Let me start by saying that I don't consider myself (nor would most of my friends consider me) a humanitarian or a humanist.  I am a capitalist. If you want all the trappings of modern society, this requires you to get up, go to work, make money.  I won't go so far as to say that I don't believe in taxes.  I don't like them any more than the next person, but, frankly, government is better able to provide for some things than we could do individually:  schools, police, and so on; and we should all contribute to these services that benefit us as a whole.  No matter what, we are all part of a community.  I also believe there should be safety nets for folks who hit bad patches: food assistance, unemployment compensation -- there are a few of them out there meant to help us get on our feet.  But that is where I draw the line.  Welfare and other entitlements that allow people to live off of others for extended periods of time, making no effort to get a job or otherwise contribute positively society, are just programs that take an unfair advantage of those of us who do work.

That said, I would never deny (and I believe most people would not deny) someone medical care.  Sadly, the medical and insurance industries in this country have turned into massive profit making ventures -- it's disgusting.  Insurance companies cancelling coverage for women diagnosed with breast cancer based on loopholes and other fine print in the contracts; the poor and undocumented workers forced to clog emergency rooms for treatment of colds and other minor illnesses; small children in need of organ transplants denied treatment because their parents do not have the ability to pay the massive bill.  Is this what we've been reduced to?

In the past few years, government has tried to address these issues in a completely misguided way.  Obama care?  Really?  We don't need more people on medicaid.  We don't need people, particularly low income families, to be forced to purchase health insurance through their employer that they simply can't afford.  Or Hilary Clinton's plan?  The one that would have given medical coverage only to those folks who couldn't afford it, many of whom also couldn't be bothered to get a job!

Let's face it, we all deserve proper medical attention when we need it.  I'm not advocating that the government pays for every obscure experimental treatment out there, but I am certainly advocating that each and every one of us is absolutely entitled to accepted medical treatments and care and we shouldn't have to face bankruptcy to get it.  So, the only question is: how do we pay for that?   Do we continue to charge those people with money and insurance $8000 for an MRI that should cost less than $1000, so that 7 people without money or insurance can get one for free?  Healthcare is something we participate in equally and there should be a more equitable way to distribute the cost.

So, my solution is this:  a federal sales tax, similar to the value added tax (VAT) in Europe.  Probably one or two cents on the dollar is all it would take and embedded in the price you see on the shelf.  Most folks are not even going to notice it.  And this would be on every product: clothes, milk, aspirin, candy...  The revenue could then be used to fund hospitals, doctors, clinics -- a public healthcare system -- for EVERYONE.  It wouldn't matter if you were white, black, or purple, if you were making $15,000 per year or $150,000... if you are in this country legally or illegally... every time you bought something, you'd be contributing to the system -- everyone would be contributing to the system!  And I would certainly advocating a higher tax rate on those products that contribute to America's continuing healthcare crisis:  Junk food, alcohol, and cigarettes.  If I choose to punish my body that way and risk poor health, then I certainly shouldn't use my neighbor's wallet to do it!

Now, I know there are those bleeding heart Democrats out there who are immediately going to jump on my sales tax plan insisting that it puts an unfair burden on the poor, but frankly, when did the needs and rights of the poor suddenly outweigh my rights?  Is one person more important than another?  Or should we look at the big picture which is simply this:  you, me, our neighbors, our society -- each one of us is just as important as the next.  As you don't want your rights trampled or the ability to care for your family... neither do I!