[FireFly]

Originally Posted by jolinar of malkshor

We all know it is mostly cities that require the infrastructure, not sure why you are bring that up. The responsibility falls on both the provincial and municipal governments. Both have done a pis poor job in planning. If you think we will all be caught up when we hit a bust, you are sadly mistaken. It will be years until we are caught up, the problem is, we will have no money left to pay when we do hit a bust......I'm really not sure what the heck you are arguing here....I think you are just arguing for the sake of arguing.

Yeah, that's it. I love to argue with you.

My point was that by the time we hit a bust (years from now) the infrastructure will be complete (also years from now). When we hit a bust, we will need no NEW infrastructure because people will be leaving. They go where the money goes. Why do you need bigger roads then when there are fewer people on them?

WRONG....the biggest problem in our healthcare system is the lack of people. Increasing seats within the universities and providing free education to those who are willing to work for 10 years in Alberta will solve a lot of problems. Never did I say that we are going to have these doctors work for free, you pay them the going rate, no more no less. Provide good funding for research and development and we will keep quality doctors. It is a much better idea than sticking with the status quo with which I assume is your idea, since you haven't given any idea at all other than argue.

Why do you suppose we don't have people? Cause we have no money to pay them. Why do you suppose that is? Because we spend all our money on other stuff, like paperwork. You have to fix the SYSTEM. When you fix the system so you have more money for doctors, you get more doctors. See? But again you resort to thinly veiled insults. I've already given an idea for getting more doctors... accredit the ones who come here from other countries more quickly. You must've missed that part.

Oh they do..do they? So many programs to keep us healthy eh. The fact that physical education has taken a back burner to primary and secondary education proves this eh.....nice. You tell me there are MANY programs, yet you fail to mention even one. Then, you arguement out of know where diverts to pharmacists. Again, I think you like to argue just to see your words on the screen.

You brought up pharamcists, not me. So no, I didn't bring it up out of nowhere.

http://www.services.gov.ab.ca/cps/rd...t=357&audience=

Here you go. A list of some of the programs developed by our Alberta government. This does not include those developed in conjunction with the federal government. Things like the food guide, etc. I'm not saying they can't do more, but to say they don't do anything is dumb. You're right, physical education has taken a backburner in schools... I would also like to point out that people are not only fatter and more unhealthy, they're also dumber. I know what irritates me more. I'm okay with the government electing to smarten up the population rather than make us more fit. Smart people make money; smart people make better life choices.

And I said the contrary where?

You said it was a great step. It's not. Pharmacists are not doctors and should not be treated as such. That's not what they are educated on.

I have now been set straight

That is the key word....they want to see you as much as possible so they can collect their fee for seeing a patient. You obviously do not reguire long term medication or frequent refills to a prescription or you would realize that it is not even as close to as simple as what you are stating.

My father is on about 500 different prescriptions for various things. I know how simple/difficult it is. If the doctors were not seeing my father, they would be seeing another patient, and as such, collect THE SAME DAMN FEE! They only have so many hours in a day and can only see the same number of patients.

I am not trying to be a dick here but can you keep your arguements in a logical order instead of switching from one topic to another at random....again, just from this statement, you really do not know what you are talking about. Not that I am a doctor or work in the medical field, but I have several family memebers with cronic illnesses that require many trips to the doctor, and many of them are required just to refill a prescription. Having to drive down to the doctors office, wait in line for usually an hour or more, just to have him write another prescirption that took 2 minutes to do.

You may not be trying to be a dick, but you are being an idiot. You bring up the arguments, and then tell me you don't know where I come up with the discussion? Mhmmm.... I have a family history of colon cancer. Want to know how my latest colonoscopy went? Every time my father goes in for an appointment (and he lives an hour and a half out of town, so it puts him out much more than your family members; 3 hour trips turning into 5,) he gets checked out. That's what they do. Even if the end result is a prescription refill, they're making sure that's the one he needs. Sometimes they even change them!

Nice....throw money at something that we all know doesn't work properly.....wow.

You have serious comprehension issues. Can the system be fixed overnight? You want to throw money at it as well for a solution that's also years down the road. I didn't say they should not do anything, I said they should throw money at figuring out HOW to fix it so they don't have to keep throwing money at it.

And here is where the short term think is.....the long term effect would reduce the shortage of doctors and reduce the cost of the system.....but having said everything I just said......the health care system is not the REAL problem....it is us....the people that use it and abuse it.....the people that do not make health choices, the people that run to the emegerency room for a hang nail.....

But go ahead, keep arguing with me....all I said was maybe...just maybe we deserve a tax reduction since we have had...how many billion dollar surpluses in a row????? I didn't even say we had to reduce the income tax rate....as simple as removing the regressive health care premium.....but no matter.

You don't even comprehend where the actual issues are in the health care system. Sure, doctors. We need more. Yes. But the issues with the health care system, and more importantly the COST of the health care system, do not lie with the shortage of doctors. The shortage of doctors is one of the effects of overspending elsewhere. People going in when they don't need to is another great example of waste on the system, absolutely, and Healthlink is a FANTASTIC tool which was designed by the system to help combat that. Again though, the bigger issues stem elsewhere.

But you're right, let's remove the health care premium. We sure do deserve a tax break. What do you suppose people will buy with that extra money? Fruits and veggies?