Quote:
Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor
Your not paying for anything, you are benifiting from it. There will be a doctor there for you when you need it. You wont be stuck in the hallway of a hospital because there are no nurses and rooms. Not to mention, these costs will eventually be recovered when these people start paying taxes.
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I've been in the hospital in the last couple years. In Calgary, Drayton Valley and in Wetaskiwin. A few of my best friends have been in hospital recently. My sister has, my grandmother has, and my aunt has. And I'll tell you this: the "there isn't a doctor or bed when you need it" argument is crap. The system is not perfect, no doubt, and for non-emergency type visits, there most certainly are problems. But when it comes to emergencies, people remember the horror stories and are led into believing that the entire system is on life support itself.
So please, argue that the system needs fixing. Argue that it needs reform. Argue that it could be better. But don't argue from a basis of fear. I'm not buying it.
And no, those costs will not be recovered when the nurses and doctors start paying taxes. They will never be recovered, unless you intend to charge them back taxes.
I'm well aware of the surplus, but I'll tell you, your plan would eat it away rapidly. Canceling the health care premiums (which I do agree with) will wipe out $1 billion alone.
And based on what little of your platform you've revealed, I fear to think of what you would do wrt affordable housing, infrastructure, and other aspects of our society that are in need of a look.
I'm not saying your goals are bad, and I'm not saying I disagree with them. From an idealistic point of view, your suggestions are great. But they will cost money. A ton of it. Everything has a cost, and increasing these services to the level you propose would cost a lot. I really don't see any way you could implement this while instituting massive tax cuts at the same time.