by juni 11 Replies latest jw friends
In the U.S, 1/3 of your salary/wages goes toward taxes.
Also, we have various State sales taxes on certain "luxury items" such as t.p. In Wisconsin it is 5.5%.
In 2004, 28% of Americans had no health insurance. Presently, 40% have no health insurance.
Thanks for your input.
Juni
Canada is probably about the same in taxes. We do not have a national health system it is mainly provincial. I believe in Ontario we have a decent health system even though it has gone down hill in the last few years as we are paying for certain services that used to be covered. Being a senior citizen my drugs are mostly paid for along with hospitalization and doctors visits, which is much lower than in the US.
In the U. S. taxes are much higher than the comparable social returns. The French don't pay much more in taxes than U.S. citizens pay ( on the average ), however, their return - in social services- is extraordinarily more than that of the average U.S. citizen.
The French
Are going broke...as are most socialistic "paradises"...
u/d(of the there's no free ride...you shouldn't even want a free ride class)
I beleive taxes here in Australia are about the same as the US we have excellent social services including and we arent going broke in fact the federal government returns a very healthy surplus every year and has done so for the last decade.
taxes here in Australia are about the same as the US we have excellent social services including and we arent going broke in fact the federal government returns a very healthy surplus every year and has done so for the last decade.
I got 12 million "illegal aliens".. I'll sell you dirt cheap!
Come on... you can afford it with 10 years of surplus and all...
u/d(of the always wanted to visit Australia class)
In the U.S, 1/3 of your salary/wages goes toward taxes. Also, we have various State sales taxes on certain "luxury items" such as t.p. In Wisconsin it is 5.5%.
In Canada, as soon as you make $60,000/year you're taxed at 50%. Plus we pay 15% tax on virtually everything you buy or need (8% Provincal Sales tax and 7% Goods and Services Tax). Even funerals are taxed 15%. I wouldn't mind so much paying high taxes because we have "free" Health Care, but the quality and service has gone downhill in the last 10 years thanks to the idiots in charge that like to slash, slash, slash. I had to have surgery a couple of years ago and seeing as the wait list up here was 4 - 6 YEARS, then OHIP paid for me to go over to the States to have it done.
In 2004, 28% of Americans had no health insurance. Presently, 40% have no health insurance.
That really sucks. At least over here if you have a heart attack or are going into labour, you don't have to worry about how you're going to pay for it----it's paid for automatically.
upside/down . . .
Please don't read something in my post that is not there. I'm not advocating the French way by any means. What I DO mean is that there are many " free riders" in the U.S. and that they create a downdraft on the overall economy, thus establishing an environment where those of us that work for a living do not receive the benefits that we should or we have to pay extraordinarily high prices for them.
Come on... you can afford it with 10 years of surplus and all...u/d(of the always wanted to visit Australia class)
Actually, that surplus for the most part was used to pay off the Govt. Debt run up by the previous Govt. that was in power previous to 10 years ago. This is probably the first year the Govt will not be using it to repay debt. Perhaps the long suffering workers and other taxpayers can get some of their hard-earned back in the form of taxcuts.
Unfortuantely someone sold a bill of goods to the US public that if they have universal health care that it will make their health care providers either become dumb or inaccessable. But you have to keep in mind most Americans are not known for their traveling any where other then the States. Most Americans who do travel to countries outside of the US that are not considered 3rd World Countries (where cheap Americans go to get cheap vacations) can afford to pay what they pay in health care (and most likely their company is picking up the majority of their health care costs). So the average American does not know that there are countries that have universal health care and they are not warming themselves by oil drums in the middle of the street. I think universal health care would be wonderful for the States. I don't believe it will ever happen because beside the oil companies getting rich off of the average joe's back, the insurance companies are doing the same as well.
What is ironic is that insurance companies set prices for most of their vendors - example, insurance company says to law firm, I will only pay X amount of dollars for this type of work and law firms says either OK we can do that for that price or they lose the business. Insurance company says to hospitals/doctors/treaters, we will only pay X amount of dollars for this type of procedure/surgery/treatment. Treaters say ok or they lose out on being part of the in network for the insurance company. So why can't we say, hey insurance company, I am not going to pay $175 a month for insurance, $500 deductible, not all meds covered by insurance and no dental as part of our package. I am willing to pay X amount of dollars take it or leave it. The problem is that the insurance companies are not in competition with eachother they are in bed with eachother so they can set high rates and the average person is stuck and has to pay it because there is no where else to turn.
Oh by the way, what does the average home owner here pay in taxes. My taxes for a 1200 foot condo w/ a balcony is $5,000 a year. WTF! Keep in mind that I have a mortgage and assessments every month - although I don't pay any utilities except for my phone, so the assessments are pretty fair. But the real estate taxes are a frig'n joke.
