Watch out when the politicians start talking about "reform."

It's a term that gives cover to some of the worst legislation ever invented under the guise of fixing problems and improving things - the usual meaning of "reform."

Health care "reform," rammed through Congress by President Barack Obama and his Democrat minions, is a government takeover of the health care industry that puts faceless bureaucrats in charge and authorizes a massively increased IRS collection army, loss of freedom, higher taxes and reduced access to health care - these are what this "reform" means.

On top of that, this monstrosity called "reform" will burden state governments with huge additional costs for Medicaid in the long term. Never mind the temporary handouts from our ruling czars in Washington for the first couple of years, maybe.

Why do the news media in general insist on referring to this takeover as "reform?" Only in the final days before moderate Dems caved and the bills passed did some reports use the term "overhaul," more accurate but still missing the mark - government takeover.

Here in Georgia, we just got a look at what ethics "reform" means to the politicians in control of the legislature. The long-awaited plan of House Speaker David Ralston failed to set any limit whatsoever on gifts from lobbyists to legislators. But it would slap a new $300 fee on lobbyists for registering - the taxation part of the "reform." And it does rename the state Ethics Commission and ban e-mail and texting between lobbyists and legislators during debate in committee or on the floor.

If this is the best the new leadership can do in the wake of the lobbyist-linked scandal that brought down former Speaker Glenn Richardson, then long-suffering Georgians can forget about ethics reform in the legislature.

How about "tort reform?" Another monstrosity visited on the public under the guise of "reform" - setting an arbitrary unconscionable limit of $350,000 for non-economic damages in medical malpractice jury awards, regardless of permanent injury, disfigurement, impairment, etc. Confirming how bad was this cap, the Georgia Supreme Court unanimously struck it down as violating the right to trial by jury.

Campaign finance "reform" limited our precious freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution. Only the Supreme Court's decision striking down a major provision of the pernicious McCain-Feingold law preserved our freedom, at least until the next assault by the ruling elite in Washington.

Be aware that the enemies of free speech, Democrats now led by Barack Obama, will try, try again to curb this most fundamental right. Remember Obama's graceless and undignified verbal assault on the Supreme Court justices during his State of the Union bluster for their ruling on campaign finance.

He talked about getting new legislation to "right this wrong."

Sheer hypocrisy when he refused to consider the opposition to health care "reform" from most Americans.

The answer: Vote out the ruling elite, starting in this fall's congressional elections - that's reform we can believe in.

dmckee9613@aol.com