Former Interior Secretary Walter Hickel once explained: “If you steal $10 from a man’s wallet, you’re likely to get into a fight. But if you steal billions from the commons, co-owned by him and his descendants, he may not even notice.” Not since the Gilded Age of the 1890s has so much public wealth been shoveled into private hands with… return to article
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Reader Comments (4)Page 1 of 1 pagesFantastic! Thanks for the well written article, new ideas, and finally a proactive solution.
Posted by Alisha on Feb 28, 2004 at 12:18 AM For a whole boatload of information on this subject, visit the Common Assets Headquarters at http://www.taxpolicy.com/common/
Posted by Hanno Beck on Mar 1, 2004 at 12:39 PM -a brief note on the erroneous concept that government is less cost-effective than private enterprise can be seen in public health care. Statistically, the U.S. has held out from providing
universal public health care to its citizens, and yet (even in the face of millions of U.S. citizens with no health insurance) spends more as a percentage of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care than virtually any other country in the developed world. It simply doesn’t make any sense, and can’t be justified.The only thing that changes with
universal public health care is the
government takes over the role as
the principle insurer(i.e.,specific to health insurance), and as a consequence of being able to run on a non-profit basis can offer coverage at reduced rates to the
consumer or general public. The reality is that the system works, to the extent that the only thing that’s curious is why the U.S. has not adopted its own version of universal health care up to this point in time while the balance of the developed world has moved on.Another form of public insurance
is automotive insurance, where once
again the government is able to pass on significantly lower rates
to the consumer. These programs have demonstrated their success here in Canada in every province
which has implemented them. In the
final analysis, the only one who
suffers are the private insurance
companies, but to this extent
what can one say, particularly in
the face of exorbitant insurance rates? My heart truly bleeds? Well, well, well… The struggle continues…For those who have lived their lives sheltered from the truth of
what I’m speaking, educate yourselves, and then spread the
word. No one is going to burn you
at the stake for speaking the truth. Those who have been speaking
out against a publicly-run universal health care system in
your country (or anywhere else for that matter) don’t know what they’re talking about.
Posted by tim j. lawrence on Mar 7, 2004 at 5:21 PM -a brief note on the erroneous concept that government is less cost-effective than private enterprise can be seen in public health care. Statistically, the U.S. has held out from providing
universal public health care to its citizens, and yet (even in the face of millions of U.S. citizens with no health insurance) spends more as a percentage of its gross domestic product (GDP) on health care than virtually any other country in the developed world. It simply doesn’t make any sense, and can’t be justified.The only thing that changes with
universal public health care is the
government takes over the role as
the principle insurer(i.e.,specific to health insurance), and as a consequence of being able to run on a non-profit basis can offer coverage at reduced rates to the
consumer or general public. The reality is that the system works, to the extent that the only thing that’s curious is why the U.S. has not adopted its own version of universal health care up to this point in time while the balance of the developed world has moved on.Another form of public insurance
is automotive insurance, where once
again the government is able to pass on significantly lower rates
to the consumer. These programs have demonstrated their success here in Canada in every province
which has implemented them. In the
final analysis, the only one who
suffers are the private insurance
companies, but to this extent
what can one say, particularly in
the face of exorbitant insurance rates? My heart truly bleeds? Well, well, well… The struggle continues…For those who have lived their lives sheltered from the truth of
what I’m speaking, educate yourselves, and then spread the
word. No one is going to burn you
at the stake for speaking the truth. Those who have been speaking
out against a publicly-run universal health care system in
your country (or anywhere else for that matter) don’t know what they’re talking about.
Posted by Tim J. Lawrence on Mar 7, 2004 at 5:23 PM Page 1 of 1 pages -
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