My wife is teaching summer school this year. They pay well. They also tax her to the tilt. In real dollars, it's obscene what the state takes from us. Of course, we can't complain because the high taxes point to a superior socially progressive society. I've never seen proof of exactly how this is so but it's to be accepted no questions asked.
Sheep. Blind. Off the cliff.
If we think there won't be a moment of truth somewhere down the line for our luxurious welfare addictions then we're in serious psychological doo-doo.
A libertarian take on Quebec's health care:
"In his recent budget speech, Bachand acknowledged that Quebec’s health care system is in serious financial trouble. While this recognition of the problem is encouraging, the proposed new health tax will do nothing to solve the problem. Since the new tax is not linked to the cost of care or a person’s past or potential use of medical services, it is not connected to health care demand and consequently, will have no effect on current or future costs. Therefore, it will do nothing to tame the unsustainable growth in government health care spending.
Instead the government should follow through with its plan to introduce a health deductible, which would require Quebecers to pay a small user fee when using medical services. This would encourage patients to use the health care system more responsibly, a much-needed reform currently in use in many European countries. Unfortunately, the government is now backpedaling on the idea of the health deductible.
The problem with the current system is that patients pay for health care through taxes, meaning there is no price at the point of service. Without price signals, individuals do not have an incentive to control the amount (and type) of health care services they consume, which inevitably leads to excessive demand for health care services."
People should be given a statement of cost when they use the health system...but it would add more paper work, kill more trees and add work to an already overworked staff in clinics and hospitals.
ReplyDeleteCould still be a good idea though.
Some sort of proof. More transparency. If we have to be responsible with the environment why not for things that cost a lot of money like public health? I like it.
ReplyDeleteA friend of ours (originally from here) now lives in Alberta and came to visit. She's head of some faculty at UofA and he husband works for the Alt. gov. (geez, all our friends seem to be in good spots). She was telling me that in many ways her quality of life in Alt. is a LOT better than here.
Although, politically, the Tories have way too much ongoing power for her taste. They control the rural pop. that keep them in power whereas Edm. and Cal. are urban and more mixed with Cal. being more cons. thant the two.
Anyway. I digress.
She was telling us that the Alberta gov. runs its bureaucracy like a business. There are so many checks and balances its's crazy but there's accountability. There's a reason why they're a wealthy province. They control waste.
By contrast, we're a poor province because we don't control costs.
It's as simple as that. Our finances are a mess. And with the federal transfer system set up as it is, Alberta subsidizes us. Which is why they have ZERO problems watching Quebec leave. Philosophically, we're baggage to them. Quite frnakly, I agree. We shouldn't be accepting anyone's money but OUR OWN.
A beautiful page. I liked.
ReplyDelete