The StarTribune had a thought-provoking article on how Minnesota is spending millions on the health care of prison inmates (Minnesota's million dollar inmates). It raised many points of concern.
First, we’ve got to reduce our extraordinarily high rate of incarceration. Our nation’s incarceration rate is higher than all other nations in the world. This is neither just nor affordable.
Secondly, why must citizens of the United States commit crimes to assure they will receive reasonably adequate health care coverage? How is it that we tolerate having scores of working poor, children and unemployed without access to quality health insurance coverage?
Finally, it is outrageous that our nation’s lawmakers are taking millions of campaign dollars from the health care and pharmaceutical industries, all the while receiving top of the line health care packages for life. No wonder they are not passing single payer health care coverage for all. They clearly are not feeling the pain of so many of their constituents.
Our nation's high rate of incarceration and health care “system” are not only broken, they are criminal.
Shout some more Dan. If people would think about it more, universal health care would be a great job generator. Without having to get a job with attached health care I bet lots of people would be willing to start up their own firms. A great Democrat/Republican would latch onto this idea and the US would flourish.
ReplyDeleteDean, great point. I think that health care costs are keeping many people tied down to their jobs when they might be better suited to starting up their own business, or perhaps even retiring early when they are burned out from whatever it is they are doing.
ReplyDeleteSeems people are either stressed these days because they have a job, or because they don't. What a deal!