Dear Editor,

“Obamacare,” the Democrats’ precious gem of socialized medicine, as it emerged in 2009 had more federal mandates than Carter’s got little-liver pills. One of the most unpopular of some 2,000 already required across the various 50 states was the unconstitutional “individual mandate” — the medicine-socializers answer to prop up Obamacare.

It requires that each American buy health insurance or pay a so-called penalty, which was pronounced a tax by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In fact, right now, as you are reading this letter, the IRS is sending personalized letters to millions of taxpayers who might be uninsured reminding them for this year they could be on the hook for $2,085 or more, depending on family size and income. That’s a hard pill to swallow. In all likelihood, the tax or penalty will be repealed by Republicans.

But, it will take some heavy lifting to smooth over Obamacare — a bill that few Democrats, if any, read before they voted for it.

In other words it was “sloppy thinking.” To the contrary, Republicans should learn from the Democrats’ failure — and not replicate it.

Robert Johnson

St. Clairsville