Six Degrees of Wealth in America

Posted: 7/2/12 at 12:29pm

This is the most fascinating story I've read in weeks: A GC writer sets out to interview 6 Americans- each earning about 5X as much as the person before them. Guess where these two land:

"I don't spend any time at all thinking about my personal wealth. I suppose if I had nothing, I might think, 'I have nothing.' But when we decided to go public and I saw how much money there was, I was very surprised."

----
He gets paid every two weeks," says Rebecca. "For state and federal taxes they take about $180. Then for health insurance they take about $375."

"The health costs go up every year," says Dennis. "And not just the regular 4 percent for inflation. It could be 10 percent, 17 percent..."



Amber Waves of Green

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 3:39pm

Another person who came to America, made an excellent living and then decides to trash our way of life. If healthcare is so great in Britain, then go live and work there.

Updated On: 7/2/12 at 03:39 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 3:41pm

Why is the standard Republican rebuttal to critique of America "Go somewhere else"?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 3:49pm

"Why is the standard Republican rebuttal to critique of America "Go somewhere else"?"

Because America is a great country and Democrats are messing it up.

[Kad]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 3:57pm

You're not even trying anymore.

Posted: 7/2/12 at 4:04pm

Well Goth, what do you say to that couple who are spending more than a quarter of their monthly income on health insurance? There's a lot of talk about taxes in reference to the affordable care act- seems like these folks' taxes are pretty manageable and their health care is through the roof. And unlike their taxes, going up every year.

Updated On: 7/2/12 at 04:04 PM

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 4:35pm

Goth we are listed 37th in the world on the quality of our healthcare by the WHO.

And what is so great about this country is people can come out and publicly critique it!

[Addison D.]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 4:41pm

The World Health Organization? Sounds like a lot of Commies and Gays and whatnot... I wouldn't trust their numbers--obviously subject to a liberal bias.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 4:54pm

"There's a lot of talk about taxes in reference to the affordable care act- seems like these folks' taxes are pretty manageable and their health care is through the roof."

I'm sure the government will type healthcare as a "benefit" like they do Social Security and unemployment insurance. When it's termed a "benefit" the government can take it away if they so choose.

In addition, being a doctor is a highly specialized practice. If the government makes it too difficult for doctors, what's to stop them from closing their practice?

Obama made the same stupid mistake Hillary did. Trying to build a healthcare system without considering the major players.

The people in this article will be a whole lot worse off when Obamacare kicks in because they will be forced to carry insurance, the rates will skyrocket and there will be few doctors to treat them.

[madbrian]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 5:29pm

Other than a doctor being specialized, I don't think you got anything correct in that post.

[Yawper]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 5:34pm

"The people in this article will be a whole lot worse off when Obamacare kicks in because they will be forced to carry insurance, the rates will skyrocket"

and that's exactly why we should have universal healthcare coverage instead of an insurance based system

[SNAFU]

Posted: 7/2/12 at 7:23pm

'If the government makes it too difficult for doctors, what's to stop them from closing their practice?"

Because that is what exactly happened in France ( (Number one) and the othe European countries that have Socialized Medicine. They are dying in the streets because doctors closed up shops!

And the "Major players being who? The Insurance Companies who have record breaking profits since Nixon?

Geesh!

Updated On: 7/2/12 at 07:23 PM

Posted: 7/3/12 at 10:26am

Goth you've fallen victim to the echo chamber effect- this bill was actually written with lots and lots of input from both insurance companies and doctors and other health care providers. And, despite right wing insistence that it was rushed through congress was debated for over 100 hours and the subject of hundreds of hours of testimony over about a year's time.

Interestingly, I had a conversation with a conservative pal who insisted this law will never work because more people will see the doctor now and we'll need more doctors. And I said "Well that's a good thing, right? People should see the doctor more and if this makes that possible that's a GOOD THING, right?" No.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 7/3/12 at 11:58pm

n addition, being a doctor is a highly specialized practice. If the government makes it too difficult for doctors, what's to stop them from closing their practice?


Cos they want to make money AND help a suffering humanity?

Seriously, Kad is right, you usta have some substance in your invective now it's like American beer- can't even get buzzed from.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 7/4/12 at 3:10am

I wanted more from the story than I got, but in saying that spending that much per fortnight / week on health care is insane. America has always looked after there rich and let the poor suffer!