Health care and the price of gas

Your paper recently did a front page story regarding the fact that gasoline broke the $4-per-gallon mark.

In a highlighted box titled "It could be worse," you showed the price of gas in the United Kingdom as well as a couple of other European countries. These prices were all in the area of double what we are paying.

One thing these other countries have in common is a form of socialized medicine or what our politicians like to call "free government-run health care."

As our national elections get closer and closer, there is a lot of talk, mainly from Democrats, on this subject.

They make it sound so easy and wonderful unless, of course, you currently have your own health care system that you are satisfied with.

What they never seem to mention is unintended circumstances which again seems common with many liberal ideas (environmental solutions for example).

If we end up going the route of socialized medicine, be prepared to have your income tax approach the 50 percent area as well as wishing for the good old days when gas was only $4 per gallon.

On top of this I suggest that the next time you find yourself standing in line at the U.S. Post Office getting frustrated by the either extremely slow or complete lack of service, you try and imagine doing the same thing only with one of your kids standing next to you with a broken arm or yourself with chest pains.

It is an old cliché but seems to apply. Be careful what you wish for.

Marc Thomsen

Elk Grove Village