Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Making It Visible

There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Of course, if you are eating out then you knew that before you walked in the door. But, maybe if you live in a liberal bastion like San Francisco you might not always have the costs of your welfare state in your thinking about prices. That apparently is going to change increasingly in coming days:

Would You Like Some Healthcare for Your Waitperson With That?

I love the rationale of San Fran mayor and kommissar Gavin Newsome who points out that the restaurants are actually gaining from the mandate because society at large won't be underwriting emergency room visits for the kitchen help. But, aren't the kitchen help primarily working young people who are vigorous and undergoing regular health inspections by the city agency which oversees food services through licensing and oversight? They aren't a major component of emergency room clientele in a city known for its homeless and drug-addled.

Regardless, I think this is an excellent model for the future throughout the free enterprise business community reaching well beyond restaurants. I think it will be an great idea for every business to include a healthcare mandate fee on every invoice and receipt, right there along with sales taxes and other similar tack-ons. Only in this way will the public gradually be weaned away from the belief that "government" is paying for things which they dispense. They aren't.

We pay and the sooner we come to appreciate how much we pay for these programs the sooner we will regain some fiscal discipline and control of our future.

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