Why do they call fire houses by company names? Answer: Fire houses were companies owned by corporations — Ben Franklin started the Union Fire Company.
The homeowner paid the company to protect them. Each house paid a fee and had a plaque that signified what company they paid their protection to. Guess what, not everyone paid for protection and so they endangered their neighbors. Confusion about who was going to put out what fire became another concern. Company’s met with limited successes, but a new idea soon replaced the corporations.
It became clear to everyone that if everyone was going to be protected they needed society or community at large to come up with a solution. And from that need came today’s city fire departments.
Everyone paid for this service through their taxes. We all became safer and everyone was covered — not just those who could afford to pay. Now that neighbor, who could not afford to pay for firefighting services no longer endangered their neighbors. Everyone was safer, and because everyone was covered, the costs went down. What does this have to do with me, you ask? Of course, we pay firefighters to protect our homes, are you crazy — just like we pay our military and police to protect us, or we build roads for everyone to drive on, and of course we build jails and pay the costs of housing criminals. We need to be safe don’t we?
Of course, we cover the cost of all their medical care in jail. Who else is going to pay? We pay with our taxes. So wait, are you telling me, my brother had to go bankrupt because of major medical costs, but if a rapist needs cancer treatment, he’s covered? Hey, hold on a minute — that’s not fair. You figured out by next year your health insurance will cost more than your mortgage. And then you tell me my senator has government health insurance, but he’s voting to keep large health insurance companies providing mine. Why? Why, because you cannot afford the bucks that it would cost you to keep your senator voting your interests. And these dire warnings of huge deficits.
You are not going to try to tell me they will be caused in large part by runaway health care costs are you? Universal health care is like our fire companies. We will all be safer with it.