Every year I have gotten a pretty decent sum of money back from the government at tax time. Especially lately during the Bush tax breaks. I have to admit these sums are nice. We've been able to "help the economy" by purchasing material things such as items for our back yard. My tax money is there, in my grass, my fence, my bricks, and other garden stuff.
NONE of it is in a bank... Extra money, if there was any, was spent on consumables or debt.
I know I'm not alone. People take their tax money, and even with the best intentions of what will be done with it, spend it. It may sit in a savings account for a few months. Just to give the feeling of saving something. But, eventually that money is spent. Thats what most middle class people do with "surplus" it's extra money. Free money. Even though we know it's not. How can we possibly leave that money untouched when we're paying down our mortgage, and using overdraft accounts for food.
If my very poor sister-in-law and brother received a $5,000.00 tax credit, I'm not necessarily sure that that money would be spent on health insurance. It most likely would be spent on more immediate needs. Needs like food, power and gas.
What I'm saying is, tax breaks are great to prompt Americans to spend. Giving them checks to buy health insurance or to invest in retirement is fool hearted. When Grandma gets her check "for investing" she's going to use it to buy groceries and pay someone to cut her lawn before the city fines her for letting it go.
Another thing, at one time a single income was all that was necessary to pay a mortgage or rent. But, because of beneficial social changes, ie... feminist movements and women moving in to the workplace, many homes became dual income. Bankers and landlords quickly figured that they could get more money out of renters/homebuyers and raised the bar on the price of having a place to live. ("if most families are dual income I can charge double"-Evil Landlord) If every American is guaranteed $5,000.00 from Senator McCain, that will send a quick message to insurance providers that every American family can "afford" $5,000.00 worth of health care coverage, this raises the bar. Unregulated, after a few years "insurance" prices will go up and the 5,000 will turn into 8,000 and so on. Government will act and raise the value of this 'insurance' rebate and the insurance fat cats will be chuckling at their unregulated source of wealth. ("If every American gets 5,000 for insurance, I can charge at least that much and they will pay. Oh, I'm going to be so rich." - Evil Insurance Fat Cat)
Actually, from the sound of it, McCain and Obama have the same HC plan. Though they would never admit that so clearly. Both basically give out checks to everyone on "the plan", both have options to buy into any insurance group the want (or can afford), both allow for crossing state lines to look for other companies. I have a strong inclination to think that Obama's plan includes more regulation, which if it heads this way, I hope there is a lot of regulation.
By the way, I'm for socialized healthcare. Many other capitalist countries have successful socialist healthcare programs. I'm not so arrogant that I can't say that there are good examples out there, why can't we find a solution to our crisis. And just because we are looking toward socializing healthcare doesn't mean that government is going to have a say in who we see or what is covered. Though, it is guaranteed that who we see or what is covered will happen with a privately led program. That's the way it is already, look at your Group Health plan.
Frontline info on 5 capitalist countries with socialized healthcare. This is some great information. The televised episode was even better.
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"...But, at the end of the day, my friend, I have to tell you again, and you know what it's like to serve, and you know what it's like to sacrifice, but we can never allow a second Holocaust to take place." --McCain
I have one word to say to that, Darfur. Darfur McCain, Darfur.
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