Universal health care becomes a real possibility in the Golden State

http://www.sfexaminer.com ^ | 4 may 2017 | By Alix Rosenthal

[DennisR]

Yeah!!!

[arthurus]

All those people who “lose their health coverage” move to California where you will be guaranteed health “coverage” even if that does not translate into being able to get need surgery or even an appointment to see an actual doctor. You will get total insurance coverage but little medical attention.

[kingu]

In one of the more awkward rides I’ve given with rideshare companies, I had a state senator in my car for nearly an hour, and I volunteered to simply turn the music to tunes they like and keep quiet for the trip, but they invited me to talk about whatever I pleased.

So I laid into them for their (much leaked) plans for universal healthcare in the state. I bluntly told him, I’m open to a whole lot of new ideas, new ways of doing things, but one of the most critical things is that if you want to push the envelope, you have to prove that it will work.

I pointed out numerous socialist enclaves in the state which would be perfect test beds for exploring these ideas where locals would likely embrace such ideas.

He did the normal sluff off of the idea. I shrugged and moved on to the destination, but about 20 minutes from the drop off, he asked, ‘Do you think it has a chance of working?’ I suggested we stop at the local emergency room. He wondered why - I said because it’s great to take a peek into the future of your plan, the line that is there is exactly what will happen.

He declined the offer, and of course, is eagerly looking forward to making this a reality.

It’s like ‘free college’ - it’s been tried before, you generate tons of artists and poets and ethnic studies degree holders, but you crowd out doctors and nurses and engineers from over impacted schools.

So, yet another socialist experiment in California, yet another batch of bills we can’t possibly pay for, and meanwhile, gas taxes that should go to fixing awful roads go instead into pensions, water taxes that should be fixing dams and water systems go to pay for pensions, utility taxes that should be paying for city services instead going to pensions....

Last real estimate I saw in California that totaled all the pension liabilities with anticipated health care cost increases as well as increase in benefits put the total tax bill at nearly $150k for every home in the state. And make no mistake, your home is the security the state will revert to at some point in this impending pension meltdown.

Heck, all that said, universal health care in the state likely will be but a drop in the budgetary bucket. Just good luck ever being able to use it.