The Tom Sawyer Approach
"I'll Steady the Board"
By Donald Homes Lewis
When you contemplate the approach of summer chores and repairs, remember to invite for a visit your best friend who loves to fix things and finish projects in one day. You have to start out like you really intend to do it. He takes pity on you because he knows you too well. He drags you to the proper aisles at the hardware store. He buys some of the things you need since you have such a bad selecton of tools, nails and screwdrivers. Two hours later the project is done. He says, “what else can we fix?” I get two beers.
The Big Mac Tax Proposal
By Donald Holmes Lewis
Copyright 2009
According to Gallup, over 70% of Americans believe our health care system is broken and needs fixing. Now, not later. In fact, raw statistics say the number of adults with no health insurance whatsoever is approaching 30%. The number of young adults age 18 to 35 without coverage is staggeringly high at close to 50%. Experts on the future of Medicare are putting forward 2022 as the year the health care cash runs out for those 65 and over. According to a poll conducted by the AMA, nearly all health care providers feel the system is unsustainable in terms of being able to provide basic services. Hospitals are expected suffer. Not so true for insurance companies.
On the national stage, there’s a lot of talk about achieving universal health care coverage. However, the funding gap is so tremendous that nearly everyone agrees the cost of making coverage for all Americans a reality is overwhelming and could bankrupt our treasury, more than the all the stimulus bills and bailouts combined. A little scary. How the heck are we going to pay for it? That’s the battle looming on the horizon like an enemy army, too many foot soldiers on the other side to stand and fight.
We all know the the biggest drags on health care costs are two specific demons: diabetes (heart attacks, stroke, etc.) and smoking (heart attacks, cancer etc.). So here’s a proposal that will pay for universal health care for all Americans. We’ve got to pay for the future somehow, we have to get to the other side of the mountain. So here goes.
Tax all fast food with high fat content by 25%. Current Big Mac cost $1.79. New price $2.23. This discourages consumption and raises massive revenues to help pay for health care reforms.
Tax cigarettes by 50% more. I know the federal tax just went up cause I still smoke (sorry, trying to quit). But do it anyway. This also discourages consumption. Current cost around $5.00. New price $7.50. That would generate a lot of dough for universal health care coverage.
According to projections, these two taxes would fully fund coverage for all and provide a surplus.
Those who burden the system more than others pay the higher costs.
Greens and fish, less fatty beef. No smokescreens. We can do this.
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