How will Bernie Sanders pay for his proposed "American Health Security Act?"
I find it interesting neither Bernie nor his supporters ever mention
where most of the funding will come from... and where most of the money
will go.
First of all, in the act itself it states that most of
the funding will come from a new income tax dedicated specifically to
fund this program. Why is this never stated that we will have another
new tax imposed on all of us?
Second is the problem of where all
the money will go. Well, instead of the money going into the pockets of
insurance companies, those raking in enormous profits will be doctors,
hospitals, the pharmaceutical industry, the private research institutes
and the medical equipment industry along with the hospitals and nursing
homes.
But, why aren't Bernie Sanders and his supporters telling us about this new income tax Bernie has in mind?
And, why are these socialists so loathe to advocate for a National
Public Health Care System which would be publicly funded, publicly
administered and publicly delivered?
Oh, and Bernie's "American
Health Security Act" would even be administered by the for-profit crowd! Albeit
through a quasi-governmental agency in which all the profiteers would
select the board members. As well as being privately delivered.
The only thing "public" about Bernie's "American Health Security Act" would be
the way it is primarily going to be financed--- through a new income tax
system dedicated just for this purpose which would have a "trust fund"
to hold our money... in other words, what would be created is a fund
like the Social Security Trust Fund that the politicians could rob to
pay for more wars.
As it stands right now, Bernie's "American
Health Security Act" does not have one single co-sponsor... and we should be
happy it doesn't have any.
Like with Medicare, doctors would establish their own fees.
I knew there had to be a reason not one single supporter of Bernie
Sanders introduced a resolution for Bernie's much ballyhooed "American
Health Security Act" during the Precinct Caucuses here in Minnesota... someone
might have asked how it was going to be paid for.
I am sure
Bernie's most loyal fans will toss more insults my way claiming I have
not told how other methods will be used to raise the funding for this
"American Health Security Act;" but, every time I have asked them to explain how
the plan would be funded they never mentioned that most of the funding
would be derived from a new income tax imposed on all of us... and, as
we all know, many corporations, millionaires and billionaires pay hardly
no tax at all and many don't pay any tax while a few billionaires like
Warren Buffett pay as much as their secretaries.
We need to put
an end to all these phony health care schemes and just bring forward a
plan for National Public Health Care System paid for by beating swords
into plowshares. Will we get wars and more wars or health care?
Bernie Sanders must be a complete fool if he expects the American people to fund these dirty wars and health care.
Cut the profits out of health care and providing health care for free
for everyone will cost a lot less than providing everyone with a free
public education and a whole lot less than militarism and these dirty
imperialist wars.
I have an idea. Let's do this the democratic way... let's put it to a national vote.
Make the question real simple:
Do you want a National Public Health Care System; or do you want more wars?
We need a national organization to educate for, advocate for and fight for a National Public Health Care System.
No more promises that aren't kept. No more schemes and scams. No more "baby steps." No more "incremental reforms."
We have to learn to establish a new public agenda for real change by talking about the politics and economics of livelihood.