They own one house on the Florida mainland. We also own another teeny house in the same county. It was our primary residence for years. It's on a boat-only island.
We are also permanent residents of Australia. We rent but do own some investment property that we pay local council rates on. It's inexpensive and a bargain for the infrastructure involved. On a federal level, tax laws in both countries have us paying income tax on any income earned in either country. Money we make in Australia gets taxed as income to us in Australia and in the US. Money made in the US gets taxed as income to us in the US and Australia. Even though we can only earn and live and spend in one country at a time. Fortunately, in one respect, we haven't made much money in Australia. The general income tax rate is around 30%, but with a little bit of legal wangling we can reduce it to nearly half that. Here though, we have free health care and that makes all the difference.
No, it's not FREE. It's paid for with the average Australians taxable income. That is why their taxes are so high. She goes on to say........
Three trips to the emergency room for kids' stitches and one overnight with follow-up testing for me in a two month stretch would have been a huge hit to us in the States, being self-employed and uninsured. But here? No charge. Just part of what every Australian is entitled to.
Why is she uninsured? Considering that she owns one home on the mainland of Florida, a vacation house on a Florida island, a boat, has the money for a boat slip plus is able to travel between Australia and the United States and rents some property in Australia I find it hard to believe she can't afford insurance. I also find it nauseating that she thinks that American TAXPAYERS should provide for her insurance since she chooses not to.
Universal Health care will cause those of us in the middle class who are barely scraping by month to month to pay higher taxes we can ill afford. Not only will we have less disposable income we will wind up with CRAPPY insurance. And unlike the rich (who have numerous houses, boats, boat slips and can afford travel to other countries) we will be unable to afford private policies to supplement the CRAPPY insurance the government will provide us with.
Some common sense approaches to the insurance problem
- Educate the uninsured about why it is important to BUY insurance before they have health issues. Many can afford insurance but do not think they need it because they are healthy.
- Allow parents to insure their children for longer. Currently most policies drop children after they reach 19 unless they are in school.
- Make it easier for people to form health co-ops to purchase group policies.
- Allow everyone to have flexible spending accounts.
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