I don’t have kids but my 60% of my property taxes go towards schools that educate other people’s kids.
I pay mandatory auto insurance premiums and knock on wood haven’t had any tickets or so much as a minor fender bender in decades.
Lots of things my tax dollars cover that I don’t personally see gain from.
I pay homeowners insurance and (knock on wood again) only had to use it once for some minor roof damage from a storm.
It’s how the system works and I accept that. These are things that benefit everyone in general, though not always on an individual level.
And illness and accidents are largely a crapshoot. I had friends who died relatively young who didn’t have risky lifestyles. I lost a friend in 9/11 who didn’t have a risky lifestyle, yet people paying life insurance ensured that his widow and kids would be OK. I’ve paid way more into health insurance than I’ve gotten out so far, but sh*t happens. What I paid in was there for someone else when they needed it and I’m OK with that. As long as it’s there for me if and when I need it.
BUT if the costs weren’t so exorbitant, none of us would pay in as much. Hospitals bill folks outrageous things like $30 for an aspirin. One tablet. Some doctors make ridiculous markups on anything they can sell you. And what’s with the “let’s make a deal” rates for insured vs uninsured? If I’m below my deductible, my insurance company doesn’t pay the provider, I do. Yet if I walk in with no insurance and a handful of cash I’ll pay nearly twice as much? Insurance companies themselves have huge profit margins and will try to maximize profit by denying people needed care every opportunity. No justification for any of that.
I don’t disagree with all of what you mention, other than “Who pays”. This is where the political disagreements occur right? I am unwilling to give the Govt more taxes to mismanage, take a look at HUD and Public Housing. The VA Scandal. etc.
60% of obscene property taxes in what NJ right, the highest tax state- incredible. One reason I left CA was because of that maintaining that "overhead" each year, retired. Auto Insurance has always been high, and a ripoff price even with good driving record.
This is a choice to pay and put up with those "inequitable" things, and of course if you view them as OK, well then they are OK.
If you feel happy to pay all those bills to benefit others, thats a personal choice. Its very kind of you to pay so much. But what about when your city govt workers get to retire at 80% after 20 years, meanwhile if you still have to work...do you like that 40% go to their pension? What about mismanagement and Govt Waste?
For me, I am done with it. Obamacare cost more for many people, somebody has to pay when others cannot- who pays?
Insurance is scam. So are huge property taxes, I paid major $$$ for those things also, just like you mentioned. My income taxes were more than most average people make in 2-3 years. How about 15.6% self employment tax?, another rip off. Now with the “Medicare for all” b.s. naive Corez talk including illegal aliens covered? Huh?????
The deficit is huge now, remember pre-Trump it was doubled by the Kenyan born fake president and "Gov't solves all problems and we create jobs" (But does not mention they were Gov't Jobs)
I am concerned about getting my SSA taken away, all I paid into. Why should my retirement income be messed with for all this socialism? They have borrowed from retirement SS to pay for Disability SS, more mismanagement.
Like I said, Hospitals were Church operated in the beginning, humanitarian things. They should not be Govt operated like the VA or industrial profit centers like Boeing or Home Depot or Amazon. They should break even and have volunteers. I used to volunteer in a VA hospital in my late teens. What happened to volunteerism? Reagan was big on that. Medical systems have become more of a money grab as years go by. The $30 aspirin is due to excess regulations, govt tracking paperwork, shrinkage, too much overhead, non paying customers. Just like the $500 Govt military toilet seat thing. Govt Mil-Spec testing, certifications, inspection, overdesign, etc.... all that drives up costs.
All my Doctor friends had one employee just there to deal with insurance companies all day long. Ridiculous.
Life is a crapshoot, and your roll the dice and don't know what bus will run you over and when. I too have had friends die early, some they were unlucky. In 90's a friend could not get treatment for his heart condition in CA, so he went to another state, university hospital. Free bypass. Meanwhile Hospitals were delivering illegal alien babies by the hundreds at taxpayer expense. Nice. They treated illegal aliens, yet he paid into the system all his working life and when he was out of a job, lost everything. The hospital stabilized him, forced him to discharge so he fled out of state. But.... he smoked, had bad genetics, etc. Meanwhile, Bill Gates donates money overseas, money that could have been used to help American's who were put out of business by his predatory business practice, like investing in start-ups.
"As long as it's there for me when I need it"- well we all kinda are concerned about that right? I mean this gov't deficit spending, consumer debt, underfunded pension plans, and anything the gov't touches is fouled up. Remember the Obamacare website- somewhat of a large task with lot's of back end support I assume- and how mismanaged that was? Unbelievable.
The last great thing the US Gov't in spending was explore Space imo. That employed so many people and was a JFK Democrat funded program- that advanced everything we know today in all facets of life.
All the wars and idiocy since then- nothing but failure and increased cost of living and a devalued dollar.
