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Politics : Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Kerry -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: CalculatedRisk who wrote (10668)	3/29/2004 10:58:20 PM
From: ChinuSFO	Respond to of 81568

Up until recently, Americans knew little about Canada except that the people there play hockey and occasionally blow out the lights in the Northeast part of the United States. One of the reasons there was no interest is that Canada rarely does anything to provoke us. It was never listed by Bush in the Axis of Evil or as an enemy, like the United Nations (even though half the country speaks French). At best, no one ever took Canada seriously until recently, when Canada went into the prescription drug business. It was not planned, but an accident. A senior citizen went to Canada to visit a cousin on the tundra and take photos of moose. As he crossed the border he remembered he had forgotten his antidepressant, Zoloft. A snappy Mountie on a horse directed him to a pharmacy in Winnipeg. The senior told the druggist, "I don't have a prescription,'' and the druggist said, "You don't need one. We are not a third-rate Central American country.'' After the druggist gave him the drugs, he said, "That will be half the price you pay for it in the United States.'' "How can the drug companies sell the same drugs in Canada for half the price?'' "They don't have to pay for advertising or marketing. Also, drug companies charge whatever the market will bear. In China, they're even cheaper. What has the senior citizens really screwed is that in your country under the Medicare rules, you still have to pay double what you do up here.'' "Why?'' "Your president lied to you about what they cost and the drug lobbyists lied to him.'' When the senior citizen got back home, he told all his friends how cheap drugs were in Canada. They immediately started to go there. Even with the high cost of gas, the drugs were still cheaper than in the United States. American citizens with high blood pressure, arthritis and a need for antibiotics traveled to Canada. They started collecting trading cards of Canadian hockey stars. It was the golden age of Canadian-American relations. Then Canada came up with a stellar idea. Instead of Americans going up there to buy their meds, they can now buy them on the Web - even Viagra. Any prescription drug advertised on the evening news and "American Idol'' can be purchased north of the border by one click of your mouse. A Canadian friend of mine, Norman Richler, said, "You need us more than we need you.'' "You don't have to rub it in,'' I said. "If the American drug companies lowered their prices, no one would buy anything except Kleenex from Canada. Norman said, "Well, that would be a miracle. Drug companies don't lower prices, they raise them. We also win the price war on generic drugs. It if weren't for Canada, many of your people couldn't afford to take Prozac.'' "Right, but instead of needling me, you should thank us for what we're doing for your economy.'' He said, "Will you stop thinking of Canada as a banana republic?'' "OK, here goes.'' I started to sing "O Canada.'' (Tribune Media Services) ART BUCHWALD 2004.03.30 koreaherald.co.kr

To: CalculatedRisk who wrote (10668)	3/30/2004 5:38:27 AM
From: tonto	Respond to of 81568

You did not. The company cuts the check and makes the forced contribution. At the end of each period we (the corporation) list the categories and what we spent. It is a seperate line item. That is how it really works. The company picks up half the costs. The reason the employee "paid the FICA" is that the employee receives the entire (and same) future benefit under all 3 plans. The company doesn't care if the $10.76 went to the employee as take home pay, insurance, FICA or any other expense. I hope I explained this clearly.