dougdo said:
Canada (where I live) has been running surpluses for many years now which makes me happier. Except that if the US economy chokes you'll drown us with you....
DougDo
We spend on average 6 months in Canada and 6 months in the US. Canada I agree does have a nice surplus, if I remember the accusations from the last election, it is planned that way. It also has a lot of frivolous (SP) government Spending, and it's share of corrupt politicians. As was experienced by the recent advertising scandals. The Politicians are just as shady as in the US. At least IMHO they are.
However, all in all Canada is OK., with one exception, the Taxes one Pays in Canada are a very OTT. Ontario with it's 15% overall sales tax equivelent rate is pretty high. Not as high as Europe, buy pretty high for North America. GST(8%) on New Homes, no tax deduction on mortgages, exorbitant fuel taxes, relatively sky high income taxes, and forever deminishing health care coverages, I should hope they have a surplus. And now they are starting to allow fee for health care that the government provides from independent providers. Ontario health care used to be free, it is not anymore, and a sum has been added to ones taxes for it starting last year, when they also removed the Eye examination benefit. Drugs and Dental are extra.
While IMHO the general concept of health care is still far better than the US', it is deteriorating rapidly, at least in Ontario it is. Waiting times are long, yada.. yada.. yada... My poor sister had heart failure, and was not diagnosed correctly for 4 years, with obvious symptoms that I found in "Blood Pressure for Dummies" at the local library! Not by just one doctor either.
Now if they fixed the health care system, I would say most of the taxes would be worth it though. Simply for the fact and individual does not have to worry about organizing it.
The comparision,is if you can pay for health care in the US, and are actually considered for coverage, basically you need to be healthy to start with. The care is stellar, no waits, no pushing around (in most cases), the system works well.... as long as you, or your insurance company is paying. Or, you are an illegal immigrant, but that is another story. You need an operation, generally it is available in no time. The cost, as many here know could be as high as $10,000 per year before deductables for a couple or family. A healthy couple with Blue Cross, with acceptable deductables is about $358 per month. The government needs to correct the legal system in order to limit liabilities so the doctors and hospitals, do not have to pay so much in insurances. This may help the costs. The lawyers however, will never let that happen.
To add insult to injury the cost of drugs is ludicrous in the US. But when Juries are allowed to award 1/4 Billion Dollars for a sinlge instance of a drug (VIOXX) mishap. They will stay that way. It may sound callous but "**** happens" when you have a population of 250 million people. How many people in comparision as a percentage did VIOXX help?
Now, I did a study last year about Taxes, not really in depth but a general analagy. This was for myself and my wife. It was basically how much tax would we have paid in each of the areas we lived, namely Florida and Ontario Canada. This was before we actually filed and were making the decision.
2004 Taxes.
If we filed taxes in Canada, we would have had to pay over $20k US in Federal and Provincial taxes + any $15% sales taxes we used during our stay, as well as fuel etc. (these we would pay no matter where we filed) It cost $700 for a rider emergency travel insurance for 6 months in the US with a $2m max no deductable all emergencies covered.
If we filed in the USA, we would pay about $1000 in Federal, no State Taxes and 6% Sales taxes. + $358 x 12=$4296 for Medical + $500 for extra personal insurance because of the Sue Happy US mantra, to protect our Nestegg, that would not really be required in Canada, but probably advisable. This totals about $6k.US, far less than the equivelent overall tax burden in Canada. And the quality of health care is generally better. But you have to be 100% healthy to get the health care. Conversly Emergency health coverage is about $100 pm but only covers a stay in the hospital and drugs while there. If you broke your arm and they fixed it in outpatients, you paid. (Some Emergency health coverage ay?)
Currently we rent, and do not own our own home, but I think in general it would be a wash in Canada or the USA, as we would not have a mortgage. Although in the US it is tempting to get one.
Cars other than taxes work out a similar overall cost.
Sorry, I hope I have not digressed too far from the original discussion, but we always do that anyway. Any other experiences or opinions on this matter would be interesting.
SWR