When I grew up in Philadelphia there was ‘dis guy’ that would come around and collect peoples numbers and money. You see there was this ‘racket’. You could pick any three digits and bet money and if these numbers came up you were paid 600 times your money back. It was a sucker deal because there are 1000 possible combinations so pay out would be 60% on average. The numbers racket was a normal part of life in less wealthy ( read urban, ethnic, ghetto, slum, poor ) neighborhoods and it was a rather innocuous part of life. If you didn t play the ‘guy’ wouldn t bother you. He had his customers and didn t market it to non-players.
At some point someone in government saw this organized crime syndicate as being a threat and decided to put them out of business. They created their own state sponsored numbers racket. It started out simply enough with the ‘pick 3′ which pays 500:1 then quickly gave birth to the ‘pick 4′ paying 5000:1 because bigger pay outs bring in more dollars. Then came the lotto type, then lotto with a ‘special’ number, then multi-state lottos. Remember the bigger the pay out the more people will play. Now when the jackpots break $100,000,000 people line up and wait to be ripped off in the racket. And those that don t play also get to wait in these lines for their water at the convenience store or to pay for gasoline.
My point is that organized crime paid better, was less intrusive, and was much more customer oriented than the government who pays less, taxes what you win, and inconveniences non-players. Government also inundates us with advertising on buses, trains, television, radio, and newspapers. To rationalize legalized gambling the money goes to education and the elderly. And the money does go to these ‘good’ causes in the state budget. What isn t mentioned is that when the gambling proceeds go into the state coiffeurs for education and the elderly, other tax money comes out and goes to other places.
Now these same people who screwed all of us more than organized crime, now wants to be entrusted with our healthcare. They speak in platitudes of what great things will come from them handling medical choices. They promise enormous health savings, universal coverage, and to restrain those insurance companies and pharmaceutical manufacturers, while not impeding the attorneys who sue said entities endlessly- so we can still have our jackpot.
They ve bankrupted medicare- or rather we have because we want to live longer and without pain- but this time around they ll get it right because panels will decide what ‘procedures’ are relevant and necessary. And while you ll be able to sue your doctor, your hospital, and your drug manufacturer’”you will not be able to hold the panels (government) accountable legally or fiscally. They can t be sued– regardless of their actions.
They will cover illegal immigrants, the healthy young (who currently don t buy health insurance even though they can afford it), and those with pre-existing conditions. I hope this covers all types of insurance so when I wreck my car I can call up an insurance company and have it repaired by starting a new policy. So between 40-50 million more people will be in a position to receive healthcare who currently cannot with zero increase in medical personnel and facilities and we will magically save money because it will cost less. And Congress agrees that healthcare will be so good that they are unworthy of such a wonderful program and have chosen to instead remain on their second rate healthcare plans.
If the Mafia offers healthcare in your area I would suggest signing up for it now.
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