Yes, agreed Ras there's a major difference from those who abuse the system from those who simply cannot realisitically afford to put anything away for a rainy day - for those who lost everything or had nothing to begin with.
Why are healthcare costs so high? Greed. Simply put, greed. Greed on the part of the pharmaceutical companies who keep coming up with a pill for all that ails you AND has anal leakage as a side-effect (but I'd rather be leaking from my anus than shaking my leg uncontrollably - what???) Greed on the part of the insurance companies who REAM docs for exorbitant premiums whether or not they've been a party to a lawsuit. Then there's the good ol' USA way of education - after high school you are ON YOUR OWN. To the tune of (and this is if you go to a CA state university) around $250,000 when all is said and done. Want to become a doctor? Be prepared to shell out another AT LEAST $250K and be in hock for most of your professional life (because interns and residents barely make a living wage). So, that's why healthcare costs are high.
In California you practically have to be living in that cardboard box I speak often about to get Medical (the state insurance). Hardly anybody in this country can afford to get sick and I know with my crapola insurance if I do get sick I'm not going to get the same treatment my Dad got at Hopkins - you see, Mom works for the World Bank. Kickin' health insurance. Close to $1 million dollars in medical costs and they (thank god) did not spend 1 single dime out of pocket. (And Hopkins ended up killing him anyway within three months). My mother now spends her time worrying that she will end up in the cardboard box and its so sad. She has a pension from the bank, social security and investments she made when her mother died and didn't take it with her. I'm on a mission to get my mother to spend on herself and live her life to the fullest instead of sweating out every penny.
So I don't buy that if you are not "prepared" for retirement that you are a burden directly or indirectly on anything. I do not buy that the "slackers" who have lost their retirement or have not put anything away for retirement for legitimate reasons will cost anyone anything. If anyone or thing is a burden on the system it is the 1% who pay the smallest amount of per capita taxes and the oil companies who receive corporate welfare in the form of subsidies.
Wouldn't you rather that the seniors in our society receive just a likkle something extra than BP or Chevron? I would.
OK then! I'm ready - bring it on Republicans!
