And I see your point that in a government-controlled health care system, most normal people would actually pay more. My health insurance (or the one I’m getting in a few weeks) is 5k a year. Just for me. I’m getting it through JP’s health insurance (though I’m only getting a semester’s worth, to save on money). That’s what an entire family pays in Canada, ja? I swear you’re living in a different world being sallaried and benefitted by your company. While this may be the way of life in VA, it isn’t for most of the people I know in nyc.

Besides, if it meant that everyone would have health insurance, I’d gladly pay more than 5k a year in taxes, just for that express purpose. To me, some things are worth the money. And looking at the cost/benefit ration, you’re now in your thirties, so you’re pretty healthy, and everything’s fine. When you hit your 60s, and your “all-inclusive” health insurance doesn’t pay for prescription drugs or ups your annual fee by 2k after you have heart surgery, you may be singing a different tune. Then the 1500 a person a year in taxes doesn’t seem all that bad.

Also, since you didn’t site that lovely quote, I can’t fully rebut it. I can say that average 2 child family, by their definition, pays 2400 in taxes for health insurance, not 5k. Children don’t file taxes until they’re 18, right?

The first thing to realize is that free public medicine isn’t really free. What the consumer doesn’t pay, the taxpayer does, and with a vengeance. Public health expenditures in Quebec amount to 29 per cent of the provincial government budget. One-fifth of the revenues come from a wage tax of 3.22 per cent charged to employers and the rest comes from general taxes at the provincial and federal levels. It costs $1,200 per year in taxes for each Quebec citizen to have access to the public health system. This means that the average two-child family pays close to $5,000 per year in public health insurance. This is much more expensive than the most comprehensive private health insurance plan.

What the Tree pays for my insurance in the US is nowhere near the 3.22% of my wages that they’d have to pay for my share of socialized medicine were we in Canada. Oy!

IMO, day care is less of an issue than personal responsibility is. If you can’t afford to take care of a kid, then be responsible and DON’T HAVE ONE!

Don’t pop one out and then use “I don’t work because I can’t afford daycare” line when the reason is that you get by fairly comfortably (without working) with the welfare, food stamps, and other gazillion social programs setup to support the people who make choices like this.

My thought is make this style of life not as easy for folks and I can guarantee you that the next generation of kids aren’t going to go down that road.

Frankly, I think it’s an awful idea for businesses to be in the health insurance and day care arena. It’s really hurting our economy on the international stage. How much better would our workers do if their companies could actually compete with other countries where the government handles all of that (and cheaper… look at Canada!).