Raising taxes vs. letting people die.

I just read a headline reporting Obama officials have finally mentioned the only thing that will help the health care reform – tax increase. Now the rich and powerful have the ultimate weapon to wield against the Obama administration. The myriad ways of spinning the phrase “tax increase” make it a very powerful weapon indeed. There is no real way to put a positive spin on a tax increase discussion except appealing to voters’ humanity and compassion. I have been preaching this concept for several months now in this blog that remains mostly unread. I even tried to put my own spin on the subject by equating the refusal to raise taxes to allowing people to die.

I cannot see how a person with an income greater than 200K/yr can feel threatened by an additional $500 – 1000 a year in taxes. I have existed all my life on less than $50k/yr and lived OK. I had reasonable health care through my employers, money/credit to buy home or car, and even some vacation time. I have never really complained about the taxes I pay because I realize I should pay my part for the government services. These services often include helping less fortunate in my community. A family making four times as much as I do should have no more real needs than I do. Sure there is a higher priced home, higher priced cars, much higher priced colleges…etc but these are optional expenses chosen – not imposed. If you choose to spend all your money that’s a personal decision and other people should not have to pay for your decisions. When you demand lower taxes in order to increase your available funds you are strangling the government of resources. The reduction in resources will not likely impact your life nearly as much as the people who lose their police presence or fire protection in low income neighborhoods.

This same argument applies to the current healthcare crisis. If you refuse to pay taxes just because you want more spending money, you are hurting someone in need. If you have substantial income, you can continue to pay for increasing healthcare costs for your own family. The family with less income does not have that option – there is a point where their access to healthcare goes away. We are at that point now! People are making choices between medicine and food; doctor visits or rent; getting that cough treated or buying a tank of gas to get to work. I KNOW! I am one of them! Sure I’m being a bit selfish but am I any more selfish than the rich person who demands lower taxes for his own benefit?

There may be some intangible costs involved in denying healthcare to poor people. Think about this: That homeless person with a cough could be suffering from Swine Flu. Do you want him spreading the disease or getting into a hospital for treatment (and isolation)? That young man with an easily controllable mental health issue may have lost his access to the medicine that keeps him stable. What could happen? I realize other people’s problems are easily dismissed as being their own fault. It is a fact that not all of us have the personalities that make us successful in life. You need to keep these people alive – even if for no other reason than to have someone to look down on. Refuse to pay a few dollars more taxes and let one of us die early. You’ll never know about it. You won’t feel the loss nearly as much as you’d feel the extra $30/week in taxes on your $2500/week paycheck.

DRP