Immigration: The United States v Canada

[Dakine10 5,452]

Ontario now has the 13% HST - a harmonized GST+PST.

Alberta still has no PST, so they're down to just the 5% now. It was 7% last time I lived there and that's still the lowest sales tax I've ever had to pay as a resident in either country.

Results from these sources do not support the widespread perception that Canadian residents seek care extensively in the United States. Indeed, the numbers found are so small as to be barely detectible relative to the use of care by Canadians at home.

A lot of people argue against a health care system like Canada's in the USA. I'd guess the truth can be a little inconvenient when making that arguement. That's why rhetoric tends to work better.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

A lot of people argue against a health care system like Canada's in the USA.

A lot of people in this country have absolutely no idea what a modern, functioning and efficient health care system looks, much less feels like.

[SMR 368]

Is it Spring already?

Hard to tell for me, as we have nice weather all year round: never cold, never really hot, but sunshine and blue skies about 330 days a year. I don't need a heater nor do I need air conditioning. Yesterday we had 80 degrees and I rode my Harley Road King around Lake Casitas, which is only 15 minutes away from my house. A couple of weeks ago my wife and I rented a small boat there and had a champagne brunch right on the lake in one of the hidden coves. We actually spotted a pair of wild Bald Eagles while relaxing and enjoying the privilege of living here. My house is only 5 minutes away from the beach and I can't imagine a better place to live than right here on the American Rivera. Monaco comes close, and there are some lovely places in the South of France and some other parts of the world, but taking everything into consideration, I think I hit the jackpot.

Would I move to Canada? No. How about if somebody offered me a job for $1,000,000 per year? No.

Not that I don't like money or could use more of it, or wouldn't like a bigger house, but there are things in life that money cannot make up for. Imagine somebody offered you $10,000,000 per year if you moved to Siberia. Would you do that? Could you really live there?

I wouldn't and I couldn't.

That's why Canada is nothing but a great place to ride the Rocky Mountaineer. That about covers it.

$1,000,000 to move to Siberia? I'm already packing. When can I leave? It's really not all that bad.

I would consider that cheating. Nope, you'll have to stay in Siberia, save for a 3-week vacation once a year. All you can do is build a castle and get top notch call girls flown in every week. Not a bad thing per se, but I'd miss the sunshine and activities outside the bedroom eventually.

Siberia is actually very sunny for half the year. And if you are in beautiful call girls, there really would be no reason to fly them in. It'd be sort of like importing oil into Saudi Arabia.

Edited May 24, 2011 by SMR

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

A lot of people in this country have absolutely no idea what a modern, functioning and efficient health care system looks, much less feels like.

I must compliment you on your fact filled and profound contribution to this thread. I truly appreciate when someone that disagrees with me has such strong arguments. Keeps things challenging

Edited May 24, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Come on, you know how to look this stuff up.

Canada spent appr. $5,150.00 per capita in 2008 - 70% of that is funded by government. That's $3,600.00 per capita in terms of government expenditure. The US spent appr. $7,540.00 per capita in 2008 - roughly 50% of that is funded by government (the estimates are between 45 and 56%). At 50%, that's $3.770.00 per capita in terms of government expenditure. $3,600.00 < $ 3,770.00.

I prefer that you spend your time to look it up.

Good reason we should not do this in the USA. Obviously our government SUCKS at it. We spend more on healthcare than Canada and we don't even really HAVE government healthcare. You want MORE of this? Or maybe we will save when we expand the BS to cover 10 times the number of people Canada has. ????

Tnaks for the link and the reason NOT to have this run by the US federal government.

Edited May 24, 2011 by Gary and Alla

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Yes, and we have not even covered the differences in the cost of getting an education in the US versus Canada.

I am absolutely sure our government could waste more money than Canada's on anything.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Ontario now has the 13% HST - a harmonized GST+PST.

As to facts, I rather liked this:

http://www.chspr.ubc.ca/node/210

Oh no, there goes our healthcare infrastructure in Vermont! It was all just my imagination.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Good reason we should not do this in the USA. Obviously our government SUCKS at it. We spend more on healthcare than Canada and we don't even really HAVE government healthcare. You want MORE of this?

No, I don't want more of what we have because it's inefficient - we pay more for less. I want something different. Has it ever occured to you that we spend more on health care not despite of not having but because of not having government health care? Are you aware that per enrollee cost for government run health care programs has risen less than that for private run programs? Could it be that government has shown year after year of doing a better job of cost containment than private industry - note not a good job by any measure just a better job than the alternative.

Don't want the feds to do it but the states? I'm good with that as long as there's a standard that state programs have to meet in terms of coverage and affodability. Oh wait, that's PPACA which is already on the books.

Edited May 24, 2011 by Mr. Big Dog

[The Dude 206]

Oh no, there goes our healthcare infrastructure in Vermont! It was all just my imagination.

Right, keep telling yourself that those delusions are just your imagination.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

This data is from 2007.

http://www.epi.org/economic_snapshots/entry/webfeatures_snapshots_20071205/

Actually, most countries with universal health care pay less in public money than the US.

Also, I grew up near the border and have never, ever noticed Canadian license plates at the doctor's office or hospital.

Edited May 24, 2011 by Trompe le Monde

[^_^ 5,021]

Actually, most countries with universal health care pay less in public money than the US.

Also, I grew up near the border and have never, ever noticed Canadian license plates at the doctor's office or hospital.

Vermont is way awesomer than Michigan.

[SMR 368]

Actually, most countries with universal health care pay less in public money than the US.

Also, I grew up near the border and have never, ever noticed Canadian license plates at the doctor's office or hospital.

None of those countries that you are comparing the US to are dealing with a significant amount of immigration from a 3rd world country. It's not an apples to apples comparison.

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

None of those countries that you are comparing the US to are dealing with a significant amount of immigration from a 3rd world country. It's not an apples to apples comparison.

I guess you haven't been to the UK recently

[^_^ 5,021]

None of those countries that you are comparing the US to are dealing with a significant amount of immigration from a 3rd world country. It's not an apples to apples comparison.

Both Canada and Britain have significant amounts of immigration from 3rd world countries. In Canada's case, more (as a percentage of the native population) than the US.