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Governments never allocate resources as efficiently as private firms do in free markets. That's a fact. Most of the problems America has with its healthcare system are caused by government legislation and policy. If government would step back and let markets work the way they would naturally, based on competition and self-interest, health care would reach an efficient equilibrium between supply and demand.
I double majored in Finance and Economics during my undergrad studies and sometimes I get frustrated reading points of views from people who don't understand the mechanics of economics. That is what we're discussing here, right? Alot of times I think folks have their hearts in the right place because they want to help others, but sadly, economics deals with scarcity, and there is not always enough to go around.
Healthcare, like all other resources is scarce, and free markets, not governments are better suited to divide scarce resources. I could certainly write more about this subject but I'm not sure it would do any good. I really wonder whether people are truly open to logic on subjects like this or whether their minds are already made up and they just want to talk about how admirable socialism is and how uncool capitalism is.
Onto Vouchers:
Vouchers would create a private market for schools and create competition that would lead to more efficient, higher quality and more innovative education. The reason America will most likely never go to a voucher system is the teacher's union.
Believe it or not, that union is probably the most powerful in America. The union likes the public education system because it creates job security and artificially inflated wages for teachers.
In a private system, teachers would be held accountable for the performance of their pupils and expected to do their job well because the success of their company would depend it. We don't have that now.
If a teacher doesn't perform well in a public school, parents normally do not have the option of enrolling their student somewhere else so school administrators don't care. If there were alternative available and it was easier to transfer, then school administrators would be a little more worried about losing students (money) and they would fire bad teachers and find better ones. Teaching would no longer be a profession that tolerated lazy, paycheck collecting slackers.
You can understand why the teacher's union isn't interested in a situation like that, can't you?? That is just another example of how government is unable to distribute resources (education) efficiently. Our tax money would be used more efficiently in a free market that would provide cheaper, superior education.
I'm done now...
-Dostoevsky
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Pride is the recognition of the fact that you are your own highest value and, like all of man’s values, it has to be earned.
It is not advisable, James, to venture unsolicited opinions. You should spare yourself the embarrassing discovery of their exact value to your listener.
Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
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