Upcoming Election

It is hard to avoid depression when contemplating the current political environment. The ability to consider alternatives no longer is acceptable. Extremes become the norm. In fact, I am one of those whose views could be considered extreme. However, I am willing to consider alternatives and would support changes.

Consider:

1. Health Care

While I am a proponent of a system based on universal card, as in Medicare, I would also adopt some rather different alternatives, e.g., Senator Wyden (OR) proposed legislation that would eliminate tax deducted health care policies. Everyone would get $X (more for lower incomes) and then, people would access any plan they want. The idea is to make people think twice regarding the costs of their care. Another alternative was the idea that people would buy catastrophic health care insurance, as with autos, but "routine care" would be paid out of pocket (with subsidies to the low income). In this way, not only will cost-conscious decisions be made, but there would be a "capitalistic" decline in the cost of care since people would not pay too much for procedures etc. Medicine is the only area where more costs more, usually, the more of something, e.g., MRI, the costs would decline.

2. Social Security

While I am in favor of increasing the ceiling of people paying into Social Security, I realize that there is a problem. I am in favor of a ceiling for payments, i.e., for those with an annual income greater than X would only get Y percentage of payments and this thinking would be progressive some that those with great income/wealth, would get no Social Security, even though they paid into the system.

However, I think that those wanting to raise the ages of recipients have a point, as long as there are provisions to handle those who jobs are hard on the body, e.g., construction. While it is true that we live longer, it is quite different for those at desk jobs than working at jobs demanding the use of one's body. I would also consider a system that could be considered "privatizing", i.e., I would not mind having social security monies pooled and invested in conservative ways that secure the funds rather than our current system that essentially requires the young to pay for the old.

3. Medicare

As stated above, I am in favor of a universal card system. At the same time, I am open to all sorts of ways for controlling costs. While recommending the systems used in France and Germany, I would be open to any system that will establish cost controls. At the moment, our profit-motive system has no brakes!