Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Alastair McIntosh who wrote (78488)	10/17/2004 8:57:16 PM
From: SBHX	Respond to of 793824

I think the fact that Canada considers an unemployment of 7.1% as a record low and that the US is worried about 5.4% is a powerful suggestion that higher tax rates not only causes higher unemployment, it also changes perception on what is acceptable unemployment. The fact that nationalized healthcare has to be paid for is also an indisputable reality for not just canada but many european countries. That the only way to pay for them is higher taxes also cannot be disputed. The same examples from many european countries make it very hard to dispute that this is not so. However, the US has other tax advantages not enjoyed by Canada. Other than generally lower taxes on corporations and individuals in most states (CA is an exception), the interest expense of your home is deductible, this generally causes home prices to be somewhat inflated, but is a very popular tax break. Make no mistake, Canada is a nice place, crime rates are generally lower, population density is lower, it is a very tolerant society. But most Canadians don't realize that there is a consequence to every government run program, of which their healthcare is a big one. You are right in that people in Canada will tolerate a lot of pain to keep their healthcare. And as for the higher unemployment, the fact is, most Canadians grew accustomed to what to the US is very high unemployment. It's all a question of perception.

To: Alastair McIntosh who wrote (78488)	10/17/2004 10:17:00 PM
From: aladin	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793824

Alistair, There is little difference in hospital waiting times for critically ill patients. You may be thinking of the waiting times for elective surgery. You should define elective for those on this thread. They are thinking something different than you are. My Mother in Nova Scotia had a heart attack last year and had a stent inserted. My sister says she really needed 3, but she can live with one - so she waits - 6 months so far. She is coming here in November so I will get her seen. My father-in-law in Ontario has congestive heart failure - and has no surgery scheduled. He takes pills and waits - 3 months so far. It took him six weeks to see a cardiologist. Statistics show that Americans live longer and better with heart disease - there was a recent expose in the Globe an Mail - but its subscription. And guess what - no one in Canada (or any other government run healthcare program that I can find) keeps stats on how many die while waiting. The US has 2 levels of Health Care - one for the poor and uninsured and another one entirely for the insured or wealthy. Fear mongers in Canada always point to the 40 million uninsured (a real problem here), but ignore the healthcare received by the other 250 million. Canada also has 2 systems - the Provincial system where you live and the one just over the border in the US for those who don't feel they can afford to wait. Driving from Ontario to NY you are bombarded by billboards advertising chemo, cardiac and radiology clinics. Chemo you ask? Average wait in Ontario can be 6 weeks after diagnosis and being referred. When I left Canada in 1983, I bragged often and saw it as a better system. British friends had warned about the whole waiting thing, but it hadn't happened in Canada. Well these last 21 years it has eroded and if something big isn't done Stats Canada won't be able to hide it in another 10 years. At the Cancer Center at Duke there is a map of the US and of the world with pins in it. There are a lot of Canadian pins. The average wait time for chemo here is less than 24 hours. John