Canadians are raised to believe that our universal and socialized healthcare system is superior to the healthcare system in America. In fact, this is a topic of frequent debate in our family because my parents still believe it. Even Canadian conservatives have long accepted this claim as fact. In my latest Enter Stage Right column, I compare our family's experience with the healthcare systems in both countries.
Here's an excerpt: "Yet Canadians forget that our universal health system is not free; it comes from the high taxes our government collects. In contrast, I pay no Florida state income tax under Governor Jeb Bush. And what about President George W. Bush, the Governor's brother, who recently lowered my federal tax rate? Dare I mention that before President Bush's tax cuts, I still paid a lot less in taxes each year than what my best friend and former accountant from back home tells me I would have paid as a Canadian resident under Jean Chretien's regime?
"Now add the fact my wife is a stay at home mother and the U.S. tax code permits joint tax returns for married couple. In contrast, as many Canadian social conservatives so aptly point out, the Canadian tax code penalizes married couples. And the premiums I pay for family health coverage in the United States are deducted from my taxable income. Thus when my wife and I add up what we pay each year in taxes, health insurance premiums and deductibles for medical services, we would pay more in taxes if we still lived in the Dominion of Socialized Healthcare."
Remember you get what you pay for or don't pay for! I live here in Florida.
I disagree.
Jeb Bush has run this state to the ground. Evidence: He OUTSOURCES EVERYTHING. State personal records are now run by a company in India, which is outside the country. That's all personal records of all many residents. Would you want or do you want your Social Security Number overseas? I am not fooling.
Government and healthcare on the cheap has a price.
Millions have been wasted on a new computer system at the expense of the health and safety of residents and visitors who eat in public restaurants here. What do I mean? They cut food health inspectors! There are less inspections and believe me, more dirty restaurants and stores.
There is no real good healthcare here. Lawsuits abound everywhere.
Is this Christian? Is it Christian or Catholic to cut jobs and ruin families, so they have to go on welfare? That is if there is welfare for them in this state, where the average worker makes less than $10 an hour.
And don't even bother to come here on vacation, because we are not really checking our restaurants and stores.
Add this to doctors who are less qualified because all the others left the state here. That's right: malpractice insurance here for doctors -- the less qualifed ones-- is one of the highest in the nation.
Does not Catholic Social Teaching say that we should take care of the less fortunate? I know the truth about this. I have lived here for about 35 years. Sorry to be so harsh, but this is a hot topic for me.
Want to reduce malparctice insurence, then have tort reform, and Jeb Bush has tried to get that passed. There is no free lunch, and there are causes and effects, and while I am no fan of Republicans, it is the Democrats who get their coffers filled by the lawyers who make big bucks off malpractice.