Posted on 08/07/2007 11:29:28 PM PDT by Rick_Michael
And its greatest import will be unproductive bums and parasites.
Congratulations, Wisconsin. Love ya!
Wisconsin’s a great state, but Madison just threw them under the bus with this one. So far they have been able to hold onto the paper mills, and been able to shift much of the factory work they have lost to China to smaller companies through creative and generally successful policies.
This one however is going to bankrupt them, most likely.
HOWEVER.........
Wisconsin being the only state that guarantees health insurance availability may also make it a magnet for industries looking to dump their health care liabilities. If the tax to the government for not carrying health care as a benefit to ones employees is less than (or increases less than) the market rate private insurance, which has been rising at nearly 10% a year for the last few years Wisconsin could see a boom as companies move there to remove health care costs as a major draw on their bottom lines.
The issue will be how much Wisconsin can keep prices in check, by becoming such a large buyer, can they leverage that into controlling costs more effectively?
Will be an interesting thing to watch....
Personally, I think one way or another health care for all will be coming nationwide, as the large companies demand to get out from under their obligations for it, and argue the need to dump it in order to compete globally. I only pray it will not be a forced system, and private health care will remain available for those who desire it.
Instead, ask yourself this question. Let's say you run a local restaurant that does pretty well, but you offer no healthcare to your employees. Now add a tax (oh hell, let's even call it a healthcare fee) that the employer has to collect and pay. Where the hell is that going to come from, thin air? Restuarants like this and small companies will ALL have to leave the state or go out of business. There are no additional dollars for this plan to pay for the fee/tax.
Then contemplate this, the biggest Democrat supporting union in the state, the "sacred cow" Teacher's Union provides benefits that cost twice as much as the plan endorsed by our state senate. Think those teachers are going to settle for this?
This plan is nuts and no one in any state in the country should try it.
Irish,
I am not suggesting you are going to see a huge giant and instant influx of companies to Wisconsin. However when a company is debating where to put a factory or plant, you better believe that something like this will influence their decision.
if the savings are big enough, even established factories may move.... Health care is averaging a 10% annual inflation rate right now... and if the plan is solvent (not saying it will be) but if it is it will become a draw, even if it means large capital outlays up front. Saving a project 10% annual inflation on a very large portion of your earnings it doesn’t take too long to justify up front expenses.
I’m not saying Wisconsin’s plan is going to work, if it does however you are going to see some interesting things.
I am not for single payer health care, but the pragmatist in me see it is coming in this country one way or another. Large corporations are going pressure the government for it, and they are going to get it. The US is not going to be able to keep competing effectively against companies in nations where this expense is not something that companies must carry... they are going to pressure the fed for some sort of national health care so they can get out of those obligations and they will eventually get it. What that plan will eventually look like, who knows..but its going to happen.
Already you can see the shift in industry, when Hitlery was trying her health care thing in the early 90s big business were for the most part ardently opposed, now, businesses are moving quietly to the side of wanting it... its only a matter of time before we get some sort of nationalized health care.... The Fortune 500 get what they want, and they are arguing for it now... they’ll be clammoring for it inside of a decade, and have it in some fashion in 20 years or less.
You know darn well everyone who is able will be forced to pay for it, whether or not they use it.
But private health care will NOT go away. EVen in socialist Denmark where my mother grew up, there were always private hospitals and doctors.
I have to believe that the lobbyists for hospitals and doctors that want to make money and NOT become government drones will make sure the private option survives.
So we'll have the privilege of paying twice, like so many other facets of today's socialist environment.
Then let some other state turn into tax hell. The Senate plan calls for a $6,000 per employee cost. right now, the Teacher's Union covers about $20,000 per employee. No way will they agree to this plan and the only way they do is to ask the senate to increase the coverage to allow the Teacher's $20,000 number.
FYI, this plan as it is drafted, calls for a hike in taxes/fees, that will make Wisconsin THE SINGLE MOST HEAVILY TAXED STATE....period. Our taxes/fees will more than double. As I said before, small employers who do not offer healthcare will go out of business when imposed with this fee. They simply do not hav the money to pay for it.
As a practical matter, my cousin's wife is in the Assembly and they will not approve the plan and Governor Doyle ( a realy bed wetting lefy who never saw a tax he didn't like) is not in favor of the plan.
This plan is a bad idea and needs to go away.
By forced system I mean system where you CANNOT get health care other than from the government model such as Britains (which finally opened up recently).
I know everyone has to pay for socialized medicine, my concern is that no options will be left available, and you are stuck with your doctor or clinic and their decisions no other options.
Well personally I believe this will bankrupt WI if it were to become law... however the state that does offer universal health care will draw industry if one ever does pull it off, if it is run effectively.
As you properly point out, its passed the Senate, has no chance of being signed, and not likely to pass the house so Wisconsin will likely not be that state anyway.
I do also believe national health care is coming, just from a pragmatic standpoint.
I understand your fears but I have to believe that too many docs and hospitals have gotten used to the money, not to mention Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and they will buy off enough politicians (see my tagline) to make sure this doesn’t happen.
Sorry, but when the Fortune 500 says they want it, they will get it. Politicians give the citizen scant thought and only as an afterthought near election time. A bone thrown here and there, but by and large, when big business wants something, the best interests of the nation or her people are damned.
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