Government can force everyone into one plan and that does save some people, but harms others. Now, healthy young people can buy a catastrophic care plan that is very reasonable. The cost through taxes or forced premiums for expanded coverage would keep those young people struggling to establish themselves. And to cover the infirm, you have to make the healthy pay more. It doesn't seem right to me. I think insurance works pretty well without the government interference that we already have. High risk people should pay more for a policy and those that can't pay can turn to the charitable hospitals.

I give weekly to the charities that I approve of. I wish that I could give more but my taxes keep going up!

Cathleen

Gas. Groceries I can budget, my house is paid for, just have lot rent. Health insurance, we have at the moment. If we can't afford gas, we can't afford a lot of things. The kids can pretty much be entertained in our neighborhood, but their is lots of free and cheap intertainment in town we might have to skip if we can't afford the gas. I have somewhere to drive every day for one of the kids. Plus, my husband drives a pickup truck for work, and it takes lots of gas. We need to get something different, but their is no budget for a car payment.

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I have nothing to declare except my genius."
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) upon arriving at U.S. customs 1882

I'd love to see the source of this data. Since you quoted exacts I'm assuming you got the info somewhere. Thanks!!

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I voted for food prices mostly because that affects so much in society and hits everyone personally. Part of the reason for the rise in food prices is the rise in gas prices. It is all connected.

I'm not in favor for socialized medicine, but I do believe the entire health care industry needs to be overhauled. I'd like to see the government kill incentives for medical providers to write off so much of their uncovered expenses. I think that is artificially driving up the cost of basic bills. I also don't think it is wise to get most of our medical coverage from our employer. I'd like to see the government make ALL medical insurance premium tax deductible. Right now, if you're self-employed you can deduct your premiums. If you get your coverage from your employer, your premiums are paid with pre-tax dollars. But if you're an employee and opt for private insurance, the premiums aren't tax deductible. That doesn't make sense. I should have the option of comparison shopping.

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"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

I had to say food, because I:
1. rent
2. don't have a car
3. live in Canada, so I don't have to worry about medical costs except dentists and optometrists, and I have good benefits through my work for those.

Right now I am worried about gas prices.Our gas bill doubled last month.I hate to see what it is this month.

I would say food only because I grew up poor and when I say poor I remember meals of saltine crackers and ice cubes when there was nothing else to eat. That was alot of the time when I was little. I remember stealing food at school just so that I could make it through the day. Those are things I will never forget.

Secondly I worry about healthcare. We have great healthcare at the moment and I am ever so thankful because my oldest DD treatment is 15K a month. Most of it is covered by insurance or medicaid. If we didn't have that or if we had socialized healthcare I'm sure she would be dead.

Gas is scary but still doable at this point and time.

For our family it is gas prices that are really affecting us hard right now! DH has a long commute to and from work and we pick up my stepdaughter every other week which is a 3 1/2 hr. drive there and 3 1/2 hrs back each way. My kids travel for their sporting events and I just can't beleive how much gas prices are killing our budget!

I'm worried about all of it, but I see the housing foreclosure thing causing quite a domino effect. Houses are foreclosed on/ taxes are not being collected. Other home values go down. Tax revenues go down. Cities & states can't do all the services they normally do as their revenues are down. Roads do not get repaired/sewers do not get fixed/bridges do not get maintenance. Basically, infrastructure starts to go downhill because there is no money to maintain/fix/build. More people are out of work applying for aid. People who have jobs are not having their income keep up w/ inflation. The gap between rich & poor increase as the middle class dwindles to nothing. We slowly start to work towards becoming a 3rd world country where the wealthy have opportunity and the poor have nothing.

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For me it is health coverage. I am quitting my job at the end of the month and at the end of August will lose all of my health insurance. After calling around, we found out that I am uninsurable because I had a little battle with thyroiditis. I didn't even have to have medical intervention to fix it, I just changed my diet and stress level. But I will not be eligible at all.