The proposal by Access Escambia to have a half-cent sales tax to help pay for doctor visits for the uninsured has surfaced two area of opposition – besides those against everything:
- Those angry over county government’s budget and its spending
- Those angry over federal government welfare and social programs
I’m no fan of county government’s budget and believe the 2006-07 property tax millage should have been rolled back – despite the justifcations given by Comm. Whitehead. And over the last few months, county administration has floated ideas for an increase in MSTU (is it MSBU) for fire departments and a nickel increase in gas taxes to pay for ECAT – both I wasn’t crazy about either.
I also know of the abuses and failures of the federal subsidies – but this isn’t what this is. It isn’t medicare or medicaid…. or any of other non-welfare subsidy like aid for farmers for their crops or the oil industry to help pay for the oil exploration.
What I like about the Access Escambia plan is:
- It sets up a fund with a revenue stream the county commissioners can’t use for any other purpose. They can add to it, but not divert fund for their pet projects. —we will need to watch overhead costs attached to the fund, if any.
- The money goes to primary care where we can greatly reduce treatment costs by catching any illness in its early stages when it’s less costly to diagnose and treat. Thousands are going to bed every night in this county – sick, in pain and fear. They’re holding off care until they can’t bear it any longer…then they go to the emergency room. They pay the best they can but our medical costs and insurance premiums are higher because of the burden on the system.
- We can put a dent in the overall health problems of this community.
I understand the argument that everybody should pay their own way, but the playing field hasn’t been level in Pensacola for a long time. We have to take this problem into our own hands and deal with it. The Access Escambia plan is a step in the right direction.