@vulcanhammer: Do you consider car insurance a tax? Everyone has to have it so it must be a tax, right? Why shouldn’t medical care be free (just asking)?

@harrison: what do you think you would have paid here in the US (I have no clue because I have medical insurance most of the time). I have heard mixed things about medical service in France (NYT has an article in its Sunday magazine – http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/magazine/16lives-t.html?_r=1&ref=magazine ) some sound like the stereotypical ‘French waiter’.

Speaking of the stereotypical ‘French waiter’ – DW and I were tasked by my s-i-l to record or somehow document a rude waiter in Paris – we could not find one. We ate in restaurants all over Paris and found only very helpful waiters but then we went there the last 2 weeks in May – in June, July, and August the temp can get up to 105+ degs in the shade; so while every other Frenchman is off on vacation, only retail service people are left to deal with the public. Also, we both tried hard to speak French (and my mom came over as a war-bride from Paris). I loved Paris and I recommend anyone who goes there to visit do so outside of tourist season; take one of those small flip-chart type phrase books with you; buy the museum pass!!!!! The long lines you see to get into places are to buy tickets but with the pass you just walk past the lines and go right in – you may not see enough museums to pay for the pass but you will save sooo much time NOT standing in lines in the rain or 105 deg heat that it will be worth the investment

but I digress.

“The article you referenced was short on specifics and long truth-stretching especially the bit \”(though in the end no one is denied actual care)\” – that is just pure cowpucky.”—-Yes, I’m sure the WSJ would sacrifice it sterling reputation by stretching the truth. Please show me empirical evidence of large populations of people being denied actual care–told to their face that because they don’t have cold hard cash or insurance they will be denied care.

“The \’public plan\’ is just an option that offers insurance to those who are uninsured now and are left completely out of the system right now. The CBO posits that only about 12 million would opt for the public plan and the availability of the public option will make the insurance companies more responsive – get rid of the pre-existing condition crap, and force them to be more honest and up front on their exclusions.”

—-When taxes are raised to pay for all the goodies that Obama wants, it will create an added burden to businesses that will then slowly let their employees slip onto the “public option.” Higher taxes have a nasty way of influencing behavior. The CBO numbers of “12 Million” do not take higher future taxes into its projection; it likely underestimates the cost and participation. Again, Medicare is going broke…anyone that believes that ObamaCare is going to pay for itself is kidding themselves.

“Also, medical insurance is a \’tax\’ on citizens in that it also removes money from available pockets; that money is going to go into a bucket labeled \’health care\’ no matter where that bucket is located. It is not like medical insurance is free.”

—No, medical insurance is not a tax. If I don’t want medical insurance, I don’t have to pay for it. You can not stop paying a Federal tax because you don’t want it. If you don’t believe me because you think I’m “stretching” the truth, try it sometime. Medical insurance shouldn’t be free like housing and food isn’t free.
.-= vulcanhammer´s last blog ..Obama tries to compare healthcare to the USPS–Stupid Move =-.