Re: [OT] Terminology [was: Affecting Institutional Change (Yeah Right)]
On Fri, May 11, 2007 at 08:34:18PM -0400, Roberto C. Sánchez wrote:
> On Fri, May 11, 2007 at 08:17:04PM -0400, Douglas Allan Tutty wrote:
> >
> > I am a citizen of the country. I have right to employment for which I am
> > qualified. Disabilities must be accomodated by the employer. If you
>
> Do you also have a right to be provided healthcare? What about
> education? What about a right to have money taken away from someone
> else and given to you?
In Canada, yes. Everyone gets good healthcare and if you the total
amount that individuals spend on healthcare (sum of proportion of taxes
going to healthcare) on a per-capita basis it is less than the total
amount spent in the US for the same health care (taxes and private
health insurance). IOW, we pay more taxes than in the US but overall we
pay less if you factor in the amount americans pay for health insurance
for services that are provided under the Canada Health Act.
FYI, I'm a nurse, used to work in Cardiac Surgery in Toronto.
Healthcare is one of the few things that I know a lot about.
As for money taken from someone and given to me (figuratively) a.k.a.
wellfare, research has shown that it costs society less overall to do
that than to deal with the effects of extreme poverty (increase crime,
increased health-care costs, etc).
Education is a constant issue; its guaranteed through highschool.
Post-secondary education keeps getting both more expensive and required
for lower-level jobs. OTOH, most people want to send their kids to
university rather than a college for a trade eventhough there are always
more jobs for tradespeople than there are new grads and the wages are
better. For example, most trades take a year or two of post-secondary
education before employment and paycheques start even if further
education is necessary. Those new grads earn far more than most
university new grads and more than many new professionals (nurses, other
allied health, many engineers, etc). I always advise kids that don't
know what they want to do who are tight on money to start with a trade.
Then use the money to get a degree when they know what they want to do.
OTOH, I understand that in some places in Europe, education is fully
funded through post-secondary as well.
Doug.
Reply to: