Conseratives cite figures that X percent earn 50,000 dollars a year, however 50,000 a year for an average family puts that person about 20 percent below the median family income. The average income in the U.S. is about 38,000 a year.

Conservatives always come up with these, they have cell phone service and yada yada. Most people could give up every little extra beyond food, housing and clothing and it would still not be enough to cover health insurance.

The health insurance industry made promises in the 1990’s while they were attacking the Clinton health care program. The two promises that they made were that if the government didnt create a government health care program that in ten years, through the magic of the free market, even with existing government regulations (which barely exist, that is what has gotten the health care situation in the U.S, into the mess it is in, there is almost no FEDERAL regulation of the business at all. It was one of Reagan’s it is a state’s right issue creations) they would be able to reduce the number of uninsured by fifty percent, and cut health care premiums by 25 percent.

Which means that by 2004, the number of uninsured should have fallen to 18 million (the number of uninsured in 1993 was 36 million) and the average cost for premiums on the open market should have fallen to about 6,000 dollar per year.

The only fair thing to do if there is no government health reform is to tax the benefits of those who do get health insurance through their employer and let them feel a little of the pain that those who do not get it feel. Next let the government take away the employers tax deduction for giving it. Take away the ability of businesses to deduct it as a “business expense” and let them do it out of their own good hearts. You will soon see employer based insurance vanish.

The current system as it exists, may be totally unconstitutional as it discriminates, economically, against some people while providing a tax benefit to others that has no constitutional basis. Basically it is a form of tax shelter that may be unconstitutionally applied.

I’m renting an appartment that cost $550 for a two bedroom in a rundown area. I usually take home about $389 per week.

GA Power – $150.00 even when I’m not using air conditioning or heat.
Water – $52 month, I only have one bathroom and take a bath twice daily.
Liability for car – $96 month, because my 1992 vehicle is paid for.
Food – $325 monthly, but I usually shop every other week. Steak is OUT.
Gas – $125 approx.month -This is when I find gas around $2.45per gallon.

I’m usually left with about $300 dollars a month once all the necessities have been paid for. If I spend what is remaining on healthcare, I will not have a dime to my name for those other emergencies such as washing clothes, since I don’t own a washer or dryer. If my unreliable car breakdown, I would have to take Marta, because I won’t be able to get it fixed. Then I might lose my low paying 40 hour a week job as a “Compliance Specialist”. You did notice that I don’t have a cell phone or house phone.

That was my life 14 years ago and I am much blessed to have been promoted over the years. You see I didn’t work at McDonalds or Walmart, when I couldn’t afford health insurance. I was an educated young adult and had what many considers an excellent position in corporate america. I was also apart of the working poor.

If you take away the cell phone and cable, it’s not going to get anyone healthcare. My mother spends $500 a month in medicine, with healthcare and a good job. Her so called excellent healthcare, which she pays for, does not cover all of her medication. She spends more on medicine than it would cost a young adult in health insurance.

“other than the federal highway system,
Good point.

network broadcasting,
WTF? If you are talking about the regulation of the “public” airwaves, you are sadly mistaken.

clean air and water,
More WTF. You bozos have been complaining about all our problems with the environment for years, and now you think we’ve been doing a GOOD job? You are a mass of inconsistencies, UK.

food safety (when they’re adequately funded),
Yet for some strange reason, we never had massive outbreaks of ANY kind of contamination when I was growing up in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s when there was far less oversight and regulations. I wonder why that was?

drug regulation,
Yeah, right. And you complain about the exorbitant cost of drugs, yet you never seem to look that the CAUSE of those costs, which is government regulations. And even then, they send out drugs that have more side effects than benefits.

sewage,
You do know, of course, UK, that about 99.9% of all sewage plants are built and designed by private firms, and more than 70% of them are operated by private firms, don’t you? The government is merely the money collector. Ooops, your bad!

the court system (and it’s first cousin, the penal system),
Yeah, cases backlogged for two to four years on MAJOR crimes, and even more for some minor ones. Sorta gives a sour taste to the “right to a speedy trial” thing, doesn’t it?

the post office
That would be the one that LOSES money and can’t figure out without a major study that maybe we don’t need mail delivery 6 days a week?

and, lest we forget, the armed services
The people, yes. The procurement system, no.

Tool.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/10/cnn-poll-double-digit-post-speech-jump-for-obama-plan/

JB

September 11th, 2009
7:21 am

Keep ‘em honest!