My GFs mom has stage three cancer. She has to go in for chemo and radiation treatment to save her life. The chemo bills are something like $5000 a shot. Insanity.
Hence the incontrovertible fact that NOTHING is "free". You can pay high premiums or you can pay high taxes. But you, or some other poor dumb bastard, WILL pay.
A question I ask all my friends in CA, NY, etc. etc. "How can you afford to live there with 12% State taxes (an example, bringing top taxes to over 50%).. I had to move back to Nevada after making just a little money... crazy to pay $50k (or whatever) for the "privilege" to pay triple for housing, dining, etc. Don't get me wrong, I grew up in CA, and love both SoCAl and NoCal, but a 3 hour drive "takes me home" again, and saves my grandkids a fortune in their inheritance, LOL. If you're getting something for the extra money, be it health care, beaches, high paying jobs, whatever, then you obviously have the choice to make...up to you. FWIW, Don
Same goes for government. I want a consumption tax to replace the income tax and I don't want it to be progressive in the least...