Aside from everything else, we are in the place that is the most advantageous for us.
That would be because - surprise! - you don’t know everything.
That’s nice. However, I imagine you don’t know them all, nor what your winters might do to the ones who have the combination of problems that I happen to have.
OK. Amid all of that demand that I pony up for the UHC, you had one place where you were concerned for my finances. Since I’ve already explained why simply moving isn’t going to make anything better, and would probably make it worse, it is a dead issue.
No matter how many times you say that, it won’t come true (too bad for me! )
Sure its the same. I had a choice of staying in Nevada with no health insurance, or moving somewhere else where I had health insurance (not to mention a much lower cost of living and lower taxes). It came at the price of a poorer infrastructure.
Huh, another interesting assumption. Because I am not interested in pouring yet more money down another government rat hole, aimed at making people even more dependent, somehow this translates into me being bitter, selfish and unable to help anyone in need. You do realize that because I’m not interested in supporting every one of your pet projects, that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with me, right? Or are you that narrow minded that you cannot see that?
Ah. So all of that about your husband’s medical problems, your financial problems and how lucky you were to get into the pool was just chit chat?
None of this “troubles” me, so don’t you worry about that. I am just amazed that you cannot grasp the difference between making X in California and making X in Indiana. But then, you don’t seem to grasp the difference between Canada or the UK and the US…
I may be wealthy compared to you, that doesn’t translate into me actually being wealthy, and it certainly doesn’t translate into me having a bunch of money just laying around.
At what point did I call you a freeloader?
Responsible people do not expect that others will pay for things for them, much less get all pissy when it doesn’t happen.
Not all by itself, but this does give a clue as to why you think UHC success elsewhere must automatically mean it would succeed here.
And I rather doubt you know anything about project engineers in durable medical equipment. As it stands, there is exactly one place in all of the state of Indiana that might have a job for my husband, which he turned down last year due to the unsuitability of the weather. Yes, at that point in the housing market, we could have purchased a house out there for cash with the equity in this one, but his drop in salary would have wiped out most of the savings from lack of a mortgage. And since I want my husband to be happy, I also didn’t think him having to commute long distances in bad weather was a good idea.
We are very happy here, and provided the government doesn’t levy too many new taxes on us, we will be able to remain here just fine.
You thought I was upset at the guesses?? I thought they were funny!
Since you have not described your problems (which you are under no obligation to do, of course) of course I can not make that determination. However, it is most unfair of you to criticize my lack of knowledge when you deliberately withhold information. If you were to describe your problems I might even agree with you that our winters (or any other season) would be detrimental, but until I know the particulars (which, as I pointed out, you are under no obligation to reveal) then I will be skeptical as most disabled people could exist in our climate.
Is that a problem, that I expressed even a small concern for your finances? Contrary to what you believe I do not wish you to suffer. I don’t wish anyone to suffer, in fact. I don’t know why you’re getting upset at the notion of someone suggesting an alternative location that is less burdensome as far as taxes go. Of course, if there are other reasons that doing so is impractical then don’t move - but you seem to be upset that we don’t know the whole story when you keep so closed-lipped. As I said, you don’t have to tell us anything, but you elected to tell us some and we have commented based on what you choose to tell us.
>shrug< OK, moving is out - so stop complaining about the taxes. Because you’ve obviously decided the taxes are less evil than some other thing. You made your choice, I hope you find happiness with it, but it seems you aren’t. Which is sad. I feel sorry for you, living with such unhappiness despite your wealth. I suppose that’s proof that money doesn’t buy happiness.
You honestly don’t see any different between you locating in your own self interest, and telling me that we should relocate so that we can afford to fund a program you want?
I was suggesting that it is your choice to live in California, that’s all. You can live anywhere you like, but since you have chosen California, you should not complain about paying 30% tax. You could move 200 miles to Nevada and pay no state income tax.
Actually, since I am not a citizen of the Czech Republic, my time there is limited unless I want to become an illegal alien… which could get me banned from the EU for a number of years. To avoid becoming illegal, I lived for about 18 months with no home, constantly on the move as I was not a legal resident of anywhere. My stuff remains in storage in Nevada. I currently have a “home” - for the next 6 weeks, but in the last 7 years, I have never stayed in one place for more than 4 months.
I’ll probably “live” in half a dozen countries this year… keeping on the move to stay legal. Everything I travel with fits in a backpack. Just a laptop computer and clothes.
If this is your definition, then I expect that you’ll be letting go of your insurance immediately, or you, by your own words, are irresponsible. The implicit contract of being insured is that if there comes a time that you need care, you will receive it and it will be paid even if the cost exceeds what you pay into the system. Every day that you have insurance, you are tacitly proclaiming that if your disability worsens, or you develop a disease or if you fall getting out of your shower and brain yourself on the edge of the toilet, you’ll expect that others – the others who pay into your insurer’s coffers with their premiums – will pay for things for you.
By your own definition, you are irresponsible, and by your own implications, you are selfish.
If you’re not willing to pay your own way, that is, straight cash out of your $100,000+ income, whatever it may be, then you are your own picture of someone who isn’t responsible.
Yeah, and one is wrong - I had to go back and look at the post because I couldn’t figure out where you’d gotten $3500. From my fingers, sigh. That should be $2500.
Snort. So unless I prove to you that I know what my limitations are, you are going to assume that your winters wouldn’t be an issue for me? Do you realize there is a difference between “exist” and “decent quality of life”?
Just odd, considering you went from being demanding and insulting to concern over my budget…
Upset? Hardly.
Ah, because I choose to live here, it is OK for the fed and state to waste money and continue to create even more taxes for me to pay?
Oh fercrissakes. I don’t have “wealth” and the fact that I don’t feel like paying out even more doesn’t make me unhappy. Where do you get these ideas?
Which still gives you a six figure income, puts you well above the national median, and out of the most generous definition of the middle class. If that 100k doesn’t go so far in California, as has been suggested by others, relocation is in your best interests, even if a pay cut is involved.
You could move to Dubai - not unlike Mojave, California, but more humid… and zero tax. Of course as an American, you will always pay tax on earnings above about $87K.
Just because 100k sounds like a whole lot to you, it doesn’t follow that it is. For one thing, you all keep quoting the national median, meaning that there are higher incomes in some areas that are still considered middle class. And since 100K is just one K more than the national average, why is it you cannot grasp that in an area where things cost more, that extra thousand doesn’t make anyone rich?
Now, WRT relocation, in an area where the cost of living is less, the salaries also tend to be less. So, we move to Nevada or Indiana, make less and pay less and it ends up being a wash.
And, this is all totally beside the point anyway. Whether we are high middle class or lower upper class, I still do not want to have to pay more taxes. Even Bill Gates has the right to resent having to pay in to so much waste.
Curlcoat, although there is a moral argument to be made, the main reason for a UHC is economic. It has been pointed out in this and the last thread that the U.S. health care system is unsustainable. This fact is acknowledged by right and left leaning policy institutes. Even the economically conservative Business Round Table issued a recent press release confirming the impact of increasing health care costs on U.S. competitiveness and job creation.
The U.S. government spends more on health care than other developed countries with universal health systems and a higher standard of living. Health care accounts for the largest portion of the government’s budget short fall, but without government subsidies the system will collapse. The question is how to fix it.
You are concerned about taxes. Think of your insurance premium as a tax. On top of your premium, you pay taxes to subsidize private insurance for the wealthy and government care for the destitute, low income children, the elderly, and veterans. It doesn’t seem like a great leap to just nationalize the entire system.
I don’t really care if they want to nationalize the system, I just don’t want the government running it in any way. I’d also want it to be opt-out & not be funded by taxes. I haven’t seen any posts advocating any of that.
Basically, I don’t want to be forced to be on the same policy as people that think it’s a good idea to have five kids they can’t afford, who cannot work due to drug addiction, who have high-risk habits. I’m tired of paying for bailouts.
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