Lawmakers Who Can't Do Math Discover Burden To Giving All CA Citizens And Illegal Aliens Free Healthcare
Eric Boehm explains at Reason that this would only cost, oh, more than double the current state budget. The entire budget for the state of California, that is:
On Monday, state lawmakers in Sacramento got their first look at the price tag for the proposal, which rings in at a whopping $400 billion annually.The Sacramento Bee notes that, even after accounting for an estimated $200 billion that could be saved by replacing current state-run health programs with the single-payer program, the state would still need to come up with $200 billion annually.
This year's state budget in California, by the way, is about $180 billion. That means that implementing a single-payer health care system would require doubling (at least) the state's current tax burden. The analysis of the health care proposal presented to lawmakers on Monday suggests a 15 percent increase to the state's payroll tax to provide the necessary revenue.
The cost analysis is seen as "the biggest hurdle to creating a universal system," the Bee reports.
Oopsiepoo!
Of course, providing "free" health care to everyone in California would prove a wonderful incentive for sick people from across America to move and enjoy the "free" care.
Good medicine is worth paying for; it's worth building a career of achievement from years of effort so that you can have the medical care you need.
People forget that.
I don't understand why.
Crid at May 25, 2017 4:21 AM
Trippling the tax burden on the working part of society will cause some to leave the state or to stop working for everyone else.
When will Democrats stop incentivizing being poor an disincentivizing work.
Joe J at May 25, 2017 5:18 AM
Amy, remind me why you still live there and pay for the fantasies of these clowns?
Grey Ghost at May 25, 2017 5:24 AM
I always figured that legislators thought they could fool the rest of us that they could put thousand dollar bills on the color copier and solve all our problems.
It appears that they actually believe it. I really didn't think they did.
Richard Aubrey at May 25, 2017 5:24 AM
I don't understand why.
Because they've been told, or are telling themselves and others, that health care is a right. Much easier to make demands of others than making demands of yourself. That's an awful lot like work.
I R A Darth Aggie at May 25, 2017 6:31 AM
I love it here for so many reasons. I love the people here -- so many great friends. It's also a place where the smartest, best people come -- a city center. And it's beautiful and a little crazy and the only place that's really ever felt like home.
Amy Alkon at May 25, 2017 6:32 AM
Mathematics does not get you votes especially when the electorate is mostly innumerate. Gauzy promises and presses releases does a much better job especially with a compliant media who will happily cut and paste politicians press releases and call it the "news".
Shtetl G at May 25, 2017 6:41 AM
Econ 101: NOTHING IS FREE. Someone somewhere is going to pay. Are politicians too dumb to realize this or do they simply deny what they know to be true?
Either answer casts them as charlatans.
Jay at May 25, 2017 7:32 AM
Jay. They know. It's why the gin up enemies. The one percent. The evil banksters. So on. So when it comes to paying, it's going to be those enemies of the people. The voters are conditioned to think there is nothing to vile to do to those, so it's okay.
Problem is, there's still not enough money and Silicon Valley is too connected to make up the difference.
So it will be the middle class--again--and citizens in the future who will be paying the bill, or paying for the debt. Most of them won't know they voted for it, so more enemies will have to be created.
But the present politicians who bought the chumps' votes with the chumps' own money and made the chumps think it's FREE, will have retired with their...savings.
Richard Aubrey at May 25, 2017 8:06 AM
Yeah Richard, I kinda figure they are just devious bastards who know exactly what they are doing i.e. scamming the voters.
You're absolutely right that they need demons to pull off the scam. Otherwise the voters would see that they are going to have to pay for their own "free stuff" as well as everybody else's. Ignorance is truly bliss to too many people.
Jay at May 25, 2017 9:04 AM
Who cares? Cisgendered white men will pay for it.
And we should, because slavery, and womyn, and transgender is the new normal, and most importantly: no one is illegal!
Jeez. Do I have to explain EVERYTHING for you?
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at May 25, 2017 9:21 AM
Wait, you mean the same government that spent $6.4 billion to build a $250 million bridge that is already riddled with corrosion and is spending $10 billion (or more) to build a $6.4 billion train between Merced (pop. 81,743) and Shafter (pop. 17,559) can't do math?
Conan the Grammarian at May 25, 2017 9:24 AM
So you are saying universal health care for California will cost at least $2 trillion per year, Conan? I'd believe it. Of course then the quotas and lines start to form. And before you know it all that really happened is California outlawed health care for those who used to be able to pay for it.
Ben at May 25, 2017 9:49 AM
$400 Billion. Over $10,000 per person. And that's the government's estimate? So you know it'll cost at least twice that. A sex change can run $100,000. So just add those up.
Ken R at May 25, 2017 10:35 AM
Well, they're talking about providing coverage for illegal aliens and having an open border with sanctuary cities, so $2 trillion sounds rather conservative.
"It's just obvious you can't have free immigration and a welfare state." ~ Milton Friedman
Conan the Grammarian at May 25, 2017 12:23 PM
> Do I have to explain EVERYTHING
> for you?
(Silent side-eye left)
(Silent side-eye right)
(Looks at shoes, timidly raises hand)
Yes... Because WTF is the matter with people?
There's a childhood dream in every heart that goes Free Stuff for Me Eternally Because I'm Adorable.
No one with a circle of friends or acquaintances larger than two should ever exploit that infantile fantasy, or there'll be Hell to pay.
Crid at May 25, 2017 10:35 PM
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