Healthcare and education are both essential services that can be extremely expensive and, as a result unaffordable for those on a limited budget. Nevertheless, it is important to establish just who is responsible for funding them.
The health of a country’s citizens is vitally important. Without adequate healthcare, people of all ages can become extremely ill and thus unable to earn a living or take care of themselves. So, it is essential for governments to provide well-equipped hospitals as well as highly trained staff to run them. There is also a need for appropriate emergency services. Furthermore, without a good public education system, people may find they are limited in their work choices. If education is not provided free to all, those born into poverty may find themselves unable to rise above that level.
We may all wish for these essential services to be provided free of charge, but the government needs to obtain the funds for them from somewhere. Even when they are provided free of charge, there has to be some way of recouping the costs. One way of acquiring the necessary funds is by imposing taxes. Alternatively, access to welfare can be means-tested and based on personal levels of income. The irony is that, in democratic societies, where a government is elected based on its promises, it is often the political party that promises tax cuts that is elected to office.
It seems clear that poorer members of our society need this type of aid and if these costs are covered at least partially by the government then we need to accept that our taxes will be used to find them.
Healthcare and education are both essential services that can be
extremely
expensive and,
as a result
unaffordable for those on a limited budget.
Nevertheless
, it is
important
to establish
just
who is responsible for funding them.
The health of a country’s citizens is
vitally
important
. Without adequate healthcare,
people
of all ages can become
extremely
ill and
thus
unable to earn a living or take care of themselves.
So
, it is essential for
governments
to provide well-equipped hospitals
as well
as
highly
trained staff to run them. There is
also
a
need
for appropriate emergency services.
Furthermore
, without a
good
public education system,
people
may find they
are limited
in their work choices. If education is not provided free to all, those born into poverty may find themselves unable to rise above that level.
We may all wish for these essential services to
be provided
free of charge,
but
the
government
needs
to obtain the funds for them from somewhere. Even when they
are provided
free of charge, there
has to
be
some
way of recouping the costs. One way of acquiring the necessary funds is by imposing taxes.
Alternatively
, access to welfare can be means-
tested
and based on personal levels of income. The irony is that, in democratic societies, where a
government
is elected
based on its promises, it is
often
the political party that promises tax
cuts
that
is elected
to office.
It seems
clear
that poorer members of our society
need
this type of aid and if these costs
are covered
at least
partially
by the
government
then we
need
to accept that our taxes will be
used
to find them.