A long-debated argument is whether it is a right or a privilege for all Americans to receive excellent health care.
Some of our elected representatives have strong convictions that Americans should be in a zero-sum game, where only financially moderate or well-off citizens should have access to excellent health care. Never mind that equal access to a good education and decent housing has, unfortunately, continued to create social and economic disparities. Consequently, failure to attain these “basic human needs” results in frustration, mental distress and irrational anger, sometimes leading to deviant behaviors that keep prisons filled.
Will we ever be able to build a more perfect union?
Due to politicians of goodwill, Medicare and Social Security programs were implemented in the last century to level the playing field and give every American an equal opportunity to attain the American dream. These two social policy programs can only continue to survive by paying for them with higher income taxes. Most developed countries across the pond in Europe provide excellent health insurance and prescription drug discounts for their citizenry, made affordable by having them contribute higher income taxes out of their paychecks. The workers receive decent hourly working wages, along with paid sick leave and vacation time. Their higher taxes are also rewarded with affordable child care agencies while they are out working, along with affordable and often free high school and universities. Universal pre-K is the initial steppingstone to success, enabling their children to get a head start on reading, arithmetic and social development, prepping them for becoming law-abiding, contributing members of their society. Studies have illustrated that Europeans are the happiest citizens.
However, many of our politicians call these above-cited programs “socialist.” The fact is that our society and theirs are both quasi-socialistic, combining capitalism and social welfare programs to benefit society. Our present administration proposes raising taxes on the more financially well-off citizenry to pay for social programs that would benefit all Americans. However, the “Build Back Better” program has been stalled in Congress. One significant reason is that Grover Norquist, head of Americans for Tax Reform, long ago got many congressional representatives to take a pledge never to raise taxes on big businesses, even in prosperous economies. Mr. Norquist, a strong capitalist, was quoted as saying that not raising taxes would “starve the beast,” alluding to social programs.
Fifty or more billionaire Fortune 500 businesses pay little or no taxes that would help pay for programs like the “Build Back Better” proposals. These programs, like those outlined above, propose affordable child care programs for working parents who would otherwise not be able to work, drug prescription discounts and affordable health care premiums for every citizen. Is this asking for too much?
Many citizens and government leaders believe that the least among us, the poorest, find ways to cheat the system. But who are the real welfare cheats? Journalist Nicholas Kristof cites a study by Oxfam International (a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty) illustrating how “corporate tax cheats” evade paying their fair share of income taxes. He adds, “we are coddling executives in their suites.”
In conclusion, corporate lobbyists continue to lobby Congress for favors. They could do all Americans a favor by contributing more to build America back better. There is not any logical reason Build Back Better should be voted down by our congressional representatives.
We need a MAG movement. “Making America Greater” is within our reach!
Bill Clemens
Magnolia
