Transit Health Care Woes and National Health Care

Chase Tower
Originally uploaded by compujeramey.

"County Executive Scott Walker has targeted free health care for the 978 bus drivers, mechanics and other workers, and for about 600 transit system retirees."

And we wonder why we can't build decent transit systems anymore? If we have to pay for that many people to have health care after they retire, along with the current employees, the system is going to be broke.

This all comes as part of a rejection of a new contract that would have required transit employees to pay for part of their health insurance.

It's issues like these that make it seem obvious to me that we would want a national health care program. It would take all of the haggling over insurance and the like out of the game (as far as I understand).

In a country where we spend trillions on the military, billions on schools, and who knows how much on things like airport security and "homeland security", can't we spend a damn penny on national health care? We can simplify all of these health insurance issues if everyone is part of the same health care system. There is even people who will teach us how to make it work, in our own backyard, Canada!