implement the Act anyway. And now, We the People need to guide the path back to economic and political freedom.
One might argue that the vote was only advisory. But don’t we expect our elected officials to generally follow our advice? And should there be popular disagreement, continue in open dialogue to resolve it.
Being fair, free, flat and open is not partisan. It’s about the fundamental rights guaranteed by our federal and state constitutions. The United States of America is the only country I know of where its federal government was born out of We the People, with our unalienable rights: Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
It’s not the other way around. The federal government didn’t give us rights. Instead, our founding fathers granted the federal government limited, specific, and enumerated powers on behalf of We the People.
Article 1, Section 1 of the Washington State Constitution states:
“All political power is inherent in the people, and governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed, and are established to protect and maintain individual rights.”
It’s very reassuring to see how closely aligned our federal and state constitutions are.
Our immediate purpose here is to encourage and assist folks in reestablishing their economic and political freedom when it comes to their choices for long-term care.
We are amazed at the levels of surprise, disbelief, and disagreement with the Long-Term Care Act. Folks in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon are not happy with it.
I believe the best and minimum course of action today is for the Executive Branch to postpone further work implementing the Act until our Legislators have an opportunity to reconvene and reconsider.
Would you please join us in encouraging Olympia to pursue this course? If so, please contact Hailey Lewis at hailey_lewis@selinc.com or (509) 288-9316. We are ready to help!
Sincerely,
Dr. Edmund O. Schweitzer, III
Chairman of the Board, President, and Chief Technology Officer
Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.
August 18, 2021