Conversations with Americans

[Carmen]

I've been to the U.S. four times this summer and on two of my trips I met Americans who were eager to learn about our universal health care. As I explained the pros and cons of our system it became apparent in my conversations that Americans are earnestly concerned with the cost of their health care. Both people I talked to were in situations where their employer only covered them but not their families. I was told that it would cost them thousands each year to cover their families so many just go with out coverage.

I go on my bike trips to forget reality but I couldn't escape the questions on my last trip to PA. I had just arrived at my hotel in Wellsboro when a guy in his late forties spotted my Ontario plate and immediately started bombarding me with questions. McGuinty forgot to tell me I'd be an ambassador for the province when I left the country. I didn't sign up for this (LOL).

[rib]

if you ever want to blow an americans mind, show them ketchup chips, a touque, or a beaver tail. Their heads explode shortly after.

[stormcat]

I thought this was going to be a thread with Youtube links to some of Rick Mercer's episodes of Talking to Americans.

I've presented at conferences in the US and I'm always amazed by the number of American academics who have never heard of Newfoundland. One conference in particular, at the Kinsey Institute of Indiana University, I had a Harvard Prof ask me where Newfoundland was! Harvard! I always have to explain, "Do you know where Toronto is?" (They always do) Followed with, "Go east. As east as you could possibly go. Cross water. You'll hit an island. That is Newfoundland." And it's shocking considering that Newfoundland has a pioneering medical school! And how many American planes landed in NL during 9/11? Yet people have never heard of the place.

But I hear you about being an ambassador and having to clarify aspects of our country. One of my best friends — an American lovin', CBR racin', gun totin', small town livin' Wisconsinite — reflects the typical American ideology surrounding Canadian health care that I hear: we're a bunch of 'socialists'.

Now for Rick Mercer (a Newfoundlander in case you're interested):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKh0P9o6y18


Lastly, "Congratulations, Canada, for legalizing staplers."

[redridernl]

Now for Rick Mercer (a Newfoundlander in case you're interested):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKh0P9o6y18


Lastly, "Congratulations, Canada, for legalizing staplers."

That was a lot of commercials.

[Chaos]

Interesting. Every time I go down to the states they couldn't give a ****.

[murf]

I've been to the U.S. four times this summer and on two of my trips I met Americans who were eager to learn about our universal health care. As I explained the pros and cons of our system it became apparent in my conversations that Americans are earnestly concerned with the cost of their health care. Both people I talked to were in situations where their employer only covered them but not their families. I was told that it would cost them thousands each year to cover their families so many just go with out coverage.

I go on my bike trips to forget reality but I couldn't escape the questions on my last trip to PA. I had just arrived at my hotel in Wellsboro when a guy in his late forties spotted my Ontario plate and immediately started stared bombarding me with questions. McGuinty forgot to tell me I'd be an ambassador for the province when I left the country. I didn't sign up for this (LOL).

interesting about the family coverage. I can get coverage for self, self and kids, self and spouse or whole family. Self costs the company $450 a month, family between $1000-$1300 depending on what HMO etc. The employee has to pay $200-250 a month of own money.

[omnivore]

I found the same thing talking to a local at a gas station last week in West Virginia. Then he proceeded to complain about how high their taxes were and gas costs. SO I proceeded to explain that we pay over $5/gallon for gas, and income tax can run up to half of your gross pay if you earn $100K/yr...and then add the property taxes and 13% sales taxes etc....He then replied that he didn't know what he was complaining about after all,LOL

[murf]

I found the same thing talking to a local at a gas station last week in West Virginia. Then he proceeded to complain about how high their taxes were and gas costs. SO I proceeded to explain that we pay over $5/gallon for gas, and income tax can run up to half of your gross pay if you earn $100K/yr...and then add the property taxes and 13% sales taxes etc....He then replied that he didn't know what he was complaining about after all,LOL

the max federal income tax is 22%, the max Ontario income tax is 11% for a grand total of 33%. Not 50%!!!!

(In Quebec it's a bit different with provincial at 23% so the total is 45%)

your deductions further lower your taxes.

[Lightcycle]

the max federal income tax is 22%, the max Ontario income tax is 11% for a grand total of 33%. Not 50%!!!!

No. For 2011, the federal tax rate is 29% for $128,800 and over. The 22% figure is only for income $41,544-$83,088.

Ontario tax rate is 11.16% as you say, for a marginal effective tax rate of over 40% at the highest bracket.

There are deductions and credits, but there are also mandatory plans we pay into like CPP and EI.

[fearlessbob]

I have a couple of American colleagues at work (they commute here every week). They mentioned that there is remarkably "less fear" on people's face who are walking on the streets here. They are from Connecticut and they have traveled to most US large cities. I thought that it was amazing that "tourists" would notice this here. Has to be pretty bad where they come from.

We also discussed this gun culture bit (and there is no taking their guns away from them), and the suing everyone part. There is even a standardized price scale for various types of lawsuit, for instance $35K for getting bitten by someone's dog.

They summed up the place very nicely, by saying the US is the land of the free, where nothing is free...

All in all, I'd rather pay more taxes and enjoy our peace of mind and friendly mentality that we have here (but this is a biased comment, I'll admit).

[gwelfmike]

IF you really want to get a dose of why I am happy to be in Canada, visit South AMerica, my wife is from Venezuela, on my first trip there I learned a few things, Do not stop at a red light at night, only slow down, if the way is clear, go, why? because if you stop you could end up getting robbed. Do not talk to the police, military ( they are all over the place, even in the malls) Only go for a walk in the parks between 6 and 11 AM, that is the only time it is safe. IF you can afford a motorcycle, you only ride in a group, during the day, you never take it to work, to the mall. Once you are in your hotel room in Caracass, you do not leave the propertry. But then again gas is five cents a litre, when she filled up her GRand Cherokee, she gives the guy a five dollar bill and drives away no matter how much it cost..

[murf]

I have a couple of American colleagues at work (they commute here every week). They mentioned that there is remarkably "less fear" on people's face who are walking on the streets here. They are from Connecticut and they have traveled to most US large cities. I thought that it was amazing that "tourists" would notice this here. Has to be pretty bad where they come from.

We also discussed this gun culture bit (and there is no taking their guns away from them), and the suing everyone part. There is even a standardized price scale for various types of lawsuit, for instance $35K for getting bitten by someone's dog.

They summed up the place very nicely, by saying the US is the land of the free, where nothing is free...

All in all, I'd rather pay more taxes and enjoy our peace of mind and friendly mentality that we have here (but this is a biased comment, I'll admit).

and yet our insurance rates are higher because of all the lawsuits?? Plenty of lawsuits here Im afraid. Also, if you work there and have a good health insurance plan it is better than the standard medical system here.

[RetroGrouch]

I don't know what's so great about the healthcare system here. I got injured several years ago an needed to visit the doctor once a month. Every time I went the waiting was packed beyond capacity and waiting time was over 2 hours. I'm sitting there thinking why I don't have the option of just paying extra to see a physician quicker.

[stormcat]

I don't know what's so great about the healthcare system here. I got injured several years ago an needed to visit the doctor once a month. Every time I went the waiting was packed beyond capacity and waiting time was over 2 hours. I'm sitting there thinking why I don't have the option of just paying extra to see a physician quicker.

Because when my same bff in the US crashed at the track and required plates and pins to reattach his arm and reconstruct his shattered shoulder, he was looking at a bill over $100,000 to be paid out-of-pocket. That's why our health care system is so great.

[RetroGrouch]

Well that is good thing about OHIP. Unfortunately people tend to overuse the healthcare system for minor and unnecessary ailments. Taking your kid to emergency for a case of the sniffles is just wasteful and it does happen. I especially don't like those commercials that has someone getting a small burn from a stove and then the multiple choices appear about where to go, something like local clinic, family doctor or ER? Uh, how about the drugstore for some polysporin and a bandaid?

[jc100]

Our health care system is good on paper and leaps and bounds ahead of many other countries but it is mismanaged and I'd venture more than a little corrupt in places. In short it could be way, way better just by cutting out all the waste.

One place where the yanks are ahead of us is in consumer rights. We're so bullied here by big corporations that the consumer in Canada is not allowed to know the provenence of the goods we are eating in terms of say genetically modified ingredients etc. In the US it's labelled, here in Canada there was active lobbying to remove the information from labels so the big companies could still put their crap in our food and not let us have a choice as to whether to purchase GMO or non-GMO food.

[johnp]

It's not really 'healthcare' anywhere. The system only makes money if you're sick; so there's no money to be made if you're either dead - or healthy for that matter. So the emphasis, both countries, is to 'manage' the illness, i.e. you keep coming back for more procedures and you keep taking those little pills forever. Very little emphasis on preventing illness in the first place through lifestyle changes, since it's literally bad for business.

The U.S. in particular sucks. U.S. has by far the most expensive medical care system in the whole world (as % of GNP), with millions without access at all, and rotten outcomes (e.g. infant mortality).

[murf]

Because when my same bff in the US crashed at the track and required plates and pins to reattach his arm and reconstruct his shattered shoulder, he was looking at a bill over $100,000 to be paid out-of-pocket

not if you have insurance, in the USA if you work and have insurance you don't wait for hours for service with the welfare cases. I think it makes sense if you are a productive member of society paying taxes u shouldn't wait in emergency......the average wait time in Montreal was 16 hours when I was there. I was happy I was only waiting for 8 hours after a car accident. The Canadian System used to great, the politicians gutted it.

[nakkers]

Depends on who you talk to in the USA. Most that work and in business, have good enough health care for themselves and family. They're afraid Obama is going to tax the hell of them or, lose their job and have nothing to go back to. Health care is just a by-product concern if they lose their job, they won't have coverage.

[murf]

Depends on who you talk to in the USA. Most that work and in business, have good enough health care for themselves and family. They're afraid Obama is going to tax the hell of them or, lose their job and have nothing to go back to. Health care is just a by-product concern if they lose their job, they won't have coverage.

you can continue coverage but you have to pay for it.