[Vision2020] Wal-Mart and the health care burden

[Jeff Harkins]

>When was the last time Jeff Harkins had to worry about a burdensome 
>co-pay or a massive deductible that rendered his health insurance 
>essentially worthless?  For that matter, when was the last time I 
>had to worry about such things?

I recall stating that my concern was the lack of benefits for 
part-time employees and retired UI employees.  As an addendum, I do 
have some questions about whether the UI decision to "self-insure" 
rather than subscribe to a medical plan offered by a health insurer 
(e.g., Blue Cross) was a wise decision.  I suppose time will resolve 
that issue.

>... he can accuse me of protectionism, communism, idiocy, 
>thumb-sucking, and the heartbreak of psoriasis.  I don't care.  (In 
>the words of my late grandfather, if I wanted any shit out of Jeff 
>Harkins, I'd squeeze his head.)  I will do as I see fit, and I see 
>fit to fight the siting of a Wal-Mart Supercenter here in my adopted home town.

In any of my posts, I can't find a single reference to any of these 
statements .......... ?????  I don't think that I have made any 
statements that could be construed as directed at Ms. Opyr personally 
or made any statements that would attack her character.  If any of 
you find such statements, would you please let me know.  I have made 
every effort to focus my comments on the issues.

>And once I start fighitng, well . . . everyone duck.  Jeff Harkins 
>is about to hit the fan.

I repeat my questions:
    * What system should be in place to provide health coverage for Americans?
    * Who should pay for it?
And I close with one other anecdotal point.  Let's assume, for the 
moment, that WalMart is forced to offer a more comprehensive benefit 
plan for employees.  This will necessarily increase prices for 
Walmart shoppers.  If, as has been noted by numerous posters, news 
articles and such, the predominant shopper at WalMart is a low or 
relatively lower income bracket wage earner, it would seem that the 
primary burden of the increased benefits would fall on those 
folks.  This doesn't seem to me to be the best solution to the 
problem. What do some of the rest of you think?

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