Six Figures Is Not Enough

The ongoing debate about health care centers mainly on the 47 million Americans who are unable to afford the costs of insurance and medical treatment. In an observation that throws things into stark relief, as well as shatters preconceptions, the Daily News opens a recent editorial with this:

When White House spokesman Tony Snow announced his resignation Friday, he cited financial reasons. In his high-profile job as the president's mouthpiece, he was paid $168,000. But even that wasn't enough for him to afford to support his family of five and pay the bills for his cancer treatment.

Certainly Snow's situation is far removed from most of America's blue-, white- and pink-collar workers. But if one of the well-paid close aides to the president can't afford health care costs, how does that bode for the rest of us?

After that attention getting example, the editorial goes on to compare the bills currently up for the vote in California, pointing out that the primary differences are partisan in nature. The column ends by exhorting the state government to resolve the ideological differences on this issue for the good of everyone:

California's leaders owe it to the state's hard workers to spend this Labor Day holiday working together on a compromise bill that both Republicans and Democrats, workers and businesses, can support.

SOURCE: "A Labor Day Gift: Where Did the Year of Health care Reform Go?" 09/02/07
photo courtesy of davidsilver on Flickr remixed and used under this Creative Commons license