As a voter, what are you most concerned about on a local, state and national level? What are your priorities?
Here are mine:
Local - Since I live in Scranton, taxes are my #1 issue. Now I realize that, while the wage tax is high in Scranton, property taxes are somewhat lower than other areas (such as the Abingtons). However, Scranton's wage tax is at a level that I think is oppressive. The city does not appear to be run efficiently, and the competing notions of "the administration is bloated with cronies" OR "the unions are to blame" are probably both true.
State - My #1 consumer protection. For example, current law gives states sole responsibility for the regulation of insurance products, which Pennsylvania does in an exceptionally poor manner. Our advocates for consumer protection at a state level never met a rate increase they didn't like and turn a blind eye to supposed non-profit healthcare organization amassing enormous surpluses (while at the same time these organizations they pay for-profit executive salaries, grease politicians and constantly raise rates).
Federal - My #1 issues is Healthcare. America's current healthcare system is being crushed by the collective weight of a delivery mechanism where everyone (from drug companies to HMOs to Doctors) wants a double-digit return on investment evey year, and yet we can't seem to figure out why health insurance premiums go up 10%+ per year. Some believe that the way to solve the problem is to sack the current employer-provided system in favor of one where people would buy insurance on the private market with the benefit of tax credits; this is incredibly stupid for three main reasons:
If big companies haven't been successful in negotiating better healthcare rates, then why would I?
If you are having a heart attack, chances are that you will not be shopping the market for a cardiologist.
You can't take the promise of a tax credit and buy something with it (Aetna and CIGNA don't take IOUs).
Yes, the free-market is a beautiful thing, when you are buying a car for example. However it simply doesn't work for everything...for example, we don't have a "for profit" police force...so I think it's time to recognize that market-based systems haven't worked for healthcare and we need to start thinking about & trying some other things.
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"Hope at least gives you the option of living" - Harry Nilsson
I have read your post several time Ag ... and I have to tell you that it's great ... I agree with your stance on health care ... and I most certainly agree with what you are saying about them ... they are claiming to be a non profit orgaization ... as hospitals also do ... and we all know that both are most certainly for profit orgainzations ...
Health care is my main issue in State and Federal government ... we need to get a grip on these prices ... we are paying more and more out of pocket for this insurance ... and have you noticed that the more we pay for our insurance the less coverage we are actually getting ... everytime I go to the doctor it seems that I am getting turned down for certain tests that in the past have always been covered ... so now along with paying through the nose to my employer I am now also paying more out of pocket expenses for testing that is no longer coveredl The more they charge us the less services we are receiving ... so I now have health insurance that I can no longer afford to use ... how sad is that!
