Universal health care has chance of OK in Oregon election

Washington Post via Boston Globe ^ | October 22, 2002 | William Booth

[sarcasm]

PORTLAND, Ore. - The voters here have the chance to create the first universal health-care system in the nation - one where everybody would receive medical coverage for everything, from massage therapy and marriage counseling to brain surgery and long-term care.

The sponsors of the November ballot initiative acknowledge their plan is audacious, but they contend that the health-care system is headed toward a meltdown brought about by rising numbers of uninsured individuals and spiraling costs.

< SNIP >

The measure could pass: The most recent polling, by the Portland Tribune, found that 36 percent approved of the plan, 39 percent opposed it, and 25 percent were undecided, with a margin of error of 4 percentage points. The initiative was winning among Democrats and women, and trailing with men, Independents, and Republicans. An earlier poll by The Oregonian newspaper found 49 percent against the measure and 40 percent for it, with the remainder undecided.

[RJCogburn]

The measure would be funded by an 11.5 percent payroll tax for employers and increases in personal income tax rates, from 1 to 8 percentage points, depending on a resident's income. The wealthiest residents would see their state income tax rate rise to as high as 17 percent.

[Forgiven_Sinner]

The sponsors of the November ballot initiative acknowledge their plan is audacious, but they contend that the health-care system is headed toward a meltdown brought about by rising numbers of uninsured individuals and spiraling costs.

Um, let's see here. The current plan, with state sponsored euthanasia, is running out of money. To solve the problem, the program will be vastly expanded in scope, vastly increasing costs. A progressive tax increase will be slapped on the economy to pay for it, sapping the economy of vitality. So, if your head hurts when you bang it against the wall, you bang it harder against a harder wall?

Hint: Oregon voters, look at Tenn Care in Tennesee.

Prediction: Oregon will go into default, and economic depression within five years.

Like shooting fish in a barrel . . .

[The Red Zone]

Senators aren't elected "senatorially" (having to garner the support of a majority of the state's geographical area). They are elected via a popular vote. Which is concentrated guess where.

[The Red Zone]

It will be backlash city. If the citizens don't know what it means now, they will in April 2004.

[B Knotts]

Actually, the immediate problem would be that homeless and poor people would flood the state, in search of "free" health care.

This is not likely to pass, though. The proponents have no money, and the opponents have lots of money, and they've only recently started running ads against it.

Oregon is a small state, and we don't get much good polling here. Also, you musn't believe everything you read in the Washington Post. :-)

Two measures to watch are Measures 21 & 22, which would change the way we elect judges. 21 would allow voters to have a choice of "None of the above", so that there is at least some alternative to judges running unopposed. 22 would provide for the election of Court of Appeals and Supreme Court justices by district, to lessen the influence of Portland and Salem on the higher courts, which they now dominate with blatantly political liberal judges.

[RobFromGa]

There is no chance that this will pass IMHO.

But if it does, it will be very instructive to other states. Expect to see some pretty stringent residency requirements within a short period.

[jackbill]

The initiative was winning among Democrats and women, and trailing with men, Independents, and Republicans.

That figures. The tax-takers are for it and the tax-payers are against it.

Personally, I hope that it passes. In a couple of years the state budget will be such a disaster that we may never again hear of "universal single-payer" health care coverage.

[DoughtyOne]

Good. I hope some of these measures pass. Good luck on the health care initiative though.

[Kuksool]

If the universal health care measure passes, then OR will be a magnet for illegal immigrants. And by the end of the decade, hispanics shall be the majority ethnic group in OR. Any economic/social problems that the measure causes to OR will be blamed on the Bush tax cut. The liberal media will demand tax increases to save the children.

[americanbychoice]

Personally, I hope that it passes. In a couple of years the state budget will be such a disaster that we may never again hear of "universal single-payer" health care coverage.
Well, that's where I disagree with you.:) They will simply raise the taxes to pay for it. Businesses will leave the state,working families will move away, since they will all have to carry the burden. Only the academics will be left to sit around sipping coffee in State sponsored shopa paying for it with vouchers.
We need to look at at all the socialist countries to see the effect of government health care. They are broke (Western Europe, Canada etc.)